# cmake + mingw32: invalid option '-?'
**URL:** https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-mingw32-invalid-option/5344
**Category:** Code
**Tags:** os:windows, comp:mingw
**Created:** [March 31, 2022, 9:31am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-mingw32-invalid-option/5344 "2022-03-31T09:31:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@hydroconstructor](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/hydroconstructor)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2022, 9:31am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-mingw32-invalid-option/5344/1 "2022-03-31T09:31:41Z")
Can’t compile anything by cmake, including Step 1 tutorial example. There is my CMakeLists.txt:
```auto
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.10)
set( CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER "c:/Program Files/mingw-w64/x86_64-8.1.0-win32-seh-rt_v6-rev0/mingw64/bin/g++.exe" )
set( CMAKE_C_COMPILER "c:/Program Files/mingw-w64/x86_64-8.1.0-win32-seh-rt_v6-rev0/mingw64/bin/gcc.exe" )
set( CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM "c:/Program Files/mingw-w64/x86_64-8.1.0-win32-seh-rt_v6-rev0/mingw64/bin/mingw32-make.exe" )
# set the project name
project(Tutorial)
# add the executable
add_executable(Tutorial tutorial.cxx)
```
cmake returns error:
```auto
CMake Error at CMakeLists.txt:8 (project):
Running
'c:/PROGRA~1/MINGW-~1/X86_64~1.0-W/mingw64/bin/mingw32-make.exe' '-?'
failed with:
c:/PROGRA~1/MINGW-~1/X86_64~1.0-W/mingw64/bin/mingw32-make.exe: invalid option -- ?
Usage: mingw32-make.exe [options] [target] ...
Options:
-b, -m Ignored for compatibility.
-B, --always-make Unconditionally make all targets.
(long list of all mingw32-make options )
```
Why cmake run mingw32-make.exe with option ‘-?’ ? Tried to find answer via Internet, but found nothing ☹
---
### Author:  [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2022, 2:06pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-mingw32-invalid-option/5344/2 "2022-03-31T14:06:14Z")
What is the CMake command line you’re using? I would guess that you’re probably using a Windows CMake build which is trying to use MSBuild internally. Rather than setting the compilers in the CMake source directly, it is recommended that you instead just run CMake from a MinGW environment and let it discover things on its own.
---
### Author:  [@hydroconstructor](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/hydroconstructor)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2022, 2:19pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-mingw32-invalid-option/5344/3 "2022-03-31T14:19:06Z")
Yes, I use a Windows CMake. Run it by the simplest command:
```auto
cmake .
```
Current directory is source files directory, of course.
How can I use CMake from a MinGW environment? I do not use graphic interfaces, just command line tools. Should I run something from mingw bin directory to do it?
By the way, I think there must be a way to explicitly point to CMake which build tool to use.
---
### Author:  [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2022, 2:24pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-mingw32-invalid-option/5344/4 "2022-03-31T14:24:56Z")
That will probably use a Visual Studio generator. Trying to get that to use MinGW is certainly doomed to failure. Your MinGW source should have a package manager to be able to get its `cmake` (`pacman`?).
---
### Author:  [@hydroconstructor](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/hydroconstructor)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2022, 2:28pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-mingw32-invalid-option/5344/5 "2022-03-31T14:28:57Z")
So, this line of my CMakeLists.txt
```auto
set( CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM "c:/Program Files/mingw-w64/x86_64-8.1.0-win32-seh-rt_v6-rev0/mingw64/bin/mingw32-make.exe" )
```
is completely useless? And CMake tries to use Visual Studio nmake instead of it?
---
### Author:  [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2022, 2:32pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-mingw32-invalid-option/5344/6 "2022-03-31T14:32:02Z")
No? Without a `-G`, Windows CMake defaults to Visual Studio for its builds. Neither NMake nor MinGW make is going to work under such expectations.
---
### Author:  [@hydroconstructor](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/hydroconstructor)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2022, 2:35pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-mingw32-invalid-option/5344/7 "2022-03-31T14:35:32Z")
So I should run CMake in such way:
```auto
cmake -G "MinGW Makefiles" .
```
?
Is there any way to point this in CMakeLists.txt? Or only in command line?
---
### Author:  [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2022, 2:37pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-mingw32-invalid-option/5344/8 "2022-03-31T14:37:00Z")
The CMake code cannot affect the generator; it must be set on the command line (or through the `CMAKE_GENERATOR` environment variable).
---
### Author:  [@hydroconstructor](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/hydroconstructor)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2022, 2:39pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-mingw32-invalid-option/5344/9 "2022-03-31T14:39:41Z")
Thank you for an explanation