This is harder than what I do. Just install LTSC Visual Studio build tools from [1], then chuck this in a cmd file:

    cl yourprogram.c /link user32.lib advapi32.lib ... etc etc ...

I've built a load of utilities that do that just fine. I use vim as an editor.

The Visual Studio toolchain does have LTSC and stable releases - no one seems to know about them though. see: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/visualstudio/releases/2022... - you should use these if you are not a single developer and have to collaborate with people. Back like in the old days when we had pinned versions of the toolchain across whole company.

[1] https://download.visualstudio.microsoft.com/download/pr/5d23...

▲ aleph_minus_one 3 hours ago | parent [-]

> The Visual Studio toolchain does have LTSC and stable releases - no one seems to know about them though.

You only get access to the LTSC channel if you have a license for at least Visual Studio Professional (Community won't do it); so a lot of hobbyist programmers and students are not aware of it.

On the other hand, its existence is in my experience very well-known among people who use Visual Studio for work at some company.

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dgxyz 3 hours ago | parent [-]

You can install the LTSC toolchain without a license. Just not the IDE.

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foepys 2 hours ago | parent [-]

That's not correct. You don't have to give your credit card details or even be logged in but you are still required to have any Visual Studio license. For hobbyists and startups the VS Community license is enough but larger companies need a VS Professional license even for the VS Build Tools.

How strict Microsoft is with enforcement of this license is another story.

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anankaie 5 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

You do not need a Professional or Enterprise license to use the Visual Studio Build Tools:

> Previously, if the application you were developing was not OSS, installing VSBT was permitted only if you had a valid Visual Studio license (e.g., Visual Studio Community or higher).

From (https://devblogs.microsoft.com/cppblog/updates-to-visual-stu...). For OSS, you do not even need a Community License anymore.

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dgxyz 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Fair. Although I tend not to give a crap about Microsoft licensing :)

	▲	okanat 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Well, let's say this is the world view of all companies about open-source software. Then what happens. If people "tend to not give crap" about licenses, all the nice guarantees of GPL etc also disappear.