Packaging
The package files available for download are named according to the platform where they were build.
In UNIX all strings are based in the result of the command "uname -a". The package name is a concatenation of the platform uname, the system major version number and the system minor version number. Some times a suffix must be added to complement the name. The compiler is always gcc. Binaries for 64-bits receive the suffix: "_64". In Linux when there are different versions of gcc for the same uname, the platform name is created adding the major version number of the compiler added as a suffix: "g3" for gcc 3 and "g4" for gcc 4.
In Windows the platform name is the compiler and its major version number.
All library packages (*_lib*) contains binaries for the specified platform and includes. Packages with "_bin" suffix contains executables only.
The package name is a general reference for the platform. If you have the same platform it will work fine, but it may also work in similar platforms.
Here are some examples of packages:
lua52_AIX43_64_bin.tar.gz = Lua 5.2.0 64-bits Executables for AIX version 4.3
lua52_Linux26g4_lib.tar.gz = Lua 5.2.0 32-bits Libraries and Includes for Linux with Kernel version 2.6 to use with gcc 4.
lua52_Win32_dll8_lib.tar.gz = Lua 5.2.0 32-bits DLLs, stub libraries and includes for Windows to use with Visual C++ 8.
The following platforms can be available:
AIX43 IBM AIX 4.3 (ppc) / gcc 2.95 IRIX65 SGI IRIX 6.5 (mips) / gcc 3.0 IRIX6465 SGI IRIX 6.5 (mips) / gcc 3.3 Linux24 Red Hat 7.3 (x86) / Kernel 2.4 / gcc 2.95 Linux24g3 CentOS 3.7 (x86) / Kernel 2.4 / gcc 3.2 Linux24g3_64 Red Hat E.L. WS 3 (x86_64) (64 bits libraries) / Kernel 2.4 / gcc 3.2 Linux26 Fedora Core 3 (x86) / Kernel 2.6 / gcc 3.4 Linux26g4 Fedora Core 6 (x86) / Kernel 2.6 / gcc 4.1 Linux26g4_64 Ubuntu 6.06 (x86_64) / Kernel 2.6 / gcc 4.1 Linux26g4ppc Ubuntu 6.06 (ppc) / Kernel 2.6 / gcc 4.0 Linux26_ia64 Red Hat E.L. AS 4 (ia64) / Kernel 2.6 / gcc 3.4 SunOS57 Sun Solaris 7 (sparc) / gcc 2.95 SunOS58 Sun Solaris 8 (sparc) / gcc 3.4 SunOS510 Sun Solaris 10 (sparc) / gcc 3.4 SunOS510x86 Sun Solaris 10 (x86) / gcc 3.3 FreeBSD54 Free BSD 5.4 (x86) / gcc 3.4 Darwin811 Mac OS X 10.4.11 (ppc) [Tiger] / Darwin Kernel Version 8.11 / gcc 4.0 Darwin811x86 Mac OS X 10.4.11 (x86) [Tiger] / Darwin Kernel Version 8.11 / gcc 4.0 Darwin94x86 Mac OS X 10.5.4 (x86) [Leopard] / Darwin Kernel Version 9.4 / gcc 4.0 Darwin102x86 Mac OS X 10.6.2 (x86) [Snow Leopard] / Darwin Kernel 10.2 / gcc 4.2 Win32_vc6 Static library built with Microsoft Visual C++ 6 (static RTL/single thread) Win32_vc7 Static library built with Microsoft Visual C++ 7.1 (.NET 2003) (static RTL/single thread)
Also compatible with Microsoft Visual C++ Toolkit 2003Win32_vc8 Static library built with Microsoft Visual C++ 8.0 (2005) (static RTL/multithread)
Also compatible with Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Express EditionWin32_vc9 Static library built with Microsoft Visual C++ 9.0 (2008) (static RTL/multithread)
Also compatible with Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition -
http://www.microsoft.com/express/vc/ ¹Win32_dll6 DLL and import library built with vc6, creates dependency with MSVCRT.DLL Win32_dll7 DLL and import library built with vc7, creates dependency with MSVCR71.DLL Win32_dll8 DLL and import library built with vc8, creates dependency with MSVCR80.DLL Win32_dll9 DLL and import library built with vc9, creates dependency with MSVCR90.DLL Win64_vc8 Same as Win32_vc8 but for 64-bits systems using the x64 standard. Win64_vc9 Same as Win32_vc9 but for 64-bits systems using the x64 standard. Win64_dll8 Same as Win32_dll8 but for 64-bits systems using the x64 standard. Win64_dll9 Same as Win32_dll9 but for 64-bits systems using the x64 standard. Win32_gcc3 Static library built with Cygwin gcc 3.4 (Depends on Cygwin DLL 1.5) Win32_gcc4 Static library built with Cygwin gcc 4.3 (Depends on Cygwin DLL 1.7) - http://www.cygwin.com/ ¹ Win32_cygw15 Same as Win32_gcc3, but using the Cygwin Posix system and also with a DLL and import library Win32_cygw17 Same as Win32_gcc4, but using the Cygwin Posix system and also with a DLL and import library Win32_dllg4 DLL and import library built with Cygwin gcc 4.3, creates dependency with Cygwin DLL 1.7 Win32_mingw3 Static library built with MingW gcc 3.4 Win32_mingw4 Static library built with MingW gcc 4.3 - http://www.mingw.org/ ¹
Also compatible with Dev-C++ - http://www.bloodshed.net/devcpp.html
and with Code Blocks - http://www.codeblocks.org/ ¹Win32_dllw4 DLL and import library built with MingW gcc 4.3, creates dependency with MSVCRT.DLL Win32_owc1 Static library built with Open Watcom 1.5 - http://www.openwatcom.org/ Win32_bc56 Static library built with Borland C++ BuilderX 1.0 / Borland C++ 5.6 Compiler -
http://www.borland.com/products/downloads/download_cbuilderx.html ¹,²
(the C++ BuilderX IDE can also be configured to use mingw3 or gcc3 versions.)Win32_bin 32bits Executables for Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista/7. Built by MingW gcc 4.3.
They use Lua as DLLs depending on MSVCRT.DLL (see Win32_dllw4).Win64_bin 64bits Executables for Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista/7. Built by Visual C++ 9.
They use Lua as DLLs depending on MSVCR90.DLL (see Win64_dll9).Win32_cygw15_bin Executables only for Windows NT/2000/XP, but using the Cygwin Posix system (See Win32_cygw15). Win32_cygw17_bin Executables only for Windows NT/2000/XP, but using the Cygwin Posix system (See Win32_cygw17). ¹ - Notice that all the Windows compilers with links here are free to download and use.
² - Recently Borland removed the C++ Builder X from download. But if you bought a book that has the CD of the compiler, then it is still free to use.