[BUG]: gcc works incorrectly on windows-latest (image = 20251021.67.1)

[melanchall]

New issue checklist

• I searched for existing GitHub issues
• I read pipeline troubleshooting guide
• I checked how to collect logs

Task name

PowerShell

Task version

2.262.0

Issue Description

I use windows-latest (image version is 20251021.67.1) to execute three simple lines of PowerShell code:

cd Resources\Native
gcc -c NativeApi-Windows.c -lwinmm
gcc -shared -o Melanchall_DryWetMidi_Native64.dll NativeApi-Windows.o -lwinmm

All worked on October, 12. Today I decided to build dll again and got the error (see logs):

C:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/../../../../x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find NativeApi-Windows.o: No such file or directory

When I've added -v argument to gcc command, I see in Azure DevOps task log that output file has been rewritten to something temporal:

-o C:\Users\VSSADM~1\AppData\Local\Temp\ccI6r62j.s

I've tried to specify output file explicitly:

gcc -c NativeApi-Windows.c -lwinmm -v -o NativeApi-Windows.o

But the error remained the same:

C:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/../../../../x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find NativeApi-Windows.o: No such file or directory

It's absolutely wrong that gcc rewrites output file name and puts it to a temporary directory.

As I've said, all worked on October, 12. Image parameters there were:

• Microsoft Windows Server 2025
• 10.0.26100
• windows-2025
• 20250929.44.1

I didn't find a way to specify previous image version to get my build succeeded.

Environment type (Please select at least one enviroment where you face this issue)

• Self-Hosted
• Microsoft Hosted
• VMSS Pool
• Container

Azure DevOps Server type

dev.azure.com (formerly visualstudio.com)

Azure DevOps Server Version (if applicable)

No response

Operation system

Windows 11

Relevant log output

Using built-in specs.
COLLECT_GCC=C:\mingw64\bin\gcc.exe
Target: x86_64-w64-mingw32
Configured with: ../../../src/gcc-15.2.0/configure --host=x86_64-w64-mingw32 --build=x86_64-w64-mingw32 --target=x86_64-w64-mingw32 --prefix=/mingw64 --with-sysroot=/c/buildroot/x86_64-1520-posix-seh-ucrt-rt_v13-rev0/mingw64 --enable-host-shared --disable-multilib --enable-languages=c,c++,fortran,lto --enable-libstdcxx-time=yes --enable-threads=posix --enable-libgomp --enable-libatomic --enable-lto --enable-graphite --enable-checking=release --enable-mingw-wildcard --enable-fully-dynamic-string --enable-version-specific-runtime-libs --enable-libstdcxx-filesystem-ts=yes --disable-libssp --disable-libstdcxx-pch --disable-libstdcxx-debug --enable-bootstrap --disable-rpath --disable-win32-registry --disable-nls --disable-werror --disable-symvers --with-gnu-as --with-gnu-ld --with-arch=nocona --with-tune=core2 --with-libiconv --with-system-zlib --with-gmp=/c/buildroot/prerequisites/x86_64-w64-mingw32-static --with-mpfr=/c/buildroot/prerequisites/x86_64-w64-mingw32-static --with-mpc=/c/buildroot/prerequisites/x86_64-w64-mingw32-static --with-isl=/c/buildroot/prerequisites/x86_64-w64-mingw32-static --with-pkgversion='x86_64-posix-seh-rev0, Built by MinGW-Builds project' --with-bugurl=https://github.com/niXman/mingw-builds LD_FOR_TARGET=/c/buildroot/x86_64-1520-posix-seh-ucrt-rt_v13-rev0/mingw64/bin/ld.exe --with-boot-ldflags='-pipe -fno-ident -L/c/buildroot/x86_64-1520-posix-seh-ucrt-rt_v13-rev0/mingw64/opt/lib -L/c/buildroot/prerequisites/x86_64-zlib-static/lib -L/c/buildroot/prerequisites/x86_64-w64-mingw32-static/lib  -Wl,--disable-dynamicbase -static-libstdc++ -static-libgcc'
Thread model: posix
Supported LTO compression algorithms: zlib
gcc version 15.2.0 (x86_64-posix-seh-rev0, Built by MinGW-Builds project) 
COLLECT_GCC_OPTIONS='-c' '-v' '-o' 'NativeApi-Windows.o' '-mtune=core2' '-march=nocona'
 C:/mingw64/bin/../libexec/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/cc1.exe -quiet -v -iprefix C:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/ -D_REENTRANT NativeApi-Windows.c -quiet -dumpbase NativeApi-Windows.c -dumpbase-ext .c -mtune=core2 -march=nocona -version -o C:\Users\VSSADM~1\AppData\Local\Temp\ccI6r62j.s


Using built-in specs.
COLLECT_GCC=C:\mingw64\bin\gcc.exe
COLLECT_LTO_WRAPPER=C:/mingw64/bin/../libexec/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/lto-wrapper.exe
Target: x86_64-w64-mingw32
Configured with: ../../../src/gcc-15.2.0/configure --host=x86_64-w64-mingw32 --build=x86_64-w64-mingw32 --target=x86_64-w64-mingw32 --prefix=/mingw64 --with-sysroot=/c/buildroot/x86_64-1520-posix-seh-ucrt-rt_v13-rev0/mingw64 --enable-host-shared --disable-multilib --enable-languages=c,c++,fortran,lto --enable-libstdcxx-time=yes --enable-threads=posix --enable-libgomp --enable-libatomic --enable-lto --enable-graphite --enable-checking=release --enable-mingw-wildcard --enable-fully-dynamic-string --enable-version-specific-runtime-libs --enable-libstdcxx-filesystem-ts=yes --disable-libssp --disable-libstdcxx-pch --disable-libstdcxx-debug --enable-bootstrap --disable-rpath --disable-win32-registry --disable-nls --disable-werror --disable-symvers --with-gnu-as --with-gnu-ld --with-arch=nocona --with-tune=core2 --with-libiconv --with-system-zlib --with-gmp=/c/buildroot/prerequisites/x86_64-w64-mingw32-static --with-mpfr=/c/buildroot/prerequisites/x86_64-w64-mingw32-static --with-mpc=/c/buildroot/prerequisites/x86_64-w64-mingw32-static --with-isl=/c/buildroot/prerequisites/x86_64-w64-mingw32-static --with-pkgversion='x86_64-posix-seh-rev0, Built by MinGW-Builds project' --with-bugurl=https://github.com/niXman/mingw-builds LD_FOR_TARGET=/c/buildroot/x86_64-1520-posix-seh-ucrt-rt_v13-rev0/mingw64/bin/ld.exe --with-boot-ldflags='-pipe -fno-ident -L/c/buildroot/x86_64-1520-posix-seh-ucrt-rt_v13-rev0/mingw64/opt/lib -L/c/buildroot/prerequisites/x86_64-zlib-static/lib -L/c/buildroot/prerequisites/x86_64-w64-mingw32-static/lib  -Wl,--disable-dynamicbase -static-libstdc++ -static-libgcc'
Thread model: posix
Supported LTO compression algorithms: zlib
gcc version 15.2.0 (x86_64-posix-seh-rev0, Built by MinGW-Builds project) 
COMPILER_PATH=C:/mingw64/bin/../libexec/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/;C:/mingw64/bin/../libexec/gcc/;C:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/../../../../x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/
LIBRARY_PATH=C:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/;C:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/;C:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/../../../../x86_64-w64-mingw32/lib/../lib/;C:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/../../../../lib/;C:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/../../../../x86_64-w64-mingw32/lib/;C:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/../../../
COLLECT_GCC_OPTIONS='-shared' '-o' 'Melanchall_DryWetMidi_Native64.dll' '-v' '-mtune=core2' '-march=nocona' '-dumpdir' 'Melanchall_DryWetMidi_Native64.dll.'
 C:/mingw64/bin/../libexec/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/collect2.exe -plugin C:/mingw64/bin/../libexec/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/liblto_plugin.dll -plugin-opt=C:/mingw64/bin/../libexec/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/lto-wrapper.exe -plugin-opt=-fresolution=C:\Users\VSSADM~1\AppData\Local\Temp\cc2o3q8r.res -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingw32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc_s -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingwex -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmsvcrt -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lkernel32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lpthread -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-ladvapi32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lshell32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-luser32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lkernel32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-liconv -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingw32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc_s -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingwex -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmsvcrt -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lkernel32 --sysroot=C:/buildroot/x86_64-1520-posix-seh-ucrt-rt_v13-rev0/mingw64 -m i386pep --shared -Bdynamic -e DllMainCRTStartup --enable-auto-image-base -o Melanchall_DryWetMidi_Native64.dll C:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/../../../../x86_64-w64-mingw32/lib/../lib/dllcrt2.o C:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/crtbegin.o -LC:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0 -LC:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc -LC:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/../../../../x86_64-w64-mingw32/lib/../lib -LC:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/../../../../lib -LC:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/../../../../x86_64-w64-mingw32/lib -LC:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/../../.. NativeApi-Windows.o -lwinmm -lmingw32 -lgcc_s -lgcc -lmingwex -lmsvcrt -lkernel32 -lpthread -ladvapi32 -lshell32 -luser32 -lkernel32 -liconv -lmingw32 -lgcc_s -lgcc -lmingwex -lmsvcrt -lkernel32 C:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/crtend.o
C:/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/15.2.0/../../../../x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find NativeApi-Windows.o: No such file or directory
collect2.exe: error: ld returned 1 exit status

Full task logs with system.debug enabled

No response

Repro steps

[melanchall]

Well, I've switched to windows-2022 for now and my commands work again. Please fix the issue for windows-latest.

More info:

• on windows-2022 I see the same string in logs "-o C:\Users\VSSADM~1\AppData\Local\Temp\ccQ6l60L.s", so that doesn't matter I suppose;
• on windows-2022 the version of gcc is 14.2.0 (x86_64-posix-seh-rev2, Built by MinGW-Builds project);
• on windows-latest the version of gcc is 15.2.0 (x86_64-posix-seh-rev0, Built by MinGW-Builds project).

So it looks like the bug is related with gcc. Probably you need to update it in the windows-latest image.

[kzettlmeier]

I can confirm that we are also seeing an issue when trying to compile Go code with CGO on the built in pipeline agents for windows-latest. We get the following:

TERM='dumb' CGO_LDFLAGS='"-O2" "-g"' "C:\\hostedtoolcache\\windows\\go\\1.21.0\\x64\\pkg\\tool\\windows_amd64\\cgo.exe" -objdir "$WORK\\b066\\" -importpath runtime/cgo -import_runtime_cgo=false -import_syscall=false -- -I "$WORK\\b066\\" -O2 -g -Wall -Werror -fno-stack-protector "C:\\hostedtoolcache\\windows\\go\\1.21.0\\x64\\src\\runtime\\cgo\\cgo.go"
runtime/cgo: C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\go\1.21.0\x64\pkg\tool\windows_amd64\cgo.exe: exit status 2

When we specify windows-2022 the error goes away with no code change. We also tried updating to the latest Go version and we still had the same issue so it definitely seems related to a GCC change on the machine.