Is there a way to build C++ Application under multiple platforms (Windows/Linux) without the Remote Agent?
Asked by Norbert:

Hi

We use Bamboo too build our C++ Application under Windows  
so far so good, but now we want also we need it to be build under Linux (Multiplattform support)

Is there a way to do this without an Remote Agent because I don't wont to spend 800 ? only for Linux/Unix support.  
I know we probably can crosscompile but this is also not such a good solution .


Answers:
author: Renjith Pillai
body: Do an ssh in your job to your linux box (enable password less ssh so that no questions are asked) and execute the make command. Do an scp to get back the resultant binaries so that bamboo can artifact the results.


author: Jens Schumacher [Atlassian]
body: As Renjith pointed out, there are certainly workarounds to utilise local agents to test on multiple platforms. However, you might want to consider the overhead of setting up and maintaining this configuration vs the cost of spending $800 in the first year and $400 for renewals. I am frequently surprised how undervalued developer time is when it comes to maintaining build environments.

comments: author: Norbert
body: Thanks but its hard for me to justify 800 $ for not a "must" feature.  
Especially if we don't have a paying unix customer.. :-(


author: PiotrA
body: Just curious - are you using starter (10$) license?

edit: I've allowed myself to improve your question title so future users can find this question more easily (if they are interested in running multiplaform test without the Remote Agents). I assume it's OK, right? :)


author: Norbert
body: Yes Starter license..

And yes its ok


author: PiotrA
body: Hm, that makes sense - I can see a reason not to go with 790$ expenses just to support another platform, especially if one is developing small application(s) with a low revenue (like some startup for example). Things go worse if one would like to support yet another platform (MacOS?) - then the additional Bamboo cost goes up to 2190$.

@Jens, what's the goal of Bamboo Starter licenses? I think they totally miss the point when considering multiplatform building (C/C++ area, for example small video games shops, etc). Care to follow this up in private mail conversation?


author: Jens Schumacher [Atlassian]
body: @Norbert, I would love to hear more about your use-case for Bamboo. Let me know if you are happy to chat about it.


author: Norbert
body: @Jens  
fell free to contact me, you should have my emailadresse..


author: Christian Leichsenring
body: This is a very old post and yet, the licence model still seems to be really harsh for multi-platform C++ projects. Did anything at all come out of your chat with Jens, Norbert?


author: Norbert
body: [@Christian](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/52330)  
Jens never contacted me  
since the demand of our UNIX solution increased we spend the money on a Bamboo license..  
In my opinion its still quite overpriced (especially compared to other available tools)  
but changing to another platform would be more of a hassle then just paying the 400$ per year

We currently have an intern redoing our build scripts because of technical debt. So the licensing costs doesn't matter compared to the cost of the developer.


author: Christian Leichsenring
body: Thanks for the reply. Too bad Jens never got back to you :/ It might be off topic and an unwelcome subject here but which tool would you use if you could start over and weren't locked into Bamboo? We just started looking into possible CI solutions and from what I've seen so far, platform independent ones are few and far between, so Bamboo still seems appealing despite it not having been designed with C++ in mind.


author: Norbert
body: in my old company we use MS TeamSystem Buildservice which is quite good for C++ but only usable for Windows

Currently other groups in our company use Jenkins  
no experience about it myself but as far as I understood quite promising

regarding the buildscriptswe are planning to move to cmake, but it's a long term project and currently no urgency to do this (also a job for an intern)


author: PiotrA
body: I don't think there is a feasible way to CI multiplatform project using Bamboo without the Remote Agent(s). :(