GitHub Actions workflow cannot build arm32 after updating Windows SDK min version

[dmachaj]

Version

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Summary

Here's a CI build where it is failing: https://github.com/microsoft/cppwinrt/actions/runs/11865784595/job/33073424298

It seems that I broke it earlier today when I upgraded the SDK version to something newer: #1451. I'm not sure why that built just fine. It should have broken the same way.

D:\a\cppwinrt\cppwinrt>call msbuild /m /p:Configuration=Release,Platform=arm,CppWinRTBuildVersion=3.0.0.0 cppwinrt.sln /t:fast_fwd 
MSBuild version 17.12.6+db5f6012c for .NET Framework
Build started 11/16/2024 2:49:51 AM.

     1>Project "D:\a\cppwinrt\cppwinrt\cppwinrt.sln" on node 1 (fast_fwd target(s)).
     1>ValidateSolutionConfiguration:
         Building solution configuration "Release|arm".
     1>Project "D:\a\cppwinrt\cppwinrt\cppwinrt.sln" (1) is building "D:\a\cppwinrt\cppwinrt\fast_fwd\fast_fwd.vcxproj" (2) on node 1 (default targets).
     2>C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Enterprise\MSBuild\Microsoft\VC\v170\Microsoft.Cpp.WindowsSDK.targets(49,5): error MSB8037: The Windows SDK version 10.0.26100.0 for Desktop C++ ARM Apps was not found. Install the required version of Windows SDK or change the SDK version in the project property pages or by right-clicking the solution and selecting "Retarget solution".  [D:\a\cppwinrt\cppwinrt\fast_fwd\fast_fwd.vcxproj]
     2>Done Building Project "D:\a\cppwinrt\cppwinrt\fast_fwd\fast_fwd.vcxproj" (default targets) -- FAILED.
     1>Done Building Project "D:\a\cppwinrt\cppwinrt\cppwinrt.sln" (fast_fwd target(s)) -- FAILED.

The build then exits with a failure at the end because this file is not found:

D:\a\cppwinrt\cppwinrt>nuget pack nuget\Microsoft.Windows.CppWinRT.nuspec -Properties target_version=3.0.0.0;cppwinrt_exe=D:\a\cppwinrt\cppwinrt\_build\x86\Release\cppwinrt.exe;cppwinrt_fast_fwd_x86=D:\a\cppwinrt\cppwinrt\_build\x86\Release\cppwinrt_fast_forwarder.lib;cppwinrt_fast_fwd_x64=D:\a\cppwinrt\cppwinrt\_build\x64\Release\cppwinrt_fast_forwarder.lib;cppwinrt_fast_fwd_arm=D:\a\cppwinrt\cppwinrt\_build\arm\Release\cppwinrt_fast_forwarder.lib;cppwinrt_fast_fwd_arm64=D:\a\cppwinrt\cppwinrt\_build\arm64\Release\cppwinrt_fast_forwarder.lib  
Attempting to build package from 'Microsoft.Windows.CppWinRT.nuspec'.
Could not find a part of the path 'D:\a\cppwinrt\cppwinrt\_build\arm\Release'.
Error: Output nuget package not found!
Error: Process completed with exit code 1.

The first question is whether there is any reason to maintain a native arm32 build of cppwinrt. Windows does not support arm32 at all on Win11 24H2. Previous Win11 versions only supported arm32 as WOW (not as a native architecture).

If we are ok with removing arm32 support then that is the easiest and most direct fix. Otherwise I either need to adjust the SDK version or I need to generate a zero-byte stub file just to make the .nuspec happy. I would prefer simply removing native arm32 support.

Reproducible example

Expected behavior

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Actual behavior

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Additional comments

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[DefaultRyan]

I think this might just be a timing coincidence, but I'm not 100% sure. The passing run used version 20241021.1.0 of the windows-2022 image (https://github.com/microsoft/cppwinrt/actions/runs/11865122343/job/33069748792?pr=1451#step:1:9)

But when the failing run hit, the windows-2022 image had been updated to 20241113.3.0 (https://github.com/microsoft/cppwinrt/actions/runs/11865784595/job/33073424298#step:1:9)

A bunch of minor updates happened, including updating from VC 17.11 to 17.12 and adding Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.Windows11SDK.26100 which was missing from the older image. I guess the latest build used that version, which caused it to fail.