Feature #20563: Drop support for old Windows

• Status: Closed
• Assignee: usa (Usaku NAKAMURA)
• Target version: -

[nobu (Nobuyoshi Nakada)]

This is the table of APIs that we are calling dynamically, and the available Windows versions.

DLL	API	Client	Server
iphlpapi	ConvertInterfaceGuidToLuid	Vista	2008
iphlpapi	ConvertInterfaceLuidToNameA	Vista	2008
kernel32	CreateSymbolicLinkW	Vista	2008
kernel32	GetFileInformationByHandleEx	Vista	2008
kernel32	GetFinalPathNameByHandleW	Vista	2008
kernel32	SetFileInformationByHandle	Vista	2008
shell32	SHGetPathFromIDListEx	Vista	2008
ws2_32	inet_ntop	Vista	2008
ws2_32	inet_pton	Vista	2008
kernel32	GetSystemTimePreciseAsFileTime	8	2012
kernel32	SetThreadDescription	10	2016

However, already random.c directly uses BCryptGenRandom that is available since Windows Vista/Server 2008.

So I propose explicitly dropping support for Windows older than Vista/2008 8/Server 2012.
https://github.com/ruby/ruby/pull/11279

Update: added iphlpapi APIs.

[jeremyevans0 (Jeremy Evans)]

• Tracker changed from Bug to Feature
• Backport deleted (3.1: UNKNOWN, 3.2: UNKNOWN, 3.3: UNKNOWN)

[hsbt (Hiroshi SHIBATA)]

• Status changed from Assigned to Closed

@usa (Usaku NAKAMURA) said "Windows Server 2016 is already EOL, we can drop them".

I also agreed to drop Windows Server 2008, 2012 and 2016

[jeremyevans0 (Jeremy Evans)]

hsbt (Hiroshi SHIBATA) wrote in #note-2:

@usa (Usaku NAKAMURA) said "Windows Server 2016 is already EOL, we can drop them".

I also agreed to drop Windows Server 2008, 2012 and 2016

Windows Server 2016 is not yet EOL, the EOL date is January 12, 2027: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-server-2016

[nobu (Nobuyoshi Nakada)]

It seems that the import library in VisualStudio 2015 is missing the symbol that was introduced in Windows Server 2016.

win32.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp_SetThreadDescription referenced in function rb_w32_set_thread_description
miniruby.exe : fatal error LNK1120: 1 unresolved externals

[nobu (Nobuyoshi Nakada)]

jeremyevans0 (Jeremy Evans) wrote in #note-3:

Windows Server 2016 is not yet EOL, the EOL date is January 12, 2027: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-server-2016

It looks like "Extended Security Update" of Windows Server 2012 won't be EOL until October 13, 2026 at least either.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-server-2012#releases

"Extended Security Update" of Windows Server 2008 appears to have reached EOL this year.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-server-2008#releases

[nobu (Nobuyoshi Nakada)]

• Description updated (diff)

[nobu (Nobuyoshi Nakada)]

• Description updated (diff)

[nobu (Nobuyoshi Nakada)]

• Status changed from Closed to Open

[hsbt (Hiroshi SHIBATA)]

Thanks @jeremyevans0 (Jeremy Evans) , we can drop Windows Server 2008 and 2012 at least.

FYI: There is no CI and development environment of Windows Server 2016 today for us. GitHub Actions has only Windows 2019 and 2022 and I only have Windows 11.

[nobu (Nobuyoshi Nakada)]

• Status changed from Open to Closed

Applied in changeset git|7ef8051cbbb7194a8899a3966130af2bc09fc896.

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[Feature #20563] Drop support for Windows older than Vista/2008

Directly call APIs available on Windows Vista/Server 2008 and later.

[nobu (Nobuyoshi Nakada)]

[Feature #20563] Drop support for Windows older than Vista/2008

Directly call APIs available on Windows Vista/Server 2008 and later.

[nobu (Nobuyoshi Nakada)]

[Feature #20563] Drop support for Windows older than 8/Sever 2012

Directly call APIs available on Windows 8/Server 2012 and later.

[nobu (Nobuyoshi Nakada)]

[Feature #20563] Update required Windows version

Update the default NTVER, so that the declarations of APIs
introduced since Windows 8 will be enabled.
https://learn.microsoft.com/cpp/porting/modifying-winver-and-win32-winnt