Build/Build kJams script
The coordinator (taurus, a Mac VM on sugarbear) cannot SSH into a Windows guest and land in the current GUI login session. Parallels "Windows Apps" (WinAppHelper stubs) are Mac .app bundles that, when opened on the hardware host, launch a .bat inside that host's Windows guest session.
Create each stub on the hardware that owns the VM (bobina for luna-pc, sugarbear for taurus-pc). Do not create them on pandora. The VM UUID is baked into AppParams.pva; a stub made on the wrong Mac will not talk to the build guest.
Store finished stubs here (this is what Python opens):
xplat/proj/win/_scripts/
Machine map
| Role | Name | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Dev workstation | pandora | Dave's personal Mac. Not a release-build host. Qt Creator / MCP only. |
| 32-bit hardware | bobina | Intel Mac. Hosts luna + luna-pc. Perpetual only. |
| 32-bit Mac guest | luna | Mojave VM on bobina. Coordinator SSHes here directly (open publish.command).
|
| 32-bit Windows guest | luna-pc | Windows 10 VM on bobina. Reached only by opening a WinAppHelper on bobina. |
| 64-bit hardware | sugarbear | ARM Mac. Hosts taurus + taurus-pc. Perpetual + subscription. USB code-sign token lives on taurus-pc. |
| Coordinator / 64-bit Mac guest | taurus | Mac VM on sugarbear. is_initiator() is hardcoded to this host. Launches luna, luna-pc, taurus-pc, and a local Mac worker.
|
| 64-bit Windows guest | taurus-pc | Windows VM on sugarbear. Win64 compile + USB signing for both 32- and 64-bit. |
Apps Python opens
Names are the Windows guest that runs the work. Python builds them in xplat.get_win_build_apphelper_name() / get_win_codesign_apphelper_name().
| Bundle name (exact) | Create / open on
|
Target VM | App Path
|
|---|---|---|---|
Build kJams luna-pc.app
|
bobina | luna-pc | Z:\depot\kJams\Development\xplat\proj\win\_scripts\build.bat
|
Build kJams taurus-pc.app
|
sugarbear | taurus-pc | Z:\depot\kJams\Development\xplat\proj\win\_scripts\build.bat
|
code sign taurus-pc.app
|
sugarbear | taurus-pc | Z:\depot\kJams\Development\xplat\proj\win\_scripts\code_sign_app_taurus.bat
|
code sign paths taurus-pc.app
|
sugarbear | taurus-pc | Z:\depot\kJams\Development\xplat\proj\win\_scripts\code_sign_paths_taurus.bat
|
build.bat picks VS 2019 on LUNA-PC and VS 2022 elsewhere, then runs win_build.py.
Sugarbear (taurus-pc, scripted)
The three taurus-pc stubs are created by create_sugarbear_winapphelpers.py, which follows this page's recipe (including the CFBundleIdentifier step below). sugarbear's /usr/bin/python3 is an Xcode license stub, so run the script on taurus (it SSHes to sugarbear only to copy the live Command Prompt). The .sh wrapper on sugarbear hops to taurus.
python3 /Volumes/Developer/depot/kJams/Development/xplat/python/create_sugarbear_winapphelpers.py --dry-run python3 /Volumes/Developer/depot/kJams/Development/xplat/python/create_sugarbear_winapphelpers.py
That copies the live Parallels Command Prompt app for taurus-pc (Helper Version 27 as of 2026-09) and points APP Path at the bats in the table. Precise recipe: depot xplat/python/create_sugarbear_winapphelpers.md.
taurus-pc must be running. Do not run the script on pandora or bobina. After creating the stubs, copy them into the depot xplat/proj/win/_scripts/ tree and submit — they belong in Perforce. open on sugarbear uses taurus's disk (sugarbear mounts it). Always p4 sync taurus after a pandora submit.
Bobina is not scripted: Parallels there is version-locked for luna.
Recipe (one stub, manual)
Do this on bobina for Build kJams luna-pc.app (and anywhere you are not using the sugarbear script). The Windows guest must be running and logged into the GUI session you want the build to use. This is the original 2013 sequence; later edits dropped the identifier line.
- On the hardware host, open the Parallels "Windows applications" folder for that guest (bobina: luna-pc Applications; sugarbear: taurus-pc Applications).
- If you cannot find it: Parallels → Configure → Options → Applications → enable "Show Windows applications folder in Dock". Dock icon → Reveal in Finder.
- Copy Command Prompt to the Desktop.
- Rename the copy to the exact bundle name from the table (without
.appif Finder hides it), e.g.Build kJams luna-pc. - Right-click → Show Package Contents.
- Edit
Contents/Info.plist:CFBundleGetInfoStringmust end with theApp Pathfrom the table (theZ:\...\ _scripts\....batline).CFBundleName= the exact bundle name without.app.CFBundleIdentifier: insert the stub name immediately aftercom.parallels.winapp.(hyphenate spaces; a reverse-DNS id cannot contain spaces). The 2013 page said: add.Build kJamsjust after.winapp. Example:com.parallels.winapp.b7210c99…becomescom.parallels.winapp.Build-kJams-luna-pc.b7210c99…. Do not leave the live Command Prompt identifier — Launch Services / Parallels will reuse that helper and ignore this stub'sAPP Path. Also set the identifier inEnglish.lproj/InfoPlist.stringsif that file has one.
- Edit
Contents/Resources/English.lproj/InfoPlist.strings: set bothCFBundleNameandCFBundleDisplayNameto that same name. - Edit
Contents/Resources/AppParams.pva: setAPP Path(orApp Path) to the sameZ:\...bat path. ConfirmVM Nameis luna-pc or taurus-pc as appropriate. - Move the finished
.appinto/Volumes/Developer/depot/kJams/Development/xplat/proj/win/_scripts/(same path on the host via the Developer share). - You only need the manual copy once on bobina (
Build kJams luna-pc.app). sugarbear's three stubs come from the Python script above.
Hop (what taurus actually does)
- Win32 build: taurus SSHes to bobina and
opensBuild kJams luna-pc.app→ luna-pc runsbuild.bat. - Win64 build: taurus SSHes to sugarbear and
opensBuild kJams taurus-pc.app→ taurus-pc runsbuild.bat. - USB code sign (from luna-pc or taurus Mac): SSH to sugarbear and
opencode sign taurus-pc.apporcode sign paths taurus-pc.app. - Mac32: taurus SSHes to luna and
openspublish.command/rogue.command(no WinAppHelper). - Mac64: taurus spawns a local Terminal worker with
KJAMS_WORKER=1.
See also
- Depot docs:
Development/documentation/01_Infrastructure_Overview.md Development/xplat/python/create_sugarbear_winapphelpers.pyDevelopment/xplat/python/create_sugarbear_winapphelpers.mdCF/python/xplat.py—guest_to_host(),get_win_build_apphelper_name()