Allow disabling the console in --compile on windows. (/SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS)

[716774]

What is the problem this feature would solve?

Windows GUI

What is the feature you are proposing to solve the problem?

golang > go build -ldflags="-s -w -H windowsgui"

The terminal window will not be displayed.

What alternatives have you considered?

No response

[paperclover]

this is suggesting allowing a flag to set /SUBSYSTEM to WINDOWS? i'm not familiar with go's linker flags.

[716774]

this is suggesting allowing a flag to set /SUBSYSTEM to WINDOWS? i'm not familiar with go's linker flags.

Yes, currently I am using editbin.exe to modify the compiled exe of bun to /SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS
I hope to add a --windowsgui parameter in the bun build to set /SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS during the compilation process

Golang is like this .

I love bun ~

[paperclover]

editing title so its searchable. related is #10823, which also involves editing the binary after bundling

[codenoid]

@716774 hi what is editbin.exe ? how can I use that to hide console on my windows app?

[716774]

@716774 hi what is editbin.exe ? how can I use that to hide console on my windows app?

MSVC in Visual Studio
For example, I am 2022

1. bun build app.js --compile --minify --outfile app
2. C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.40.33807\bin\Hostx64\x64\editbin.exe /SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS app.exe

[716774]

@codenoid

This is the script I wrote, you can modify it to your directory .bat

@echo off

title=go run

echo 正在编译

call bun build app.js --compile --minify --outfile app

echo.

call "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.40.33807\bin\Hostx64\x64\editbin.exe" /SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS app.exe

echo.
pause

[codenoid]

Thanks a lot @716774 the console is hidden now 🎉

[StrangeBytesDev]

If you need an easy way to hide the console without actually running a windows executable (like in CI) then this script should be able to do it.

package main

import (
	"encoding/binary"
	"fmt"
	"os"
)

const (
	IMAGE_SUBSYSTEM_WINDOWS_GUI = 2
	PE_HEADER_OFFSET_LOCATION   = 0x3C
	SUBSYSTEM_OFFSET            = 0x5C
)

func main() {
	if len(os.Args) != 2 {
		fmt.Println("Usage: go run main.go <path-to-binary>")
		os.Exit(1)
	}

	filePath := os.Args[1]
	file, err := os.OpenFile(filePath, os.O_RDWR, 0644)
	if err != nil {
		fmt.Printf("Error opening file: %v\n", err)
		os.Exit(1)
	}
	defer file.Close()

	// Find the PE header offset
	_, err = file.Seek(PE_HEADER_OFFSET_LOCATION, 0)
	if err != nil {
		fmt.Printf("Error seeking to PE header offset: %v\n", err)
		os.Exit(1)
	}

	var peHeaderOffset uint32
	err = binary.Read(file, binary.LittleEndian, &peHeaderOffset)
	if err != nil {
		fmt.Printf("Error reading PE header offset: %v\n", err)
		os.Exit(1)
	}

	// Seek to the subsystem field in the PE header
	subsystemOffset := int64(peHeaderOffset) + SUBSYSTEM_OFFSET
	_, err = file.Seek(subsystemOffset, 0)
	if err != nil {
		fmt.Printf("Error seeking to subsystem field: %v\n", err)
		os.Exit(1)
	}

	// Change the subsystem to GUI
	err = binary.Write(file, binary.LittleEndian, uint16(IMAGE_SUBSYSTEM_WINDOWS_GUI))
	if err != nil {
		fmt.Printf("Error writing to subsystem field: %v\n", err)
		os.Exit(1)
	}

	fmt.Println("Successfully modified the binary to hide the console at startup.")
}

[paperclover]

wait it's THAT easy??! we should port this to zig

stuff for this is in pub fn toBytes( in StandaloneModuleGraph.zig

[StrangeBytesDev]

It seems like. The output of something like file my-bin.exe seems to show that its working as intended, and it does what you'd expect when run. I was also able to bang up a script in just JS to do that same.

import fs from 'node:fs'

const IMAGE_SUBSYSTEM_WINDOWS_GUI = 2;
const PE_HEADER_OFFSET_LOCATION = 0x3C;
const SUBSYSTEM_OFFSET = 0x5C;

function modifyBinarySubsystem(filePath: string) {
  const fd = fs.openSync(filePath, 'r+');
  const buffer = Buffer.alloc(4);

  // Read PE header offset from 0x3C
  fs.readSync(fd, buffer, 0, 4, PE_HEADER_OFFSET_LOCATION);
  const peHeaderOffset = buffer.readUInt32LE(0);

  // Seek to the subsystem field in the PE header
  const subsystemOffset = peHeaderOffset + SUBSYSTEM_OFFSET;
  const subsystemBuffer = Buffer.alloc(2);
  subsystemBuffer.writeUInt16LE(IMAGE_SUBSYSTEM_WINDOWS_GUI, 0);

  // Write the new subsystem value
  fs.writeSync(fd, subsystemBuffer, 0, 2, subsystemOffset);

  fs.closeSync(fd);
  console.log("Successfully modified the binary to hide the console at startup.");
}

// Usage: Provide the path to the binary
if (process.argv.length !== 3) {
  console.log('Usage: node modify-binary.js <path-to-binary>');
  process.exit(1);
}

const binaryPath = process.argv[2];
modifyBinarySubsystem(binaryPath);

This admittedly goes well over my head for how its working. I had some help from Claude on figuring it out. Its entirely possible that its missing some nuance. But it does seem to work.

[paperclover]

It works because windows reads the bytes at those two offsets and depending on the value, it opens a console or not

[CosmoMyzrailGorynych]

I was also able to bang up a script in just JS to do that same.

OH MY GOD I love you