Chapter 17. Installation from Source Code onWindows
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It is recommended that most users download the binary distribution for Windows, available as a graphical installer package from thePostgreSQL website. Building from source is only intended for people developingPostgreSQL or extensions.
There are several different ways of building PostgreSQL onWindows. The simplest way to build with Microsoft tools is to installVisual Studio 2022 and use the included compiler. It is also possible to build with the fullMicrosoft Visual C++ 2005 to 2022. In some cases that requires the installation of theWindows SDK in addition to the compiler.
It is also possible to build PostgreSQL using the GNU compiler tools provided byMinGW, or usingCygwin for older versions ofWindows.
Building usingMinGW orCygwin uses the normal build system, seeChapter 16 and the specific notes inSection 16.7.5 andSection 16.7.2. To produce native 64 bit binaries in these environments, use the tools fromMinGW-w64. These tools can also be used to cross-compile for 32 bit and 64 bitWindows targets on other hosts, such asLinux andmacOS.Cygwin is not recommended for running a production server, and it should only be used for running on older versions ofWindows where the native build does not work, such asWindows 98. The official binaries are built usingVisual Studio.
Native builds ofpsql don't support command line editing. TheCygwin build does support command line editing, so it should be used where psql is needed for interactive use onWindows.