Compiling Cuda code in Qt Creator on Windows

Question

I have been trying for days to get a Qt project file running on a 32-bit Windows 7 system, in which I want/need to include Cuda code. This combination of things is either so

Answer 1

Using msvc 2010 I found that the linker does not accept the -l parameter, however nvcc needs it. Therefore I made a simple change in the .pro file:

# Add the necessary libraries
CUDA_LIBS = cuda cudart
# The following makes sure all path names (which often include spaces) are put between quotation marks
CUDA_INC = $$join(INCLUDEPATH,'" -I"','-I"','"')
# LIBRARIES IN FORMAT NEEDED BY NVCC
NVCC_LIBS = $$join(CUDA_LIBS,' -l','-l', '')
# LIBRARIES IN FORMAT NEEDED BY VISUAL C++ LINKER
LIBS += $$join(CUDA_LIBS,'.lib ', '', '.lib')

And the nvcc command (release version):

cuda.commands = $$CUDA_DIR/bin/nvcc.exe $$NVCC_OPTIONS $$CUDA_INC $$NVCC_LIBS --machine $$SYSTEM_TYPE -arch=$$CUDA_ARCH -c -o ${QMAKE_FILE_OUT} ${QMAKE_FILE_NAME}

$$NVCC_LIBS was inserted instead of $$LIBS. The whole .pro file, which works for me:

QT       += core

QT       -= gui

TARGET = TestCUDA
CONFIG   += console
CONFIG   -= app_bundle

TEMPLATE = app

# Define output directories
DESTDIR = release
OBJECTS_DIR = release/obj
CUDA_OBJECTS_DIR = release/cuda

# Source files
SOURCES += main.cpp

# This makes the .cu files appear in your project
OTHER_FILES +=  vectorAddition.cu

# CUDA settings <-- may change depending on your system
CUDA_SOURCES += vectorAddition.cu
#CUDA_SDK = "C:/ProgramData/NVIDIA Corporation/NVIDIA GPU Computing SDK 4.2/C"   # Path to cuda SDK install
CUDA_DIR = "C:/Program Files/NVIDIA GPU Computing Toolkit/CUDA/v5.0"           # Path to cuda toolkit install
SYSTEM_NAME = win32         # Depending on your system either 'Win32', 'x64', or 'Win64'
SYSTEM_TYPE = 32            # '32' or '64', depending on your system
CUDA_ARCH = sm_11           # Type of CUDA architecture, for example 'compute_10', 'compute_11', 'sm_10'
NVCC_OPTIONS = --use_fast_math

# include paths
INCLUDEPATH += $$CUDA_DIR/include
               #$$CUDA_SDK/common/inc/ \
               #$$CUDA_SDK/../shared/inc/

# library directories
QMAKE_LIBDIR += $$CUDA_DIR/lib/$$SYSTEM_NAME
                #$$CUDA_SDK/common/lib/$$SYSTEM_NAME \
                #$$CUDA_SDK/../shared/lib/$$SYSTEM_NAME


# The following library conflicts with something in Cuda
QMAKE_LFLAGS_RELEASE = /NODEFAULTLIB:msvcrt.lib
QMAKE_LFLAGS_DEBUG   = /NODEFAULTLIB:msvcrtd.lib

# Add the necessary libraries
CUDA_LIBS = cuda cudart
# The following makes sure all path names (which often include spaces) are put between quotation marks
CUDA_INC = $$join(INCLUDEPATH,'" -I"','-I"','"')
NVCC_LIBS = $$join(CUDA_LIBS,' -l','-l', '')
LIBS += $$join(CUDA_LIBS,'.lib ', '', '.lib')

# Configuration of the Cuda compiler
CONFIG(debug, debug|release) {
    # Debug mode
    cuda_d.input = CUDA_SOURCES
    cuda_d.output = $$CUDA_OBJECTS_DIR/${QMAKE_FILE_BASE}_cuda.o
    cuda_d.commands = $$CUDA_DIR/bin/nvcc.exe -D_DEBUG $$NVCC_OPTIONS $$CUDA_INC $$NVCC_LIBS --machine $$SYSTEM_TYPE -arch=$$CUDA_ARCH -c -o ${QMAKE_FILE_OUT} ${QMAKE_FILE_NAME}
    cuda_d.dependency_type = TYPE_C
    QMAKE_EXTRA_COMPILERS += cuda_d
}
else {
    # Release mode
    cuda.input = CUDA_SOURCES
    cuda.output = $$CUDA_OBJECTS_DIR/${QMAKE_FILE_BASE}_cuda.o
    cuda.commands = $$CUDA_DIR/bin/nvcc.exe $$NVCC_OPTIONS $$CUDA_INC $$NVCC_LIBS --machine $$SYSTEM_TYPE -arch=$$CUDA_ARCH -c -o ${QMAKE_FILE_OUT} ${QMAKE_FILE_NAME}
    cuda.dependency_type = TYPE_C
    QMAKE_EXTRA_COMPILERS += cuda
}

I also added some essential declarations, i.e. QT += core for the app to work, and also removed the SDK part, which I did not find useful in this case.