Part of #611. Difficulty: good first issue. Audit baseline: master 3950416e (2026-09-12).
Current evidence
x.py lists ld.lld, llc, llvm-as and llvm-mc for Windows packaging. The MSVC driver selects lld-link in src/cli.rs. Packaging ld.lld under that name alone does not satisfy discovery of lld-link.exe.
Scope
Add the COFF linker executable required by MSVC packaging using the existing tool-resolution and host-architecture validation helpers. Keep current GNU-required tools until the dedicated retirement change. Limit the patch to tool inventory/staging and small tests; full MSVC x64 release registration belongs to #621.
Completion criteria
Tests using temporary fake tool trees show lld-link.exe is staged under the expected name for the existing ARM64 MSVC package and missing required tools fail clearly. Preserve other platform tool lists. Do not silently select a mismatched-architecture executable or rely on an unbundled PATH copy. Extend the x64 MSVC branch when #621 adds that release target.
Dependencies and boundaries
#498; independent first contribution that supplies part of #621.
Part of #611. Difficulty: good first issue. Audit baseline: master
3950416e(2026-09-12).Current evidence
x.py lists ld.lld, llc, llvm-as and llvm-mc for Windows packaging. The MSVC driver selects lld-link in src/cli.rs. Packaging ld.lld under that name alone does not satisfy discovery of lld-link.exe.
Scope
Add the COFF linker executable required by MSVC packaging using the existing tool-resolution and host-architecture validation helpers. Keep current GNU-required tools until the dedicated retirement change. Limit the patch to tool inventory/staging and small tests; full MSVC x64 release registration belongs to #621.
Completion criteria
Tests using temporary fake tool trees show lld-link.exe is staged under the expected name for the existing ARM64 MSVC package and missing required tools fail clearly. Preserve other platform tool lists. Do not silently select a mismatched-architecture executable or rely on an unbundled PATH copy. Extend the x64 MSVC branch when #621 adds that release target.
Dependencies and boundaries
#498; independent first contribution that supplies part of #621.