[Python-Dev] mingw support?
Dear list, I was wondering whether there would ever be support for python to be build by the mingw compiler suite. I found a few patches in the internet but there were disagreeing comments on whether they are functional or not. So I would like to ask the list whether there are any technical reasons that this is so. I did a search on the python site for mingw, but all I found are explanations how to compile python modules, but not python itself. I know the question is why anybody should want to do so, but I do think that a project which depends on a non-free compiler is not free after all. Regards, Gabriel ___ Python-Dev mailing list Python-Dev@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-dev Unsubscribe: http://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com
Re: [Python-Dev] mingw support?
On Mon, Aug 09, 2010 at 06:55:29PM -0400, Terry Reedy wrote: > On 8/9/2010 2:47 PM, Sturla Molden wrote: > >> Terry Reedy: > > > >> MingW has become less attractive in recent years by the difficulty > >> in downloading and installing a current version and finding out how to > >> do so. Some projects have moved on to the TDM packaging of MingW. > >> > >> http://tdm-gcc.tdragon.net/ > > Someone else deserves credit for writing that and giving that link ;-) Yes, that was a great link, thanks. It works fine for me. The reason I was bringing up this topic again was that I think the gnu autotools have been made for exactly this purpose, to port software to different platforms, and it might in the long run be easier to have a working mingw plus autotools platform to develop python (as well as other software) on. Besides, one day it would be nice even on windows to have a kind of GNU/Windows system where you could just type win-emerge gtk or win-emerge python or whatever. Gabriel ___ Python-Dev mailing list Python-Dev@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-dev Unsubscribe: http://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com
Re: [Python-Dev] mingw support?
On Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 03:21:15PM +0200, Sturla Molden wrote: > > "David Cournapeau": > > Autotools only help for posix-like platforms. They are certainly a big > > hindrance on windows platform in general, > > That is why mingw has MSYS. > > mingw is not just a gcc port, but also a miniature gnu environment for > windows. MSYS' bash shell allows us to do things like: > > $ ./configure > $ make && make install > > > > Sturla I will try to compile the python-svn trunk then by using the autotools plus tdm-gcc (a mingw fork) as well as MSYS. I might try to report any errors back to the autotools list and sort out with them what is happening. Gabriel ___ Python-Dev mailing list Python-Dev@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-dev Unsubscribe: http://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com
Re: [Python-Dev] mingw support?
On Thu, Aug 12, 2010 at 05:38:52PM +0900, David Cournapeau wrote: > On Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 10:21 PM, Sturla Molden wrote: > > > > "David Cournapeau": > >> Autotools only help for posix-like platforms. They are certainly a big > >> hindrance on windows platform in general, > > > > That is why mingw has MSYS. > > I know of MSYS, but it is not very pleasant to use, if only because it > is extremely slow. When I need to build things for windows, I much > prefer cross compiling to using MSYS. I also think that cross > compilation is more useful than native mingw build alone - there are > patches for cross compilation, but I don't know their current status, > > cheers, > > David My argument goes that one of the biggest differences between the GNU/Linux and the Windows way of computing is the barrier between user and programmer. In the Windows way, you are either a user or a programmer. On Linux, just by the way you can download software and run ./configure && make && make install, you are encouraged to look at the source code and by this you might in the not-so-long run start reporting bugs to mailing lists and see that there are actually people who might be able to sort out the bugs and that you might become one of them. The Windows way, you think those bugs are unavoidable and start making jokes out of a feeling of frustration and helplessness. That's where msys/mingw is supposed to come in, if only it was easier to install, so that new Programmers don't get locked in in the Microsoft compiler products and thereby the divide between the software communities gets wider and wider. Don't get me wrong, I think the python project is doing a great job in terms of cross-platform portability, but things would be easier if there was an easy combination of msys, mingw and autotools. And by the way, I think the way the big linux distros like fedora and mandrake distribute software is more similar to the windows way of computing. Gabriel ___ Python-Dev mailing list Python-Dev@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-dev Unsubscribe: http://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com
