[Python-Dev] compiling python2.5 (msys+mingw+wine) - giving up using msvcr80 assemblies for now

[Terry Reedy]

Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton wrote:
> this is a fairly important issue for python development
> interoperability - martin mentioned that releases of mingw-compiled
> python, if done with a non-interoperable version of msvcrt, would
> cause much mayhem.
> well, compiling python on mingw with msvcr80 _can_ be done; using it
> can also be a simple matter of creating a python.exe.manifest file,
> but i can't actually do any testing because it doesn't work under
> wine.
> so, pending any further advice and guidance from anyone which allows
> me to successfully proceed, i'm not going to continue to compile - or
> release - python2.5 *or* python2.6 builds (when i get round to that)
> using msvcr80 or msvcr9X.
> one issue in favour of this decision is that the DLL that's produced
> by the autoconf build process is "libpython2.5.dll.a" - not
> "python2.5.dll".  it has a different name.  it should be abundantly
> clear to users and developers that "if name equals libpython2.5.dll.a
> then duh build equals different".  additionally, the setup.py
> distutils all goes swimmingly well and lovely - using
> libpython2.5.dll.a.
> the only issue which _is_ going to throw a spanner in the works is
> that people who download win32-built precompiled c-based modules are
> going to find that hey, "it don't work!" and the answer will have to
> be "go get a version of that module, compiled with mingw, not MSVC".
> 
> of course - if python for win32 ENTIRELY DROPPED msvc as a development
> platform, and went for an entirely free software development
> toolchain, then this problem goes away.
> 
> thoughts, anyone?

As I understand the above, you listed or implied 3 paths other than you 
completely giving up, which you are not ready to do yet.
1. You release non-interoperable binary, with a modified name to 
alleviate, but not prevent confusion.
2. You get some sort of help from someone to release an interoperable 
binary.
3. The devs drop msvc (wink missing ;-).

Not surprisingly to me, people on pydev followed herring #3 to explain 
why not.  If you want responses to path 2, a post leaving out 3 and 
giving more detail might be more successful.  All I could do is unzip 
stuff into a temp directory and run the test suite on my XP mechine.

Terry Jan Reedy