My only complaint about Python

[Darren Dale]

Tim Peters wrote:

> [Darren Dale[
> 
>>...
>>Will the BDFL ever split with Visual Studio?
> 
> 
> We should be clear here that this isn't Guido's decision.  What you
> get on Windows is what you get on all other platforms in this respect:
>  you get what volunteers show up to produce, year after year after
> year.  So you get a fine Cygwin port from Jason Tishler, seemingly
> toiling all alone, and you get contributions from at least four
> developers who do use Visual Studio.

I meant no disrespect to the developers.

> 
> I don't think that's an accident.  Most open source jockeys who use
> Windows do so because it's needed for their day job, and sticking with
> an MS compiler is widely perceived in pointy-hair boss-land as the
> safest course on Windows.  And it is a first-class IDE, so there's no
> pragmatic reason to wrestle with yet another system when the day job
> ends.  It takes real sweat to get comfortable with any C development
> tool chain, and it takes years to become familiar wth each one's
> maddening quirks.
> 
> I expect that's why Guido still uses Visual Studio when he's running
> on Windows (and know it's why I do), but he actually hasn't had
> anything to do with the Windows Python releases for years.  Things
> Will Change when long-term volunteers show up and change them.

This comes back to the heart of the matter. How do you get volunteers 
who dont have access to VS to get involved with Python development? I 
think the suggestions here were right on, give Python the ability to 
support MinGW out of the box. I thought that a compiler could even be 
included in a version of the Windows distribution, but maybe that is 
taking it too far.