[EVALUATION] - E02 - Support for MinGW Open Source Compiler

[David Fraser]

Ilias Lazaridis wrote:
> I'm a newcomer to python:
> 
> [EVALUATION] - E01: The Java Failure - May Python Helps?
> http://groups-beta.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/msg/75f0c5c35374f553
> 
> -
> 
> I've download (as suggested) the python 2.4 installer for windows.
> 
> Now I have problems to compile python extension that some packages 
> depend on.
> 
> I use the MinGW open-source compiler.
> 
> -
> 
> My questions:
> 
> a) Why does the Python Foundation not provide additionally a binary 
> version, compiled with MinGW or another open-source compiler?
> 
> b) Why does the Python Foundation not ensure, that the python 
> source-code is directly compilable with MinGW?
> 
> c) Why are the following efforts not _directly_ included in the python 
> source code base?
> 
> http://jove.prohosting.com/iwave/ipython/pyMinGW.html
> 
> above link found in this thread:
> 
> http://groups-beta.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/msg/c9f0444c467de525
> 
> d) Is it really neccessary that I dive into such adventures, to be able 
> to do the most natural thing like: "developing python extensions with 
> MinGW"?
> 
> http://starship.python.net/crew/kernr/mingw32/Notes.html
> 
> e) Is there any official statement available regarding the msvcr71.dll 
> and other MS licensing issues?
> 
> [see several threads "[Python-Dev] Is msvcr71.dll re-redistributable?"]
> 
> http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2005-February/thread.html
> 
> f) Are there any official (Python Foundation) statements / rationales 
> available, which explain why the MinGW compiler is unsupported, although 
> parts of the community obviously like to use it?
> 
> http://groups-beta.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/msg/dc3474e6c8053336
> 
> -
> 
> I just want to understand.
> 
> Thankfull for any pointer to official documents / statements.
> 
> [google is _not_ a fried here. I like to have a stable development 
> environment, which is supported by the official projects, thus it can 
> pass quality-assurance without beeing afraid about every next release.]


Just to add to all the other answers:

Don't just complain, submit patches and work at keeping them maintained. 
If this is done for a while it may be more of an argument for having 
them included

David