- E02 - Support for MinGW Open Source Compiler

[Fuzzyman]

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?
>

It's not necessary.

> b) Why does the Python Foundation not ensure, that the python
> source-code is directly compilable with MinGW?
>

Are you sure it isn't ?

> 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
>

Not very difficult. The mingw compiler *is* supported through
distutils. distutils can straightforwardly be configured to build
extensions with mingw. The relevent lib files need converting, which is
also simple.

I did it for Python 2.3. For Python 2.4 I use the free MS optimimizing
compiler. That does need a bit of hacking into distutils, but gain -
not very difficult.

Regards,

Fuzzy
http://www.voidspace.org.uk/python/index.shtml

> 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.]
> 
> .
> 
> -- 
> http://lazaridis.com