[Python-Dev] Adventures with x64, VS7 and VS8 on Windows

["Martin v. Löwis"]

> Surely there are differences between architectures?  PC uses MSI after all.
> Why can't linux be under trunk/linux and pc 86 under trunk/pcbuild8/win32PGO
> and 64 under trunk/pcbuild8/x64pgo?

That couldn't work for me. I try avoid building on a network drive, and
with local drives, I just can't have a Windows build and a Linux build
on the same checkout - they live on separate file systems, after all
(Linux on ext3, Windows on NTFS, with multi-boot switching between
them).

> That´s just silly.  And two visual studios open, and edit the file
> in two places too?

I have about 10 checkouts of Python, on different machines, with
no problems. I don't feel silly doing so.

I don't *use* them simultaneously, of course - I cannot work
on two architectures simultaneously, anyway.

> I say let's just admit that tools can compile for
> more than one target.  Let's adapt to it and we will all be happier.

You might be; I will be sad. It comes for a price, and with little
benefit. Disk space is cheaper than my time to fight build processes.

> And btw, there is no need to install the msvcr8.dll.  We can distribute
> them as a private assembly.  then they (and the manifest) exist in the same
> directory as python2x.dll.

Yes, but then python2x.dll goes into system32, and so will msvcr8.dll,
no?

>> Not sure whether anything really is needed. Python works fine on Vista.
> If you are an administrator.  A limited user will have problems installing
> it and then running it.

Is there a bug report for that?

>>> 1) supplying python.dll as a Side By Side assembly
>> What would that improve?
> Well, it should reduce dll-hell problems of applications that ship with
> python2x.dll.  You ship with and link to your own and tested dll.  We
> have some concerns here, for example, now that we are moving away from
> embedding python in our blue.dll and using python25.dll directly, that
> this exposes a vulnerability to the integrity of the software.

Why should there be versioning problems with python25.dll? Are there
any past issues with incompatibilities with any python2x.dll release?

>>> 2) Changing python install locations
> To conform with Windows rules and get a "Vista approved" logo.
> Install in the ProgramFiles folder.

Only over my dead body. *This* is silly.

> Just as C does.  Ah, and
> this also means that we could install both 32 bit and 64 bit
> versions, another plus.

What about the registry?

> Interesting.  We are definitely interested in that.  You see, Someone
> installs a game or accounting software using vista.  He then runs as a
> limited user.  Python insists on saving its .pyc files in the installation
> folder, but this is not something that is permitted on Vista.

But that's not a problem, is it? Writing silently "fails", i.e. it just
won't save the pyc files. Happens all the time on Unix.

>> Sure, and have they reported problems with Python on Vista (problems
>> specific to Vista?)
> Certainly.  We are working on them, of course.

But, of course, they have not been reported.

Regards,
Martin