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

[Kristján Valur Jónsson]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alexey Borzenkov [mailto:snaury at gmail.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 20:36
> To: Kristján Valur Jónsson
> Cc: Martin v. Löwis; Mark Hammond; distutils-sig at python.org; python-
> dev at python.org
> Subject: Re: [Python-Dev] Adventures with x64, VS7 and VS8 on Windows
>
> On 5/23/07, Kristján Valur Jónsson <kristjan at ccpgames.com> wrote:
> > > > Install in the ProgramFiles folder.
> > > Only over my dead body. *This* is silly.
> > Bill doesn't think so.  And he gets to decide.  I mean we do want
> > to play nice, don't we?  Nothing installs itself in the root anymore,
> > not since windows 3.1
>
> Maybe installing in the root is not good, but installing to "Program
> Files" is just asking for trouble. All sorts of development tools
> might suddenly break because of that space in the middle of the path
> and requirement to use quotes around it. I thus usually install things
> to <drive>:\Programs. I'm not sure if any packages/programs will break
> because of that space, but what if some will?

Development tools used on windows already have to cope with this.
Spaces are not going away, so why not bite the bullet and deal
with them?  Moving forward sometimes means crossing rivers.

As for Vista issues, I'll gather more data before making any more
claims, but I think that it is important that we play by the rules
here.
Just imagine the a school teacher who in good faith wants to introduce
his pupils to the wonderful programming language of Python, but
when he installs it, all kinds of scary looking warnings drive him off.
Vista is, like it or not, going to be very prevalent.  If we want python
to be easily accessible to the masses, we mustn't take an elitist
attitude or else risk scaring people off.

Finally, to add a (mis)quote from Mr. Gorbachev:
"Wer zu spät kommt, den bestraft das Leben"

Kristján