[Python-Dev] VC++ 2008 Express Edition now locked away?

[Steve Dower]

From: Terry Reedy
> Clicking this link
> http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=14597
> on this Developer Guide page
> http://docs.python.org/devguide/setup.html#windows
> now returns a
> "We are sorry, the page you requested cannot be found."
> page with search results.
> 
> The first search result
> http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/nl/Vsexpressinstall/thread/2dc7a
> e6a-a0e7-436b-a1b3-3597ffac6a97
> suggests that one must first go to http://profile.microsoft.com which
> forwards to the live.com login page. Logging in with my un-expired non-
> developer account did not make the original link work.
> 
> The mdsn page http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-US/ has Visual Studio /
> Download trial, which leads to
> https://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/eng/downloads
> which lists 2012 and 2010 but not 2008.
> 
> I suspect that an msdn account is required for most people to get 2008.

Worse than that, it looks like you need a subscription and then a download "helper", which will get you the web installer that then goes off and downloads it for you.

> A later link leads to
> https://www.dreamspark.com/Product/Product.aspx?productid=34#
> which suggests that vc++2008 express is also available to verified degree
> students. I don't qualify so I will not try.
>
> So it would appear that section "1.1.3.3. Windows" of "1. Getting Started"
> (setup.rst) needs further revision.
> 
> Or perhaps we could persuade Microsoft to let us distribute it ourselves so
> Windows versions of 2.7 do not become increasingly unusable.

I'll ask around and see what we can do. We clearly still have the download available, so it may just be a case of making the web installer publicly available again. Chances are if you have the installer then it will still work.

We may also make just the compilers available in some other way. It looks like the Windows Development Kits (previously Platform SDK) don't have it, but IIRC the driver kits occasionally ship with compilers.

I'll get back to the list when I get something.

Cheers,
Steve