[Python-Dev] Moving Python 3.5 on Windows to a new compiler

[Sturla Molden]

Brian Curtin <brian at python.org> wrote:

>> If Python 2.7 users are left with a dead compiler on Windows, they will
>> find a solution. For example, Enthought is already bundling their Python
>> distribution with gcc 2.8.1 on Windows.
> 
> Again, not something I think we should depend on. A lot of people use
> python.org installers.

I am not talking about changing the python.org installers. Let it remain on
VS2008 for Python 2.7. I am only suggesting we make it easier to find a
free C compiler compatible with the python.org installers. 

The NumPy/SciPy dev team have taken the burden to build a MinGW toolchain
that is configured to be 100 % ABI compatible with the python.org
installer. I am only suggesting a link to it or something like that,
perhaps even host it as a separate download. (It is GPL, so anyone can do
that.) That way it would be easy to find a compatible C compiler. We have
to consider that VS2008 will be unobtainable abandonware long before the
promised Python 2.7 support expires. When that happens, users of Python 2.7
will need to find another compiler to build C extensions. If Python.org
makes this easier it would hurt less to have Python 2.7 remain on VS2008
forever.

Sturla