[Python-Dev] Python should be easily compilable on Windows with MinGW

[R. David Murray]

On Fri, 26 Feb 2016 10:05:19 -0800, Dan Stromberg <drsalists at gmail.com> wrote:
> But what do you really think?
> 
> IMO, windows builds probably should do both visual studio and mingw.
> That is, there probably should be two builds on windows, since there's
> no clear consensus about which to use.
> 
> I certainly prefer mingw over visual studio - and I have adequate
> bandwidth for either.

I don't think there is much if any objection to the idea of making CPython
compilable with mingw, we just need the official supported release to
be the VS one for compatibility reasons.

But, there has historically been a lack of a clear target in the mingw
space for someone to actually produce a working generalized port (as
opposed to, say, cygwin), much less generate a set of reviewable patches
that could be incorporated in to the repository.  (Among other things
for the latter we would need a mingw buildbot, and no one has stepped
forward on that front at all, as far as I know.)

I think there has been some progress lately, but it is a hard problem
and needs more volunteer time.   Ideally we'd have someone who is all of
passionate enough about it, knowledgeable enough about it, and patient
enough to work with the others in the community who need to be involved.

--David