Python MSVC++ binaries considered evil

[Tim Peters]

[Cliff Wells]
> What I was trying to say is that for a Windows user to actually do the
> compilation with a free compiler, it is nowhere near as simple as
> it is for say Linux, where gcc is the standard.

As soon as someone on Windows contributes whatever it takes to enable use of
their favorite free compiler, and does a good enough job of it that Guido
doesn't foresee an endless maintenance nightmare, it will become part of the
standard distribution.  Mark Hammond contributed a hell of a lot of work to
make that happen for MSVC, and Jason Tishler for Cygwin.  The only thing
missing here is dedicated champions for other development platforms.

> ...
> This is of course the classic problem with the Windows platform: everyone
> uses (or believes everyone else does) Microsoft tools so everyone who
> doesn't want to drop $$$ for them is left out (or at least left
> looking for pre-built binaries).

Yup, that's how it is -- don't look at me, I just work here <wink>.

> ...
> Yeah, and it would only add to the confusion to have two separate Windows
> ports :P

The Cygwin port is very much a Windows port too, and is even simpler for end
users than using gcc on Linux (Cygwin's setup program handles everything,
including downloading the Python source).  Not that "a typical Windows user"
would have the foggiest notion of how to use the bash shell afterwards, but
"simple" is a relative term (try to remember just how long it took to learn
how to use gcc on Linux -- I've got a sister who's been trying for three
years just to log in <wink>).