Re: autoconf in pure MSVC environment?

[Bob Friesenhahn]

On Tue, 7 Sep 2004, Daniel Reed wrote:

> On 2004-09-07T10:51-0500, Bob Friesenhahn wrote:
> ) Installing Cygwin is similar in magnitude to installing another
> ) operating system.  Cygwin just happens to be subordinate to Windows.
> ) Perhaps not all your users are Unix-literate or want to install
> ) another "operating system" on their Windows box in order to use the
> ) software?
>
> The point is best addressed in the comment:
>
>  If I install some proprietary binary only commericial software for
>  Windows, it may come with any number of add-on libraries and support
>  programs that are hidden behind the scenes.  Why is that any different
>  than having a set of POSIX compatibility libraries and support
>  programs hidden behind the scenes?
>
> Cygwin's "kernel" is contained within cygwin1.dll, and much of its other
> functionality is available as additional DLL files. Their use does not
> require an OS-level installation.

Yet this DLL accesses a "root" filesystem containing /etc/passwd, 
/etc/group, /etc/fstab, terminfo, etc..  Windows filesystems are 
"mounted".  This smells like an "OS" install to me, even if it is 
subordinate to another.  The typical Windows user is dumber than a 
board when it comes to Unix topics, and most are not even aware that 
it is possible to access a CLI under Windows or that Windows supports 
environment variables.

My point was that with a small amount of work, many packages which 
target Unix can be built as pure WIN32 programs without the additional 
baggage.  In fact, with MinGW/MSYS, I have taken many Autoconf-based 
packages whos author's never considered native Windows and built 
working native WIN32 versions.

Bob
======================================
Bob Friesenhahn
address@hidden
http://www.simplesystems.org/users/bfriesen