Re: [Gnu-arch-users] Re: arch on mac osX and windows

[Pat Galea]

Greek0 wrote:
> Another one is to use an alternative api, which allows long path names
> (the unicode functions with \\?\ or something like that prepended to the
> path names). Johannes has implemented this in hackerlab and ported diff,
> patch, tar in hackerlab. I've never used his port though. The only real
> problem I can see is that explorer can't handle so deep paths, so you
> can't delete, alter, or even look at these paths in explorer.

Another option is to build and run arch on the Microsoft Services for 
Unix platform. I've been using this method for months now with no 
problem at all.

The biggest drawback with SFU is that you can't use it on all Windows 
systems. According to the MS site, SFU will work on Microsoft Windows 
Server 2003, Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 1, Windows 2000 
Server with Service Pack 3 or later, Windows 2000 Professional with 
Service Pack 3 or later.

Of course, this solution also creates deep paths that can't be viewed in 
explorer.

There's an article about getting arch to work on SFU in the wiki:

http://wiki.gnuarch.org/moin.cgi/W32ServicesForUnixCompile

I recently updated the article to include a quick-and-dirty hack to 
'which' (inspired by Ron Parker's post some time ago) so that it returns 
'proper' paths, not DOSy ones.

This hack allows tla 1.2 to be built, and (as a Brucey bonus) makes the 
tests pass too!

Regards
Pat Galea