Windows lacks many of the external libraries present on *nix (jpeg, zlib, curl, etc.), meaning we have to build them internally. They build using GNU autotools, which need a *nix shell like Cygwin. In other words, it isn't even only AOO that needs Cygwin, it's our dependencies as well.
Also we need a portable build system, which any Visual Studio based solution isn't. Damjan On Wed, Jul 13, 2016 at 11:52 PM, Kay Schenk <kay.sch...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > On 07/13/2016 12:56 PM, Patricia Shanahan wrote: > > On 7/13/2016 10:38 AM, Dennis E. Hamilton wrote: > >> > >> > >>> -----Original Message----- From: Damjan Jovanovic > >>> [mailto:dam...@apache.org] > > .. > >>> By the way, AOO code and build process are very *nix-centric, > >>> leading to Windows being such a pain to develop for, that we would > >>> gain more by dropping Windows support, than by dropping all other > >>> platforms ;-). > >> [orcmid] > >> > >> Yes. I already made the point that, from the perspective of > >> developers, development of Windows is very contorted and development > >> for Linux is a pleasure. It was done that way for the convenience of > >> Linux-oriented developers. It creates an awful on-ramp for > >> cultivation of new developers. > >> > >> The question: How does ceasing support for Windows serve the 87% of > >> our current user base? The technical act is within the power of the > >> PMC to determine, and release managers could force the outcome. In my > >> estimation, the consequences would be quite terrible. > >> > >> We may be "stuck between a rock and a hard place." > >>> > >>> Damjan > > > > I would like to suggest a way of squeezing out from between the rock > > and hard place, and getting more developers: > > > > Separate out the Windows build process. Pick one of the common IDE's, > > and create a project file that sets all environment variables for > > Windows. Get as close as possible to the step-by-step build > > instructions for Windows being: > > > > Check out the source from SVN. > > > > Open the project file in $IDE$. > > > > Build it. > > > > In particular, use of a UNIX-derived shell must not be required for > > Windows builds. > > > > In this vision, the core work would be done on Windows, using an IDE. > > There would still be a need for a small number of Linux etc. people to > > handle building for their environments, and to keep the Windows-based > > developers from building in unwarranted assumptions. > > Patricia -- > > I think this approach was actually started as a Capstone Project in > 2013. You might want to have a look at the information in: > > http://svn.apache.org/viewvc/openoffice/branches/capstone2013/ > > > -- > -------------------------------------------- > MzK > > "Time spent with cats is never wasted." > -- Sigmund Freud > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: dev-unsubscr...@openoffice.apache.org > For additional commands, e-mail: dev-h...@openoffice.apache.org > >
