Message-ID: <5105C220.8070703@dunslane.net>
Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2013 19:11:12 -0500
From: Andrew Dunstan <andrew@dunslane.net>
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To: james@mansionfamily.plus.com
CC: Craig Ringer <craig@2ndQuadrant.com>, Noah Misch <noah@leadboat.com>,
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	Magnus Hagander <magnus@hagander.net>, pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org
Subject: Re: Visual Studio 2012 RC
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On 01/27/2013 06:51 PM, james wrote:
>> On the contrary, only a few months ago there was a far from 
>> groundless fear that Microsoft would do just that. Following 
>> considerable outcry they changed their mind. But this is definitely 
>> not just paranoia. As for w64 support, the mingw-64 project exists 
>> more or less explicitly to produce 64 bit compilers, including those 
>> hosted on mingw/msys.
>
>
> Huh.  The only reason we have to use mingw64 or one of the assorted 
> personal builds is because 'mingw support' doesn't deliver on its own, 
> and last I looked there was a confusing variety of personal builds 
> with various strengths and weaknesses. I managed to make some progress 
> but we seem to be a ways off having a reference download (and ideally 
> one with clang too I guess).
>
> I'd very much like there to be a good reference implementation, but 
> the whole mingw/mingw64 thing is indicative of some problems, and 
> reminds me of egcs.
>
> You have references to back up your statements, and demonstrate that 
> it wasn't primarily FUD?  FWIW I think the higher entry prices of 
> pay-for VStudio almost guarantees continued availability of a free 
> compiler, though it might end up slightly crippled, but I'm not a 
> product planner for MS any more than you are.


I blogged about it at the time: 
<http://people.planetpostgresql.org/andrew/index.php?/archives/276-Microsoft-throws-large-developer-communities-under-the-bus.html> 
and here when they relented a month later: 
<http://people.planetpostgresql.org/andrew/index.php?/archives/277-Microsoft-apparently-does-the-right-thing.html>. 
That was based on sources I considered credible at the time. But 
frankly, I'm not going to spend a lot of time digging up old references. 
If you think it's FUD then feel free, but I was and am far from alone in 
thinking it wasn't. Given the work I've put in over the years in 
supporting PostgreSQL on Windows I don't think any suggestion I have a 
bias against Microsoft has much credibility.

As for mingw64, I still use this one: 
<http://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw-w64/files/Toolchains%20targetting%20Win64/Automated%20Builds/mingw-w64-bin_i686-mingw_20111220.zip/download>. 
The reason there isn't a later more official build is that they have 
screwed up their automated build process (which I also blogged about ;-) 
<http://adpgtech.blogspot.com/2013/01/mingw64-fail.html>). I'm going to 
try to get to the bottom of that when I get a chance. But this compiler 
works perfectly well AFAICT. It's been running on one of my buildfarm 
members quite happily for quite a while.

cheers

andrew


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