From: Curt Hibbs <curt@...>
Date: 2004-06-01T21:18:47+09:00
Subject: Re: [ANN] RMagick available on Windows

Gavin Sinclair wrote:
>
> > Gavin Sinclair wrote:
> >
> >>>Didn't MS recently make their VS7 compiler available for free?
> >>> Wouldn't it be possible to have RubyGems download the MS compiler (if
> >>> it were not already present) and build the software from source?
> >>
> >>That sounds like it's going a bit far :)
> >>
> > I don't really see why.  In unix-based systems the compiler is taken for
> >  granted.  Many current ruby modules require compilation to work and
> > just  assume that it's there.  Hence, the average windows user is stuck
> > if a  module he wants requires compilation.  He can compile manually,
> > but this  is too tedious or difficult for a lot of people.  The RubyGems
> > paradigm  sort of solves the problem but most windows-compatible gems
> > seem to only  go so far as to provide occasional binary releases.
>
> I certainly agree that the ability to compile things on Windows is
> important.  I just don't think RubyGems should provide the compiler.

I disagree. Binaries are the way to go on Windows. The few who want to
compile extensions from source, would either already have a compiler
installed or would be motivated enough to install one.

Curt