From: Tamara Temple <tamouse.lists@...>
Date: 2013-07-27T10:28:15+09:00
Subject: Re: ruby & windows - fastest way to get going?, what about devkit as gem?


On Jul 26, 2013, at 7:01 PM, Marc Weber <marco-oweber@gmx.de> wrote:
> Simple example: ruby on Windows and sqlite. How to install? After some
> googling you can easily find:
> 
> gem install --platform=ruby sqlite3
> 
> which will then try to compile native code - so you need the devkit.
> 
> Looking it up you'll fail with "sqlite3.h" not found etc etc.
> Yes, I can create directories and but sqlite source there - but why ?
> Many people may want to use ruby on windows - so does it make sense to
> think about whether this workflow of installing gems can be optimized?
> 
> Idea:
> - why not package the devkit as gem, so that packages like sqlite can
>  depend on it?
> - why not package sqlite.dlll and sqlite3.h as gem, so that sqlite3 can
>  easily use it when compiling?
> 
> Then everything would magically work: gem install sqlite3
> - fetch devkit
> - fetch sqlite3 (binaries and header file)
> - compile sqlite3 
> 
> => be done. No worrying about where to put files etc.
> 
> Who else would benefit from such a change? For my simple use case I
> don't care - but the community might benefit from making it easier to
> install whatever you want on Windows ?
> 
> Is there anybody who would join such an effort?
> 
> Marc Weber
> 

What about engaging people on https://github.com/oneclick/rubyinstaller/wiki/How-to-Contribute ? Anything to make life easier for windows folks would be helpful, I am sure. So many people come here, to irc, and other places wanting to work on Windows with all sorts of problems. I can't answer them; I don't know windows, and I have no need to. But golly, it hurts seeing them struggle.