Subject: Mingw32 Futures
From: [email-masked] (Colin Peters)

20 Feb 1998 09:12:42 -0800
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To: "GNU-Win32" <[email-masked]>

Hello all,

I hope those of you who do not use or have any interest in Mingw32 don't
mind me taking up a bit of bandwidth with strictly Mingw32 issues on this
list. On the other hand I hope that people in positions of power/authority
and/or interested users might take a moment to give their opinions.

First of all, I'd like to make a little terminology clear. When I talk about
Mingw32 I mean the header files, configuration files, startup code and
support libraries that allow gcc to build applications which use CRTDLL.DLL
(or possibly other MS supplied C run time library DLLs) as their C run time
library. Many posters refer to "Mingw32 2.8.0" which is actually the GNU
compiler gcc version 2.8.0 built by Jan-Jaap using the Mingw32 headers and
distributed bundled with those headers. I'd call that Mingw32 gcc 2.8.0.

That is typical of the "problems" I am having right now. Basically, there
are at least three versions of the gcc compiler distribution which either
have or plan to have Mingw32 integrated into them. Jan jaap's Mingw32 gcc
2.8.0, Mumit Khan's releases of EGCS for Mingw32, Cygwin32 gcc (perhaps
starting with b20) and maybe the FSF version of gcc.

I have no problem with this at all. I put that code in the public domain so
people could use it. However, I am basically the defacto maintainer of the
Mingw32 source base until someone tells me otherwise, and so my questions
are something like this:

1. Mingw32 is basically a C run time library replacement. As I understand it
gcc is usually bundled with the GNU C library (libc and libm) among other
libraries. Cygwin32's newlib is similar (with a more ambitious goal). Has
anyone seriously thought about how this should fit together? If *I* thought
about it who would I need to talk to about implementing it (newsgroups?
mailing lists?)?

2. Is it or is it not the gcc maintainer's intention to do integration of
Mingw32 into the gcc distribution? I have heard that gcc itself has been
modified to compile *under* Mingw32 anyway. I suspect they will not go
further (in fact, I would *encourage* them to not go further). Personally I
am in favor of small, modular packages. I would like to be able to download
and install gcc separately (no libraries at all) and then pick and choose
what to put in. Big shrink-wrapped packages are nice for some people, but I
like at least having the option of customization. Is this something that
could be done? Is this something that I could help do?

3. If I am to continue as the de-facto maintainer of Mingw32 I should like
to have an idea of how updates should be made for the greatest convenience
for all involved. The future of Mingw32 seems to be leaning towards a
package that people who build gcc for Win32 may be adding on to their
compiler distributions, not a package that general users will be adding on
to their compiler after installation. As such, do any of these compiler
distributers (Mumit? Jan-Jaap?) have comments on such nicities as directory
structures, readme files (i.e. what instructions do I need to write) and
such. Similarly, are all you guys willing to send me back changes you make
for (hopefully) re-integration? Do you think it would be possible for me to
have one copy of Mingw32 that will satisfy everyone?

4. Related to the above. I don't think b19 is going to include any Mingw32
stuff (beyond perhaps the ability to be rebuilt under Mingw32). Should I try
to write up instructions for adding Mingw32 onto a Cygwin install for the
convenience of those who want both?

Thanks for your time. I hope to hear from you.

Colin.

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