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Date: Mon, 12 May 2003 18:45:40 +0200
From: Jean Delvare <khali AT linux-fr DOT org>
To: cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
Cc: pechtcha AT cs DOT nyu DOT edu
Subject: Re: redistributing cygwin1.dll
Message-Id: <20030512184540.2812bf86.khali@linux-fr.org>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.GSO.4.44.0305121123380.393-100000@slinky.cs.nyu.edu>
References: <20030512171354 DOT 1f851221 DOT khali AT linux-fr DOT org>
	<Pine DOT GSO DOT 4 DOT 44 DOT 0305121123380 DOT 393-100000 AT slinky DOT cs DOT nyu DOT edu>
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> > So, I really believe you should set a place up where people can get
> > the latest version of cygwin1.dll, in binary and source forms. A
> > simple or http directory would do it, if you don't want to make it
> > very public and advertise for it. Authors like me would then just
> > have to link to the directory, sparing disk space and protecting the
> > GPL.
> >
> > Comments welcome.
> 
> Jean,
> 
> This has been rehashed on the list many times.  There is such a place
> -- in fact, many places, collectively called "the Cygwin mirrors". 
> Simply instruct your users to download "setup.exe" from Cygwin's main
> site (i.e.,<http://cygwin.com/>), and use it to install the "cygwin"
> package.  This will get them a minimum setup required to run your
> code.  That way all you have to worry about is your program running on
> all versions of cygwin1.dll, and you're all set.

It isn't an acceptable solution IMHO. Don't you think it's much more
complicated than just downloading a single dll (or, say, a zipped dll)?
I think it is. The "cygwin" package contains much more than the dll (and
I believe that only the dll is needed for simple users). Well, if people
are really wanting to use the program, I guess they'll download the
Cygwin setup program and install the package, but I'd bet most people
that just would have tested the program will give up pretty fast with
your method. This isn't the way I imagine free software. We are wanting
to make the software available, and we don't want it to be a burden for
users, right? What's more, less testers, less users, less feedback leads
to lower quality software.

So, I'm still in favor of a dll available for download as a single file.

-- 
Jean Delvare
http://www.ensicaen.ismra.fr/~delvare/

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