Rant: So you want help?

[Andrew Goodbody]

On 06/11/2010 23:51, Francis Corvin wrote:
> To me the whole idea that users should have to select a compiler is
> completely ludicrous. How many decent windows installers ask you that
> sort of question? None. Who cares? No-one, users just want the bloody
> app. Which user can say what compiler was used for this or that
> application outside the KDE world? Developer might care, but let's
> not kid ourselves that it is for any other reason than their own preferences.

However lets also not kid ourselves about why it exists. It exists 
purely because some developers wanted it to.
As has already been said, you get different sets of features depending 
upon which compiler is chosen due to dependencies not supporting all 
compilers. So the user should care although it could possibly be 
presented to them in a different manner.

> The underlying issue is whether KDE for Windows wants to include Joe
> Bloggs as a user, or keep itself narrowly focused on the developer
> community to the exclusion of anyone else. Perhaps it is worth
> repeating again who Windows KDE is aimed at.

The developers may enjoy having their code used by as many people as 
possible but as volunteers they are not at the users beck and call. Also 
Windows KDE is far from stable yet.

> That is the first issue. The second issue is that having many
> compilers available is a waste of resources. I cannot compile
> Digikam, under any compiler. What use is it to me to have myriad
> versions of MinGW, MSVC, TDM-GCC and whatnot if none of them work?
> I'd rather have one, but one that works. If everyone was forced to
> use the same, all the issues would very quickly be ironed out and we
> could spend time focusing on improving applications rather than
> fiddling with an over-engineered release system.

I'm sorry but I don't share your optimism about the result of mandating 
a single compiler. People come to the project with certain skills and 
needs and this may result in being tied in to one compiler or another. 
So if the mandated compiler was not the one they already use the chances 
are that they will not get involved. So I say that supporting multiple 
compilers instead of being a waste of resources, actually allows more 
resources to participate.
I can compile digikam and Gilles has already said that he can, so it is 
at least possible, so your inability to compile it is not a fundamental 
issue with the project.

> 2c from a newbie, so probably not even worth the paper it's written on.
>
> Francis

Just my opinion from a grateful user,
Andrew