[GAP Forum] openmath package on windows

[Chris Jefferson]

On 6 Nov 2006, at 14:39, Nilo de Roock wrote:

> Thanks, I think that should do the trick. But cgywin is like  
> getting a 2nd
> pc with Linux, or installing vmware with some linux. It's not what  
> I was
> looking for. More sort of some tips on how to get the code compiled on
> windows and included in gap.

Out of interest, what is the problems you have with cygwin? At it's  
minimum, it requires installing a small dll, and then the programs  
effectively work the same way as windows programs, although taking a  
little longer to start from my experience.

> If GAP supports windows then why is not every package available on  
> windows?
> Why are packages accepted with documentation saying "neither tried nor
> tested on windows"? I don't think there is a technical reason for  
> why this
> package doesn't work on windows except that the developer didn't  
> want to
> develop for Windows. These packages belong in an incubator and not  
> in a
> final distribution imho.
>
Having previously turned some linux programs into "correct" windows  
versions, I have found that it can often take a long time, as the  
standard way of doing things in windows is very different to the way  
things are done in linux. Also it is surprisingly hard to make code  
which works across all windows versions.

Chris