RE: [Caml-list] Re: [OSR] Ports-like package management system

["David Allsopp" <dra-news@metastack.com>]

> I don't think we will reach a consensus about the build tools.
> Currently, the most widely used is make+Unix utilities. I've not yet
> seen much omake, and ocamlbuild neither. Suggestions to move away from
> make are often driven by better Windows support.

Windows has ample support for make and friends at
http://unxutils.sourceforge.net/ - I've happily used make under Windows for
years without resorting to Cygwin. As long as you keep your scripts sane you
can write "portable" OCaml Makefiles that work correctly under *NIX and
Windows using all your favourite shell commands.

I recall that RH Linux (a long time ago, Fedora may be different!), by
default, didn't install make or even a C compiler so a developer using RH
Linux had to choose install these things. There's no conceivable reason why
a Windows developer should expect not to have to install the odd development
tool too in addition to the OCaml compiler.

There of course other off-topic arguments for trying to adopt build systems
other than make.

Just to add a bit of Windows seasoning to this debate - if GODI (or
whatever) becomes a "de facto" standard for OCaml packaging, then it's going
to need to support Windows.


David