Re: [Mingw-users] The elusive MinGW Installer

[Keith M. <kei...@us...>]

On Wednesday 01 August 2007 15:31, John Pye wrote:
> The 'platform download' feature requires you to do some
> configuration. You need to have admin privileges for the MinGW
> project on SF.net. If you have that,

Sure, no problem there, but...

> then you will be able to 
> configure the Platform Download page

which takes time, a valuable commodity which is in short enough supply 
already, and...

> to detect Windows users and to 
> offer them the basic MinGW and MSYS installers,

since the entire focus of MinGW is to provide tools for Windows users,
there really isn't much to be gained in setting up a sophisticated page 
configuration for users of other platforms.  There is exactly one file, 
to my knowledge, which is intended for use on any other platform, and 
that is my suite of scripts for configuring a cross-hosted MinGW 
compiler suite, on GNU/Linux.

> whatever version is 
> the preferred current release. You can add comments to ensure that
> the user knows what is the right thing to choose. And there is still
> a link to allow the user to access all the other files if they want
> to (ie the ones that normally are downloaded by the installer
> automatically).
>
> Seriously, I recommend you take a look at how this is set up.

I did, when you first mentioned it.

> It will 
> make a huge difference to the user experience of downloading and
> installing MinGW, and it doesn't prevent/preclude any other
> reorganisation that you may or may not do.

I simply cannot see any compelling argument for pursuing this.  Much 
more productive, IMO, would be to gather the various installer releases 
together into their own package.  With a carefully chosen name, such 
that this becomes the first package visible on the download page, we 
should be able to eliminate the `elusive' tag; something like 
`Automated MinGW Installer' should do the trick.

Regards,
Keith.