Re: [Mingw-users] a second call to failed dup hangs?

[Greg C. <gch...@sb...>]

On 2009-11-23 20:51Z, Roger Pack wrote:
> 
> Keith Marshall wrote >
> 
>> What; you mean explicitly to msvcr71.dll, or some later version?
>> Sorry, but no can do.  ...  we aren't permitted to redistribute an appropriate version
> 
> So, let me make sure I understand.  It links by default to msvcrt.dll
> because that's the one developer's have on their machines, by default,

And because it's the one end users always have: they need it, too.

> however, we as developers *can* link against a different version
> and/or distribute our released binaries with that version, if desired?

The question is whether you can redistribute a different version of
the msvcrt dll with your mingw app. IIRC, their EULA doesn't let you
do that; even if it did, there'd be an issue if your app is GPL.

> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1073509/should-i-redistribute-msvcrt-dll-with-my-application
> 
> provides some food for thought...

They're talking about building apps with msvc, not gcc.

> Is there an option to static link using mingw's gcc?

gcc can link static libraries statically; but the msvcrt library
that MinGW uses is supplied with the OS only as a dll, which you
cannot link statically.

> Also sobering is
> "the CRT DLL is no longer considered a system file" from
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326922
> 
> Does this mean depending on msvcrt.dll is unstable?

It means that MinGW won't be able to depend on it being provided
with the OS, if ms ever stops providing it with the OS. So far,
they haven't stopped.