Re: [boost] Let's stop distributing binaries

Subject: Re: [boost] Let's stop distributing binaries
From: Robert Ramey (ramey_at_[hidden])
Date: 2018-08-29 21:05:37

On 8/29/18 1:50 PM, Nevin Liber via Boost wrote:
> On Wed, Aug 29, 2018 at 3:38 PM Robert Ramey via Boost <
> boost_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> 
>> Hmmm - I don't really know what vcpkg actually does.  Basically if we
>> distribute only source and no binary then we're not responsible for all
>> the stupid stuff that people do with it.
>>
> 
> We aren't responsible anyway.

By shipping binaries we're encouraging people to use them.  This seems 
like we're helping them - but I maintain that we are not actually 
helping anyone with this policy.

   Not shipping binaries means we will be
> making things harder for some users, especially newcomers to Boost. 

maybe, maybe not.

  Now,
> the outcome of this discussion may be that we will no longer ship binaries
> because we cannot do it correctly for most use cases, but let's not pretend
> not doing so is a benefit to the end user.

I think not shipping stuff that won't work benefits the user.

I also thing that not shipping the binaries would save a lot of work on 
our part.  If some third party wants to take this they are free to do so.
> 
>> By not distributing binaries, we avoid burdening people who do know what
>> they're doing with silent ABI inconsistencies which can cause almost
>> impossible to find bugs.
> 
> 
> I thought that the people "who do know what they're doing" are building the
> binaries themselves anyway, so I fail to see how we are burdening them.

Right - typo should be:
avoid burdening people who DON'T know what they're doing

Robert Ramey