Re: [boost] Let's stop distributing binaries

Subject: Re: [boost] Let's stop distributing binaries
From: Olaf van der Spek (ml_at_[hidden])
Date: 2018-08-30 06:32:10

On Thu, Aug 30, 2018 at 4:40 AM, Tom Kent via Boost
<boost_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> TL;DR - We need to provide an easier way to get windows/visual studio users
> up and running with boost than building with b2. I love boost and want to
> make it as easy as possible for others to use.

vcpkg install boost?

> it....that didn't go well. Eventually I found the horrible "Getting started
> with windows" page [1]. It tries to lead a user to the command `b2
> --toolset=msvc-14.0 --build-type=complete stage`, but fails miserably to
> identify the arguments that are actually needed and most users would never
> figure out from the page that that is the command they need.

I agree the docs aren't ideal.
Stage is the default, complete isn't (unfortunately) and b2 has become
quite good at auto-detecting the toolset, assuming you've only got
one.
Was b2 that bad 10 years ago? :p

> 3) I'd like to (when I can find the time) start pushing the binaries for
> each release into some of the new package management systems (conan, vcpkg,
> etc). While keeping the existing ones available as well, as the windows
> package management systems are only used by a tiny minority.

vcpkg doesn't do binaries. ;)

> I have great respect for where this request comes from. I wish every
> developer (especially the ten years ago me) could easily understand how to
> build their own copy of boost. However, I think we as a community need to
> spend a lot more time thinking about the end-users who want to use boost
> but aren't already familiar with it.

True

-- 
Olaf