Re: Raising minimum target Windows version

From: Andrey Semashev (andrey.semashev_at_[hidden])
Date: 2023-10-08 17:42:22

On 10/4/23 02:28, Andrey Semashev wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I'm considering raising minimum target Windows version for my libraries
> to at least Windows 7. This means dropping workarounds for missing
> WinAPI functions that are present (but, for a very long time now,
> untested) for Windows XP.
> 
> This specifically pertains to Boost.Atomic, Boost.Filesystem and Boost.Log.
> 
> I'm also tempted to raise the requirement to Windows 8 to have access to
> WaitOnAddress & co., but I'm hesitant since Windows 7 might still be
> wide spread (perhaps, not on desktop but embedded).
> 
> The current plan is to announce this in the release notes for the
> upcoming 1.84 release and drop the support in 1.85. This will mean the
> dependent libraries and tools will similarly drop support for older
> Windows versions.
> 
> Additionally, I'm proposing to raise the default target Windows version
> in Boost.WinAPI to Windows 10, provided that the Windows SDK that is
> detected in compile time supports it. This means that by default many
> Boost libraries that rely on Boost.WinAPI for WinAPI definitions will
> target Windows 10. Which, in particular, means the prebuilt binaries we
> distribute will require Windows 10, unless libraries take explicit
> measures to stay compatible with older versions.
> 
> I have no fixed time frame for the proposed Boost.WinAPI change, but it
> could be done as soon as in 1.84, since this doesn't remove anything,
> just changing the default.
> 
> Comments? Objections? Counter-proposals? I'm especially interested in
> comments regarding Windows 7 as the new baseline - am I being too
> conservative?

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

Given that there were no objections to increasing the default target
Windows version in Boost.WinAPI, I have increased the default to Windows
10. On compilers that don't support Windows 10 the latest supported
version is the default. This change will be part of 1.84.

Regarding my libraries, I think I will still deprecate support for
Windows XP in 1.84 but will make the deprecation period longer, until
1.87 (about a year after 1.84). This should give users time to upgrade
their projects.

Regarding the new minimum, I think it will be Windows 10. The feedback I
received (including privately) indicates most people don't think
supporting Windows 7 is worthwhile, and Windows 8/8.1 seems to be even
less popular, so Windows 10 it is.

If you have any further comments or you think Windows 7 needs to be
supported, please let me know.