Re: [Boost-build] Future development

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-10-06 17:23:24

on Sat Oct 06 2007, Vladimir Prus <ghost-AT-cs.msu.su> wrote:

> David Abrahams wrote:
>
>>> OK, but why are you leaning toward it? The only reasons you've given so
>>> far are that Cmake is not developed/supported by Boost.Build people,
>> 
>> It has a large and responsive developer community, with a large user
>> community to support, and peoples' salaries depend on that support.
>
> You mean Kitware developers' salaries? I think it's quite likely that
> some of their time is officially allocated for free support, for
> marking purposes. However, it seems unlikely that you'll get unlimited
> support for unlimited period of time, for free. 
>
>>> The first I still think is a mirage as compared to the people
>>> supporting BB.
>> 
>> You think support for Cmake is a mirage?  In what sense?
>> 
>> In my experience the support for BB is, in practice, and despite the
>> best efforts of a few dedicated individuals, insufficient.  Someone
>> who uses Boost.Build was just telling me today that with Cygwin
>> support appearing to drop, an express dislike for supporting VC++ on
>> the part of BB's main maintainer, 
>
> "express dislike for supporting VC++"? Would you please don't put
> words in my mouth

I didn't put any words in your mouth.  You said whatever you said, and
it caused a certain reaction in one of your customers.  I didn't quote
you.

> , and they using those words in argument?

This person actually said something more blunt, like, "now Volodya
says he doesn't want to support VC++".  My memory of the conversation
isn't perfect, but I think it went something like that.

My point was that confidence that support will be readily available
ongoingly is not all that high, at least among some people.  That is
an issue directly relevant to both the size of the part of the
codebase Boost is maintaining, and also our decision about which build
tools to use.

-- 
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
http://www.boost-consulting.com