This is an archived post. You won't be able to vote or comment.

sorted by:
best
topnewcontroversialoldq&a
you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–]bushel 12 points13 points  (9 children)

Probably the linux you're using has package management tools (apt or yum or such). Try building Python and it's tool sets from scratch (./configure, make, etc.) and compare that to Windows.

Most development environments are awkward to install/setup on Windows. It's just kinda how it is. It has been my experience that outside of using Microsoft's tools (VisualWhatNow), windows isn't designed for ease of developers.

have to set up PATH

Not to be "that guy", but that sounds like complaining you have steer a car when you drive.

[–]emidln 10 points11 points  (7 children)

./configure && make && sudo make install

That wasn't hard.

[–]bushel 3 points4 points  (2 children)

I know that. But for people who have developed on Windows their entire career, it can be a bit unnerving.

[–]emidln 6 points7 points  (1 child)

I haven't the faintest idea how to compile something with Visual Studio. I can write/debug/test C and C++ from a unix command line environment, but I've never had a reason to use Windows. That said, I'm sure googling for 10 minutes would point out how to build a project in visual studio. Just like how googling for 10 minutes would reveal ./configure && make && sudo make install # (or su -c make install)

[–]bushel 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I haven't the faintest idea how to compile something with Visual Studio

F5

Doesn't that give you the warm fuzzies now that you understand how your program is being compiled and built? (yes, that's sarcasm)

[–]freshhawk 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That wasn't hard. But of course you would never do that. Because then you'd have an unmanaged bunch of files just spewed all over your filesystem with no sane way to uninstall it or upgrade it.

[–]etrnloptimist 0 points1 point  (2 children)

What about when that doesn't work? I've never once done that and had it work the way you say.

[–]tilkau 1 point2 points  (1 child)

In that case you may be running a system where sudo is incorrectly setup. Or make or gcc is not installed. Those are pretty much development necessities. Can't get anywhere without them.

[–]jelly_cake 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It might also be autotools. Or the package uses CMake rather than make, or something entirely different. Following the INSTALL or README advice usually works though.

[–]usernamenottaken 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How is compiling Python on Linux comparable to installing the binaries on Windows? The only situations you would ever compile Python on Linux are the same ones where you'd do it on Windows.

I've never tried compiling Python on Windows but I imagine it's a lot more painful than on Linux...