free software

[Werner Koch]

On Fri, 18 Oct 2002 14:47:48 +0200, 5468696A6D656E  said:

> I did. But simple adjustments in the code like i asked for in my previous
> mail regarding the unistd,h which wouldn't affect linux/unix developers

Spreading ugly #ifdefs all over the code is bad design.  Just for a
mssing include file which ought to be availabe it is even more worse.
touching unistd.h in a system headers directory or the GnuPG top
directory is all you need.

> all posix systems, mac (including osX with it's prerelease gcc), windows
> etc. So i share a bit of experience which would help making things portable.

I used to write portable code between VMS, DOS, Windows, OS2 16 and 32
bit, Netware, POSIX and MVS.  And that all using a multipe of
toolchains.  This ends up in a maintenance nightmare; especially
supporting non standard compilers like MSC used to be.  

The goal is to run on a POSIX platform.  Windows is just an extra and
to avoid those mightmares I do only support gcc for that Platform.

> love to have the code of windows public, but that is not something i can
> change, yet my audiance will use windows.

So change your OS, you are free to do it.  Or ask Microsoft to
continue their POSIX subsystem and make it really working above the
FIPS requirements.

> You don't have to convince me in that. I am just talking about making 
> crypto available to people like my grandmother, that is my goal. And

It is better to know that something can easily be read by others than
to falsely assume safeness.

> please take mails seriously which are trying to help making the 
> project more portable, allthough you don't have to agree with the 
> intended audiance.

If you want *me* to support another compiler ask for a quote at
info at g10code.com.


Salam-Shalom,

   Werner