[Gdal-dev] Python support under MinGW

[Mario Beauchamp]

Hi Frank,

>> to enable python support, do I need a MinGW build of Python?
>
>One of the main benefits of MinGW over Cygwin (as I understand it), is that
>the DLLs and libraries are directly compatible with VC++.

This is how I understand it too. That's why I switched...
And on the MinGW website, they explain how an MSVC program can call a MinGW DLL, and vice versa.

>So, it would seem you should be able to use the normal Python for windows libraries without needing to build Python
>itself from scratch.

Is there a way I could verify if it works?

>> (GDAL configure)
>> checking Python makefile... missing, python disabled.
>> (OpenEV configure)
>> configure:3494: error: *** Couldnt find the python config makefile.  Maybe you are
>> *** missing the development portion of the python installation
>
>This configure test depends on unix style checks, and won't work for any
>pythons other than (possibly) the Cygwin python since it looks for stuff in
>a unix style file tree.

Technically, the MSYS bash is a unix style file tree, is it not?
What I don't understand is why the OpenEV configure bails out instead of simply disabling Python
like the GDAL configure does.

BTW, what is the configure scripts looking for exactly? A Python makefile? Could we "fake" one?

>I realize that not everyone can afford (or chooses) to buy MS VC++, but I think
>you are buying yourself alot of headaches to try and build OpenEV and all
>its dependencies from scratch with MingW or any other compiler.

I have been building software on MinGW for a few months now and I got my fair share of headaches :)

But I can endure a lot just to avoid dealing with M$ stuff!

> Building GDAL shouldn't be too hard.

In fact, it went quite well! See other thread...

Thanks for your support.
--
Mario B.
My Landsat images:
http://pages.infinit.net/starged/landsat/home.html