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Cross-compiling Windows apps from Linux using Mingw has been a thing for a very long time. Mingw itself is 18 years old. There are also options for using LLVM o

Cross-compiling Windows apps from Linux using Mingw has been a thing for a very long time. Mingw itself is 18 years old. There are also options for using LLVM or compatibility layers like Midipix. So, no, Windows is not required and hasn't been for a long time. As far as Visual Studio, it's not required, either. 3rd party compilers have always been a thing for MS operating systems. In fact, for a long time, you weren't even able to use VS to build drivers for Windows. Microsoft is also currently going out of its way to create neutral tools to enable developers to use the workflow and tools they desire. Omnisharp exists for providing intellisense to editors and IDEs. VS Code is a new, cross-platform IDE that works for both node and C#, among other languages. MonoDevelop still exists and can be used to write Windows-compatible applications. But for Apple, you have to own a mac or, as is common, lease a mac to build and sign on. So, no, these things aren't even in the same realm of control. MS treats Windows as its primary platform for innovation. Apple treats OSX as the only platform in existence.

msie 10y ago
> Cross-compiling Windows apps from Linux using Mingw has been a thing for a very long time. Mingw itself is 18 years old. There are also options for using LLVM or compatibility layers like Midipix. So, no, Windows is not required and hasn't been for a long time. Sure, develop for Windows without using Windows. But why spend time developing for a platform that you don't use regularly? What about testing? How far can you go without Windows? > As far as Visual Studio, it's not required... VS or Windows is not required but the majority of developers develop using VS on Windows. You could cheap-out by avoiding these but you're being penny-wise and pound-foolish. > But for Apple, you have to own a mac But for Windows/Linux you still have to buy an Intel machine. You just don't want to buy another machine to develop iOS or OSX apps. Anyhow, I think Windows/Linux owners are complaining they have to spend more money to develop on a different platform. You never hear this from Mac owners who want to develop for Windows or Linux.[Edit: Not trying to start a flame war. I'm really trying to understand the outrage...]
- Tiksi 10y ago
  Because neither windows or linux restrict which hardware or vms you can install them on like osx does? Obviously you won't hear it from Mac owners, because they can still develop for windows or linux, the inverse isn't true thanks to Apple's artificial restrictions.
sjtgraham 10y ago
I have a feeling it wouldn't be that difficult to do codesigning on another platform. It's a case of sha all the things, encrypt the sha with the cert private key, and render a plist with the signatures. IIRC there is a code signature load command in the Mach-O headers too?
- steeve 10y ago
  The issue is not so much technical as it is about legality. Codesign is itself open source (Darwin), but Apple TOS forbids you from building OSX/IOS apps to be distributed on the App Store on non Apple Hardware. I guess you could do it anyway, but I don't think people would risk it for the price of a mac mini...

msie 10y ago

> Cross-compiling Windows apps from Linux using Mingw has been a thing for a very long time. Mingw itself is 18 years old. There are also options for using LLVM or compatibility layers like Midipix. So, no, Windows is not required and hasn't been for a long time. Sure, develop for Windows without using Windows. But why spend time developing for a platform that you don't use regularly? What about testing? How far can you go without Windows? > As far as Visual Studio, it's not required... VS or Windows is not required but the majority of developers develop using VS on Windows. You could cheap-out by avoiding these but you're being penny-wise and pound-foolish. > But for Apple, you have to own a mac But for Windows/Linux you still have to buy an Intel machine. You just don't want to buy another machine to develop iOS or OSX apps. Anyhow, I think Windows/Linux owners are complaining they have to spend more money to develop on a different platform. You never hear this from Mac owners who want to develop for Windows or Linux.[Edit: Not trying to start a flame war. I'm really trying to understand the outrage...]

Tiksi 10y ago
Because neither windows or linux restrict which hardware or vms you can install them on like osx does? Obviously you won't hear it from Mac owners, because they can still develop for windows or linux, the inverse isn't true thanks to Apple's artificial restrictions.

sjtgraham 10y ago

I have a feeling it wouldn't be that difficult to do codesigning on another platform. It's a case of sha all the things, encrypt the sha with the cert private key, and render a plist with the signatures. IIRC there is a code signature load command in the Mach-O headers too?

steeve 10y ago
The issue is not so much technical as it is about legality. Codesign is itself open source (Darwin), but Apple TOS forbids you from building OSX/IOS apps to be distributed on the App Store on non Apple Hardware. I guess you could do it anyway, but I don't think people would risk it for the price of a mac mini...