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For a bunch of software categories there isn't really much point to support Windows at all these days. We've had "developed for unix, ported to Windows" softwar

For a bunch of software categories there isn't really much point to support Windows at all these days. We've had "developed for unix, ported to Windows" software for a long time and it often doesn't work that well, because the agreement even for fairly basic stuff is not that large between the two.

zephen 5mo ago
There's portability between systems, which as you note, has ever-diminishing returns. Then there's portability between compilers, which, as the article notes, glibc is also completely hostile to (except for anointed compilers) for no good reason whatsoever.
- account42 5mo ago
  > which, as the article notes, glibc is also completely hostile to This is neither true nor claimed by the article.
  - zephen 5mo ago
    The article specifically states "If you aren't gcc, clang, or tcc, tough luck." It doesn't work. For no good reason. Because there are a few anointed compilers. That it wasn't on purpose doesn't make it not hostile.
deleted 5mo ago
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jdw64 5mo ago
in Asia, and over here, Windows is the de facto standard while Linux is actually a poor option. Almost all of the infrastructure is written for Windows, so the second you switch to Linux, you're fighting an uphill battle just to do basic tasks. Seeing this makes you realize that our worldview is entirely shaped by the ecosystem we live in
whizzter 5mo ago
1: My point isn't "developer on unix, ported to Windows", it's "developed on linux, maybe works elsewhere". 2: You could easily compile Samba yourself for FreeBSD in the past, last time I tried a new version it broke in what I remember being due to linux-isms (yes there is ports, but being reliant on older versions if ports maintainers can't keep up isn't a good thing). 3: The only "fairly basic" stuff that's hugely different is mostly the absence/reliance on shell-scripts (when building), but that has little to do with the actual code function (Personally I often used Node scripts in those scenarios, Python scripts would probably be an improvement since there's no reason it couldn't be everywhere). I used to use Tremor to decode Ogg audio (no UI needs, just binary data in, arrays of primitive values in audio buffers out), early versions were easy to compile under Windows but building later versions were buried in shell scripts generating headers,etc for no real good reason (maybe to help port when working on a Linux workstation to other embedded devices but made the code less easily compilable by default), the core functionality only really needed a C compiler as early versions showed. I can agree that something with advanced UI's like Blender (that relies on GL/3d rendering for UI) might not be easily portable, but when algortihm libraries often requires heavy reworking it's not a good thing (Here I think Github has helped since people has had an easier time to contribute, it's a sad thing that people are moving away due to the AI-crap). In the end, it's not about _actual_ differences but more of a superiority complex of Linux users that is the main roadblock.
- rootnod3 5mo ago
  Exactly, the amount of patches needed in many FreeBSD or other BSD ports just to appease the Linux-centricity is bonkers. And many times the changes aren't even that grave.
- matheusmoreira 5mo ago
  Superiority complex? How many times have we been told that we're entitled freeloaders for expecting Linux compatibility work from others? Insulted by people who use dominant platforms that get all the commercial support while we get literally nothing? Reduced to reverse engineering stuff with no documentation and zero help? Pretty wild to watch this unfold. Now that Linux is finally coming out ahead, as it should, because people are finally writing software for it... Suddenly we're the bullies.

zephen 5mo ago

There's portability between systems, which as you note, has ever-diminishing returns. Then there's portability between compilers, which, as the article notes, glibc is also completely hostile to (except for anointed compilers) for no good reason whatsoever.

account42 5mo ago
> which, as the article notes, glibc is also completely hostile to This is neither true nor claimed by the article.
- zephen 5mo ago
  The article specifically states "If you aren't gcc, clang, or tcc, tough luck." It doesn't work. For no good reason. Because there are a few anointed compilers. That it wasn't on purpose doesn't make it not hostile.

deleted 5mo ago

[deleted]

jdw64 5mo ago

in Asia, and over here, Windows is the de facto standard while Linux is actually a poor option. Almost all of the infrastructure is written for Windows, so the second you switch to Linux, you're fighting an uphill battle just to do basic tasks. Seeing this makes you realize that our worldview is entirely shaped by the ecosystem we live in

whizzter 5mo ago

1: My point isn't "developer on unix, ported to Windows", it's "developed on linux, maybe works elsewhere". 2: You could easily compile Samba yourself for FreeBSD in the past, last time I tried a new version it broke in what I remember being due to linux-isms (yes there is ports, but being reliant on older versions if ports maintainers can't keep up isn't a good thing). 3: The only "fairly basic" stuff that's hugely different is mostly the absence/reliance on shell-scripts (when building), but that has little to do with the actual code function (Personally I often used Node scripts in those scenarios, Python scripts would probably be an improvement since there's no reason it couldn't be everywhere). I used to use Tremor to decode Ogg audio (no UI needs, just binary data in, arrays of primitive values in audio buffers out), early versions were easy to compile under Windows but building later versions were buried in shell scripts generating headers,etc for no real good reason (maybe to help port when working on a Linux workstation to other embedded devices but made the code less easily compilable by default), the core functionality only really needed a C compiler as early versions showed. I can agree that something with advanced UI's like Blender (that relies on GL/3d rendering for UI) might not be easily portable, but when algortihm libraries often requires heavy reworking it's not a good thing (Here I think Github has helped since people has had an easier time to contribute, it's a sad thing that people are moving away due to the AI-crap). In the end, it's not about _actual_ differences but more of a superiority complex of Linux users that is the main roadblock.

rootnod3 5mo ago
Exactly, the amount of patches needed in many FreeBSD or other BSD ports just to appease the Linux-centricity is bonkers. And many times the changes aren't even that grave.
matheusmoreira 5mo ago
Superiority complex? How many times have we been told that we're entitled freeloaders for expecting Linux compatibility work from others? Insulted by people who use dominant platforms that get all the commercial support while we get literally nothing? Reduced to reverse engineering stuff with no documentation and zero help? Pretty wild to watch this unfold. Now that Linux is finally coming out ahead, as it should, because people are finally writing software for it... Suddenly we're the bullies.