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If you want mainstream buy-in, provide for the consumer. Remember that the consumer is lazy (like me). I want to use your thing, likely on Windows, give me binaries I can use. I don't really want to compile it.
If you are going to make me compile, package the whole thing in one spot. I don't want to have to hunt down and download half the internet just to see if your library will work for me.
Why no VS projects? I'm lazy remember, I don't want to be messing with makefiles and command line compilation - I'm not hardcore like you.
Come on open-sourcerrs - assist my laziness!
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Any particular project in mind? I wanna know which ones to avoid.
If it's not broken, fix it until it is
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In this instance, libgeotiff, but it seems a common malaise. Almost everytime I've read about features of an OS lib and thought 'Sounds interesting, I might be able to use that' I find I have to download their source, and some other lib and a different framework etc. Then figure out how to compile it in Windows - which often seems to require code changes, modifications to makefiles and the like.
Generally I don't actually have time to figure it out, especially if it's a bit of a speculative inquiry. I get the impression that some OS proponents do it deliberately, being so rabidly anti-Microsoft or anti-PC, but that smacks of cutting off your nose to spite your face to me.
Some, like GIMP, provide well for Windows users. Some do provide win-binaries, but don't seem to emphasise them or market them very well, others don't give you anything.
ROI is usually so low for me, I often turn to closed solutions I can BUY and use straight-away, which is surely more 'harmful' to the OS movement??
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I feel your pain. It is a hassle to go on to try several libraries and see which would work best and face those bizarre errors. It comes to the point I am completely surprised when one of those suddenly work out-of-the-box, specially when it is C/C++ code.
But by the way, it turns out I am also the developer of an open source library - so if you find anything to rant about it, please let mw know! 
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Well you have to pay for VS, makefile are free, that's why!
Codeplex did make MS-opensource better friend, yet it mostly worked for C# ...
Most C++ opensource project are only using opensource tools. There is only one open source cross platform world accept tool for C++, it's makefile!
I know it's a pain!
But... did you know (Myself learned quite recently) that... there is a way to convert makefile to visual studio (I stumbled upon it recently but forgot and can't find it again!) I think it might be a make option...
try "make --?" and see if one option fits the bill...
A train station is where the train stops. A bus station is where the bus stops. On my desk, I have a work station....
_________________________________________________________
My programs never have bugs, they just develop random features.
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They could use VS Express perhaps? But surely, providing support for 'consumerist' developers running Windows and using VS would substantially increase their potential pool of contributors? Which I would think they would see as a benefit.
The 'OS project must only use OS tools' attitude again seems needlessly self-limiting to me. OK, support other OS projects, but not to the exclusion of a potentially large pool of time-poor developers!
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Kyudos wrote: Come on open-sourcerrs - assist my laziness!
Open-sourcers are a particular subspecies of programmers, sort of a mix between human and Neandertal, their gene pool firmly based in *nix command line.
Marc
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I don't know whether to feel hurt, offended or "uggh fire".
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Pete O'Hanlon wrote: I don't know whether to feel hurt, offended or "uggh fire".
Well, keep in mind that I was also taking a potshot at myself, having hosted a couple open source projects. But I agree with the OP, it is one of my frustrations as well, and is why, when I was in the heyday of MyXaml, I tried to be as thorough as possible (granted, the point of that project was the code, but I also provided a lot of examples in binary and source.)
[edit]Oh, and that should be: sudo fire -uggh 
Marc
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I just wanted to make the line about "uggh fire", but you topped me there.
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bottom line is, if it takes too much effort to use an Open Source library, I'd just buy one commercially available lib from some vendor.
dev
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Kyudos wrote: . I don't want to have to hunt down and download half the internet just to see if your library will work for me.
This is serious signature material.
~RaGE();
I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus
Do not feed the troll ! - Common proverb
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