Hi,
I strongly support solution 2. I am sure that even a windows user is able to unzip an archive. So except if there is another issue with this version of octave, I don't see why we should distribute octave (and pay space on kirikou for that). We may alternatively distribute a python script that download and unpack octave for the user... But I don't think this is necessary.
Best, Stéphane.
On 07/03/2012 09:47, Sébastien Villemot wrote:
Hi,
I intend to release Dynare 4.2.5 by the end of the week. This release will in particular incorporate bugfixes to sensitivity and identification, so that Marco can use it in its upcoming workshop. The 4.2.5 release will probably be the last in the 4.2 branch, since we aim at releasing 4.3.0 in June.
Please backport to the 4.2 branch any bugfix that you made in master and that is relevant for 4.2. Your window of opportunity is only of a few days :)
Also, I would like to get your feedback concerning the Windows package of Dynare, in relation to Octave. As you may know, Octave 3.6.1 has been released recently, and two Windows packages have been created for it (see [1]):
one compiled with Microsoft Visual C++ (MSVC), which comes with a neat installer and an experimental preview of the Octave GUI. The problem is that it is impossible to fully cross-compile Dynare for Octave/MSVC from GNU/Linux: I seem to be possible to do it for MEX files, but it is clearly impossible for Oct files (which are "ordschur" and "qzcomplex").
one compiled with MinGW: no problem for cross-compiling Dynare for Octave/MinGW from GNU/Linux. But at this time there is no automated installer of Octave/MinGW: it comes only in the form of ZIP files that one has to uncompress manually.
We have to decide which Windows version of Octave we support (supporting both seems an unnecessary burden). I see the following possible solutions:
Support the MinGW version. Cross-compile everything from GNU/Linux. Bundle Octave/MinGW in the Dynare installer (leaving the choice to our user of installing it or not). The big advantage is that the Dynare installer will be totally self-contained. The drawback is that it makes the installer bigger: it would go from 20Mb to about 200Mb.
Support the MinGW version. Cross-compile everything from GNU/Linux. Ask our users to manually download and unzip Octave/MinGW.
Support the MSVC version. Cross-compile the MEX files from GNU/Linux (seems possible). For the Oct files, compile them manually from time to time in a Windows Virtual Machine, and smuggle them in the nightly cross-compiled snapshot. Ask our users to use the Octave/MSVC installer (also note that before installing Octave/MSVC, they have to download and install the MSVC runtime from Microsoft website).
My ranking is 1 > 2 > 3.
If you have any opinion on this, please raise your voice. Otherwhise I’ll implement solution 1 for the 4.2.5 package.
[1] http://www.octave.org/wiki/index.php?title=Octave_for_Windows
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