Why isn't there a Windows version?

[WP in Canada]

I have downloaded the hg repo code and I'm building and playing on
Linux right now, but obviously, any language that doesn't have a
Windows port must be considered a toy, right?

Whoever suggested cygwin might be right, as far as getting the
compiler itself to work, but I would imagine that the harder effort
would be rewriting the standard system libraries and the linker for
Windows PE executables.

It is incredibly cool that 32-bit and 64-bit x86/x64 assembler are
supported already, but a little underwhelming that it's only on Linux.
What are people using the GO language for? Is it a research project
created by a few bright Google-Engineers?

I'm fascinated that whatever the goals of the project, that a Windows
port hasn't been started. Google Chrome starts on Windows first, and
Linux comes along a good while later, and Google Chrome for Mac OS is
still in early-betas, but it's fascinating that GO comes out on Linux/
MacOSX first, and Windows hasn't even been thought of. Clearly, it
wasn't in the requirements list.

W

[Michael Petersen]

I believe this is done on Google Engineers 20% time. And they are likely developing it in hopes to use on Googles many servers which are Linux, not Windows, based. They might get around to a Windows port eventually. They've said in a few emails that anyone who wants to port it is welcome to beat them to it.

[WP in Canada]

Ahhhh! Well, as a side project, that makes this puppy even cooler.

And the 20%-time thing is the thing that makes me wish I worked for
google. :-)

Massive kudos to you guys.

W

[Kai Backman]

What Michael said. Both rsc and I have been doing windows development
in the past but we just haven't had the time to do the port. If
someone decides to embark on a windows port they'll have plenty of
support from the team for it.

Kai

[Ian Lance Taylor]

Google Chrome was a product. Go is an experimental language created
by a small team. We would love to see a Windows port, but we don't
have the knowledge or time to make one ourselves.

Ian

[Kai Backman]

+golang-nuts

I'm a hg neophyte, I'll refer to the list.

Kai

On Mon, Nov 16, 2009 at 10:05 AM, Alan S <alan...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Question:
>
> I want to push my hg repository up to a central server; I work from
> multiple computers and want to make sure the changes I'm making for
> Cygwin are someplace "safe".  I was going to use Google code hosting
> as a temporary solution, but you have to select a licensing option for
> creating a new project, and the Go license isn't one of them.
>
> Do you guys have an easy way for someone to make a remote branch/repo
> over there?  Most of the changes are untested and possibly wrong, so I
> don't want to contaminate the main repo.
>
> (Apologies if this is a little confusing; I've never used Hg before).
>
> Thanks,
>
> Alan

>
> On Nov 11, 10:27 am, Kai Backman <k...@golang.org> wrote:
>> What Michael said. Both rsc and I have been doing windows development
>> in the past but we just haven't had the time to do the port. If
>> someone decides to embark on a windows port they'll have plenty of
>> support from the team for it.
>>
>>  Kai
>>

[Ian Lance Taylor]

On Mon, Nov 16, 2009 at 10:05 AM, Alan S <alan...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I want to push my hg repository up to a central server; I work from
> multiple computers and want to make sure the changes I'm making for
> Cygwin are someplace "safe".  I was going to use Google code hosting
> as a temporary solution, but you have to select a licensing option for
> creating a new project, and the Go license isn't one of them.

Go itself is listed as "multiple licenses." The Go license is a BSD
license.

Ian

[Alan S]

I've taken a snapshot of the repo w/ some of my crusty hacks and put
it here:

http://code.google.com/p/golang-on-cygwin/

I need to look at some of the ptrace and syscall stuff that gets used
in the code, so I'm stopped for now. That portion might need to be
implemented separately, since the underlying OS is Windows.

This is also just a side-project for me, so help is always
appreciated.



On Nov 16, 4:14 pm, Ian Lance Taylor <i...@google.com> wrote:

> On Mon, Nov 16, 2009 at 10:05 AM, Alan S <alanm...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > I want to push my hg repository up to a central server; I work from
> > multiple computers and want to make sure the changes I'm making for

> >Cygwinare someplace "safe".  I was going to use Google code hosting

[uman]

Alan,

Please clarify whether your "golang-on-cygwin" produces Windows
executables or Linux executables.

[Alan S]

Windows