Re: Re: new ideas for how to contribute to PSPP

[Harry Thijssen]

[...]
> From: "Charles Stangor" <address@hidden>
> Subject: Re: new ideas for how to contribute to PSPP
[...]
>
> Well is there any idea whether the lack of a windows approach to development
> is holding anyone back except me?

Well there is a MSWindows approach with Mingw. It is not that bad, but
can be a burden.

> I would think that it would be since I
> believe less than 2 percent of OS are linux.

Possible, but I don't think anybody knows.

>Would it be possible to create
> a single virtual machine that is shared by developers who need to use it?

What do you ask? A virtual MSWindows machine or a GNU/Linux machine?

You can create a virtual MSWindows or a virtual Linux machine. However
it is not allowed by the MSWindows license to share it.
For a GNU/Linux machine it is allowed and legal. But I don't think it
is usefull as it is so easy to create your own.

I would say create your own virtual gnu/linux machine with these steps:
- download a 32 bits Linux distribution like Debian/openSUSE/Ubuntu.
(I guess Ubuntu is most commonly used yet.)
- burn the iso to a cd/dvd as an image
- leave the cd/dvd in your cd/dvd reader
- download virtualbox from http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
- install it on top of your MSWindows. (For MSWindows it is just an
application and it won't harm your PC)
- start Virtualbox and create an new virtual machine for linux
- start the newly created virtual machine
   - this will start as a new empty computer and boot from your cd/dvd
   - install the gnu/linux distro in your virtual machine (which is in
fact a file on your windows computer)
- shutting the virtual computer down brings you back to MSWindows

That is all, now you have a virtual GNU/Linux computer. And can use it.

Have fun