Re: Bloat in the Emacs Windows package

[phillip.lord@russet.org.uk (Phillip Lord)]

Björn Lindqvist <bjourne@gmail.com> writes:

>> Some people want the binary zip to include all the optional features
>> that Emacs on Windows can support.
>
> Fair enough. But what optional features are missing from the
> -no-deps.zip file? GnuTLS support in eww?

Image support is the one most people would hit I think. I have no
evidence for this statement of course.

> Maybe the name of the emacs-26.1-x86_64.zip file could be changed to
> indicate that it is an "all inclusive" package?

No, I do not want to do this. I changed this from emacs-25 -> emacs-26
because I think most people would want it all to just work following the
clicking the obvious download link.

> Most users are probably fine with downloading the smaller
> emacs-26.1-x86_64-no-deps.zip instead.

I might be able to get this data from the ftp logs. Not sure how
reliable that is, however.

> I don't think I've ever had Emacs on Windows crash on me. But if it did,
> how would I get hold of the stack trace? Executables on Windows are
> mostly run by clicking on their icons and that hides the standard input
> and output.
>
>> But if Phillip can afford prodicing separate debug info file for
>> Emacs, we could have the cake and eat it, too.
>
> Do you mean afford as in time or as in the Windows build is run on a
> rented server?

My time. I am entirely happy to either not add the debug info, or to put
it in a different file. I know how to do the former not the latter.


>> > It is also
>> > aesthetically displeasing -- hackers like minimalism and hate bloat.
>>
>> FWIW, I think you the first one to complain about this.
>
> Well, yes, but how many Windows users complained about the lack of
> debugging symbols in Emacs 24?

My guess is none. It's why I am glad (and suggested) raising the issue
on Emacs-devel.

>> > And while on the subject of Windows packaging. How come there is no
>> > MSI installer for Emacs? It shouldn't be to hard to put one together
>> > and it would make Emacs a little easier to install for newbies.
>>
>> What tools to use to produce the binary distribution is entirely up to
>> the person who does that.  And of course MSI is not free software.
>
> The WiX Toolset which one can use to build MSIs is free software. I
> don't know about the MSI format itself, but it would surprise me if
> there are any legal hurdles since MSIs are supposed to be distributed by
> ISVs.

If you are willing to help develop a MSI for Emacs-27 then that would be
a good thing and, so long as building it can be relatively automated on
top of the current process, then I will be happy to release that for
Emacs-27 onward. This and code signing are the two things that I have
not got working for the Windows build, but would like to.

Phil