Patrick Hurley wrote:
> On 8/23/06, ryan.raaum / gmail.com <ryan.raaum / gmail.com> wrote:
> > Also, it is important to ask if you are on windows or linux/bsd/mac os
> > x.  It is significantly harder to extend ruby on windows than on one of
> > the unixy systems.
>
> Not really. It is significantly harder to build libraries designed for
> unixy systems under windows than on those unixy systems. But the Ruby
> interface to C/C++ is pretty much identical between platforms. Why do
> you say it is harder?

Because ruby is unix focussed.  All the core ruby developers are unix
people.  The ruby toolchain is a unix-oriented toolchain (see the
recent 100+ message thread about ruby on windows).

To build on windows, one must either build ruby from scratch using
mingw (a topic of some contention and basically a unix toolset for
windows) or have vc6, which is less than readily available if you don't
already have it.  Ruby does not build easily in currently available
microsoft tools.

Starting from scratch, on a vanilla unix system, anyone with reasonable
unix and c knowledge can build ruby and a (minimal) custom extension in
well under an hour.

Starting from scratch, on a vanilla windows system, I would be amazed
if a windows guru could build ruby and a custom extension in under a
full working day.

> 
> pth