While perusing release notes for Git, I read that Windows 7 and 32-bit support will be impacted by MSYS2’s decisions to drop Windows-7 support (Windows 8.1 being minimum requirement), and 32-bit build no longer being actively supported.
Gramps, which also uses MSYS2 for building the Windows version, currently offers Windows Vista/7 as minimum and a 32-bit build as well.
Just wondering if Gramps follow MSYS2’s minimum requirements going forward?
I made a copy of the MSYS2 library needed to build the AIO quite a while ago. I also have made a few changes to Gtk and some other tools to fix a few of the library related bugs for Windows. This is what the current AIO I released is built with. As long as I continue to build with those older library elements, we can continue to release a 32-bit build.
I had planned to make updated AIO libraries when ever the next major version of Gramps is released. When I do that, we will undoubtedly see new features and bugs related to the libraries. If the updated libraries turn out to be better overall, then I will eventually stop releasing on the older libraries. And stop creating the 32-bit version.
I note that there is now another AIO build Releases · jmichault/gramps-aio · GitHub which I am sure uses up to date MSYS2 libraries. It will be interesting to see if users like/notice/dislike this build, which may give me an indication of how I should proceed.
I should also warn anyone using this build, who also uses BSDDB database instead of the SQLITE one, that they may be unable to open their BSDDB database with the (my) standard AIO if it is ever opened with the newer one. That is because the newer libraries force an upgrade of the BSDDB db in a fashion that renders it unreadable be the older libraries. Which is the main reason I have not switched libraries yet.
@prculley Thanks for the planning you’ve done around the MSYS2 libraries. Sounds like Gramps community will have support for Windows 7 and 32-bit for some time at least. Not sure whether we have download and usage stats on these configurations, but I do hope that your time is spent on supporting the future of Gramps more than the legacy builds.
Tagging @jmichault about this thread as well.
Hello,
yes i have used uptodate libraries, and yes it’s very experimental.
I should also warn anyone using this build, who also uses BSDDB database instead of the SQLITE one,
SQLITE is also included.
that they may be unable to open their BSDDB database with the (my) standard AIO if it is ever opened with the newer one.
Yes, fortunately i have not observed such problem with SQLITE.
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