Re: GnuTLS for W32

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Óscar Fuentes <address@hidden>
> Date: Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:48:20 +0100
> 
> > Can Emacs modify the DLL search path on W32 so it can install some DLL
> > from ELPA and then activate it dynamically?  Or does it require a
> > restart and modifying the global PATH?  Either way, can the process be
> > automated?
> 
> The relevant MS Windows API function (LoadLibrary) accepts a full
> pathname

That's a factual truth, but it would be a grave mistake on our part to
use absolute file names for loading dynamic libraries, because it will
mean a major inconvenience to users.  It is hard on Windows to pick up
a fixed directory where every user could easily put the library: the
only directories that are guaranteed to exist on every Windows system
are frequently locked up by security policies, the only disk drive
guaranteed to exist can be a remote drive or even a read-only drive,
etc.  It would be a step in the wrong direction.

Besides, even if we did follow this path, it wouldn't solve the
problem, because:

> so no need for restarts nor changing PATH.

There's much more to loading a new DLL in the middle of a session than
just the location of the new DLL.  I will address that in a separate
message.