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Performance issues on Windows, suggests a MSVC build


From: Ole Jacob Hagen
Subject: Performance issues on Windows, suggests a MSVC build
Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:47:40 +0200

Hi,

I am using Octave for all my scientific work.
But I have also faced some problems regarding performance in file loading.

I have data files, that are 500 - 1000 MB in size, with 133 columns of data.

I am loading a log file (500 MB) and then creating up to 10 plots of them.
Here is the performance:

* Linux: File loading + plotting: 3 minutes

* Windows XP(MinGw): File loading + plotting: 30-40 minutes.

File loading operation eg data = "" is using 80-90% of total time. 

Can a pure MSVC build increase performance of data files with that size, or is Octave purely meant for people who has never created a proper log file? <jokingly> ;-)

I've read some discussion whether to support a MSVC build, or at least keep it compilable.
But the VC runtime library license  was conflicting with GPL....as I understood it.

Why does other GPL software on Windows ships VC run time library with their GPL'ed software?

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From GPL FAQ: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#WindowsRuntimeAndGPL :

I'm writing a Windows application with Microsoft Visual C++ (or Visual Basic) and I will be releasing it under the GPL. Is dynamically linking my program with the Visual C++ (or Visual Basic) run-time library permitted under the GPL?

The GPL permits this because that run-time library normally accompanies the compiler or interpreter you are using. The run-time libraries here are “System Libraries” as GPLv3 defines them, and as such they are not considered part of the Corresponding Source. GPLv2 has a similar exception in section 3.

That doesn't mean it is a good idea to write the program so that it only runs on Windows. Doing so results in a program that is free software but “trapped” by Windows.

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Since Octave is supported on all platforms, it is therefore not "trapped" by any Operating System, is it?


Cheers,

Ole






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