stan-dev / stan-dev/cmdstanpy

Explore alternatives to RTools

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#832 7 comments 1 reaction 0 assignees View on GitHub

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build question
Dominant language
Python
Stars
198
Forks
81
PR merge metrics
No merged PRs in 30d

Description

We are still installing Rtools 40, which is about to be five versions out of date. Using a newer RTools is difficult, in part because they no longer provide stable download links. I also feel like using an R project at all is kind of strange

One alternative I think would be reasonable is the https://github.com/skeeto/w64devkit/ project. The build process is very transparent, the tools are up to date, and the download is relatively small. I need to actually verify that cmdstan builds once it is used, but I expect it will.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by examining the repository's current Rtools 40 installation and build setup, then compare it with the w64devkit project mentioned in the issue. Verify whether cmdstan builds successfully with the proposed toolchain; done means a documented alternative is confirmed or rejected based on that build test.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
r
Domain
build-system
Issue type
Refactor
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
45/100

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