[ANNOUNCEMENT] New package: windows-default-manifest-6.3-1

[Corinna Vinschen <corinna-cygwin at cygwin dot com>]

Hi folks,


I just uploaded windows-default-manifest-6.3-1.

This new package contains nothing but a default application
compatibility manifest, which gets linked in by GCC by default, and
which is supposed to claim compatibility with the latest Windows
versions available at the time.

Adding such a manifest got necessary due to a change in Windows 8.1.  On
earlier OS versions, applications without manifest were treated as
compatible with the current OS.  Starting with Windows 8.1, an
executable without manifest is treated as being compatible only with the
oldest supported OS version of the OS compatibility layer.

That means, all applications without manifest are running in a Window
Vista compatibility layer on Windows 8.1.  This affects all Cygwin
executables to date.  By adding the default manifest to newly built
packages, we're slowly getting to run our executables with full OS
compatibility.

This package is in the "Base" category, so it will be pulled in by
default.  The version number reflects the OS kernel version supported
by this manifest (6.3 == Windows 8.1).

For reference:

* http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/hh848036%28v=vs.85%29.aspx

It would be too nice if this change would be consistent throughout
all APIs.  But no.  GetVersionEx returns "Windows 8" as version:

* http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dn302074%28v=vs.85%29.aspx (note especially the user comments ;))


Live long and prosper,
Corinna

-- 
Corinna Vinschen                  Please, send mails regarding Cygwin to
Cygwin Maintainer                 cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
Red Hat

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