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Comment by viraptor | Hacker News Reader

> so I have no idea why you'd want to do this on Windows.

If you're trying to write portable software, that's the easiest way to validate compilation for Linux without: a) using an external CI, or b) running a full VM in parallel.

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Well, since we are speaking about clang there is always cross compilation option: "clang -target x86_64-linux" (note, that it supports all targets that your current build of clang has enabled).

But probably the real option (c) that you are missing here is the fabulously named "Windows Subsystem for Linux".

Re crosscompilation: Sure, if you want to prepare an environment which has all the dependencies, then that is a way you can take. I always found it harder than using the target system directly. And in the end if you're running any tests after compilation, you still need the target system for that.

Re WSL: If the app you're working on works on WSL, great. It's not an option for many projects though.

Running containers on Windows requires a full VM in parallel. Docker just hides it.

Technically, yes. But by full VM, I mean a parallel desktop/server system with permanent storage that you have to maintain in different ways to a temporary container. Same technologies, different user experience. Docker hides it by providing a nice layer on top.

but you can also install clang 5 in windows... I don't think it would be that different. I don't use it too much, but I have it for clang-format

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