Enable preliminary Windows support

[kwonoj]

This PR consists couple of changes to enable preliminary support on Windows platform, by

• replace child_pty to ptyw.js
  : original module pty currently have known issues with windows build (Installation fails (max is not a template of std among others) chjj/pty.js#131), introduced ptyw until issue's fully resolved.
• add initial configuration to appveyor to trigger windows build.
  : currently only install dependenceis / bulid native modules, does not packaging it yet.
  : resues existing install script (install.sh), so anyone want to build locally may require *nix shell environment still.

As this PR replaces one of core module, I agree this can be risky change especially there isn't enough test coverage. Please feel freely reject if this need not to be considered at this moment.

[rauchg]

@Gottox is child_pty not working on Windows? Based on a quick look of the code of both pty.js and child_pty, I would like to retain the latter.

Awesome stuff so far!

[Gottox]

child_pty does only work on unix systems atm. There were some experiments with winpty but as I don't own a windows system to test it hasn't come that far yet.

[Gottox]

The main problem with winpty is that I refuse to ship winpty in binary.

winpty itself has insane build deps requiring both, a cygwin and a MinGW toolchain.

So for now I decided to keep it simple and only support unix systems.

EDIT: I misread the Prerequisites, so MSYS should be enough.

[Gottox]

I'm currently playing with a windows VM and nodejs. I let you know if I get it up and running.

[ingro]

@Gottox looking forward to this!

[Gottox]

See ongoing process here: https://github.com/Gottox/child_pty/tree/windows

[mablae]

I am just totally thrilled! I wonder if the windows build hyperterm will be able to attach to the terminal panel inside IntelliJ IDEA IDE ?

[Gottox]

This will take some time, I guess. winpty is quite different from the unix API... Especially I can't reuse child_process on windows, so a lot of stuff needs to be written. In order to get hyperterm on windows out fast, I guess switching back to pty.js is a better solution.

[rauchg]

Thanks for the update @Gottox. One thing I'd like to check before we temporarily switch back to this is: chatting with @Tyriar he shared some concerns about pty.js leaking memory when bundled with Electron. Therefore what we need in order to merge this is to answer:

• Is this still the case?
• Is it the case for pty_w_.js?
• Are there any other differences with child_pty we're not contemplating?

[Tyriar]

The main issue with pty.js is that it must by run in a child process on OS X or it maxes out the CPU, see electron/electron#38

The current situation with vscode is that we do just that, but we don't use chjj/pty.js, instead we my personal fork of it Tyriar/pty.js which is a fork itself:

Tyriar/pty.js -> platformio/pty.js -> jeremyramin/pty.js -> chjj/pty.js

The purpose of the Tyriar/ fork is to gets it building on new node (which ptyw.js seems to do) and working with our build system (by removing prebuilt assets). I'm passively looking around for a maintained alternative that uses a newer version of winpty.

[Gottox]

@rauchg

pty.js has some issues with binding of functions. So this points to unexpected objects. Other than that, I can't say much about pty.js. :)

[mablae]

Hey,
instead of having two different pty libraries from now on, it would be better to solve the issues in child_pty upstream and make it usable with windows. These issues should be solved upstream.

There are already many forks of child_pty. Also some guys work on windows.

The debt a second pty lib like pty.js would introduce in the project should be considered.

[Gottox]

Where are these windows forks your talking about? :)

[Adam-Meisen]

If there's any grunt work a newcomer to the project can do to help this along, let me know.

[tyrbo]

I'd love to help, but I'm not sure what's needed here.

[Gottox]

@tyrbo child_pty needs windows support. There's a window branch in the child_pty repo. the branch includes the winpty project, but I haven't figured out how to intergrate it into child_pty. The hardest part is that winpty needs a custom exec method, so we cannot use child_process directly.

[iamstarkov]

can anybody share status of this issue/pr?

[rvion]

@iamstarkov I think windows support is coming here: #946

[iamstarkov]

@rvion thanks.

this PR can be closed then? /cc @kwonoj

[kwonoj]

Yes, I'm closing this on behalf of #946. Wish this could make it, but those PR seems much more ready-to-ship state.