binary packages support

[rkitover]

I wrote a prototype for supporting binary packages in vcpkg in PowerShell:

https:/rkitover/vcpkg-binpkg-prototype/

What do you guys think? Would it be worthwhile to work on this in the core?

[BillyONeal]

Packaging binaries is somewhat incompatible with our design goal of ensuring that the tree remains functional when any given port is updated because we can rebuild everything within that port's "cone of destruction". These kinds of issues are the primary reason why "NuGet for C++" became defunct and why we built vcpkg in the first place.

On second thought it seems like this might not be an attempt to stably package binaries? I apologize that I haven't followed exactly what your other repo is trying to do that closely...

[BillyONeal]

Does the official binary caching feature @ras0219 and @ras0219-msft submitted described in #11204 implement what you wanted here?

[rkitover]

My module actually makes perfectly functional binary packages, I need to make a few more tweaks to add the Abi: key etc., I'm actually thinking of making a binary package server.

[JackBoosY]

I think we will never provide pre-compiled binary packages.

[rkitover]

I'm actually considering switching to Conan for a project because it does provide binary packages and things like recompiling ffmpeg can get very tedious, plus it causes a lot of issues with the CI.

[JackBoosY]

@rkitover Yep, I know that. but providing binary packages represents a lack of code security.

[BillyONeal]

I think we might provide binaries someday, but if we do it would be through the existing binary caching feature.

(It is a shame that providing binaries is so licensing-scary)