Build for win32 without VC++?

[ap...@yihye-beseder.no-ip.com]

I had originally posted this on news:comp.infosystems.www.server.ms-
windows  and news:alt.apache.configuration but wanted to try with the 
mailing list, also.

Has anybody ever tried (not to mention succeeded!) to build a version of 
Apache for Win32 (definitely version 2) using FOSS tools and completely 
bypassing MS Visual Studio?  I don't mean for Cygwin, but native Win32?  

Maybe I am being a bit paranoid here, but I don't want to use Cygwin and 
add an extra layer of interface.  On the face of it, this makes it to me 
less secure, more avenues for attack by intruders.  Plus efficiency 
suffers, IMHO.  

Any comments on this being wrong most readily accepted.

It irritates me that I have to spend hundreds of $ to build a FOSS tool.

Also, I want SSL/HTTPS capability and it seems, with the latest 
"caution" (I mean, come on, RSA's patent lapsed in the year 2000, the US 
government relaxed its encryption export laws, the code is distributed 
with the SSL  source) of the Apache developers, that the only way to get 
this on Win32 is to either build it with MS VC++ or to download prebuilt 
versions from someone I don't know.  

Plus, if I can build Apache from source, I can keep up with source code 
security updates like the one for 2.0.51.  

Up to now, I have gotten the apr component to build using straight GCC 
after converting the .DSW and .DSP files into makefiles.  Running into 
some brick walls, though.  

If someone else has solved all of this and has published it on the Web, 
a URL would be most appreciated.  If not, I'll slog along and publish it 
myself when I get a web site up.  

Any other comments most appreciated.