Subject: Re: To _USE_ or not to use InstallShield?
From: [email-masked] ($Bill Luebkert)

10 May 1998 06:32:09 -0700
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To: [email-masked]

John A. Turner wrote:
> 
> Bill and Michael (and/or anyone else who agrees with this argument),
> please tell me if you also eschew the Unix packaging formats like the
> ones I mentioned above.  If so, well, OK, at least your stand is
> consistent.  If not, then please explain why your position is not
> inconsistent.
> 
> XEmacs binaries are distributed for Solaris via pkgadd format and for
> Linux as RPMs.  It's also distributed as tarballs.  So why bother with
> the package formats?  Because a lot of Solaris and Linux binaries are
> distributed that way, and people like the ease of install/uninstall
> they provide.
> 
> So I ask again, how is InstallShield different?

I'll go along with any installation method that allows me to see BEFORE 
installing, where the files are going and AFTER installing where the 
files went and what specific errors occurred.  Furthermore, I want to 
know about all changes to system files such as the registry, .ini files, etc.

I also want a fool-proof method of uninstalling the software that properly 
recovers the system files not to what they were before the install, but 
to what they should be after removing only the installed software.  In the 
case of interim software being installed, that software should not be in 
any way hampered by uninstalling said software.  Some of these objections 
have nothing to do with gnuwin32, just with Win95/NT install/uninstall 
methods. 

If pkgadd were available, I don't think I would object to using it; my 
memory of using it on Solaris was positive if I remember correctly.

A .zip file (or .gz) with a .bat file to install it and a README.txt 
file to let you know what's happening is all that would be 
needed and would leave everything totally visible for those of us who 
like such things.  Not to mention it's cheap and freely available.

This would be my preference over a non-freeware solution that keeps 
things hidden from the installer.

This is only my opinion, I would use either method to get the install 
done, but given a choice (or if both were available), I wouldn't use 
InstallShield.

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