Date: Sat, 22 Mar 1997 23:05:18 -0500 (EST) From: "Mike A. Harris" Reply-To: "Mike A. Harris" To: Tim Bird cc: opendos AT mail DOT tacoma DOT net Subject: Re: [opendos] FSSTND In-Reply-To: <9703201019.ZM16594@caldera.com> Message-ID: Organization: Total disorganization. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Thu, 20 Mar 1997, Tim Bird wrote: > > Again, since the standard would ONLY BE A RECOMMENDATION, other > > users would NOT have to abide by it anyways. Those who did > > however would benefit greatly by the features of the standard. > > Mike has hit the nail on the head here. If this is on the wishlist, > it should be separated into 2 parts: a file system standard, and > a "smart installer" facility. Both would be applicable not only > to OpenDOS, but also to MSDOS systems. The smart installer could [BIG SNIPPAGE] The way that you just described the 2 parts is exactly how I envision it. The redhat package manager is very much the type of thing that is needed. If and when the smart installer is made, it should definately use a DOSish archive format though. I recommend ZIP by default, but ANY archiver should be able to work. In other words, the smart installer should understand RAR, ARJ, TGZ, ZOO, UC2, EXE self extractors, etc... it should be upgradeable as well. If this is done, then it is theoretically possible to make the smart installer work with almost ALL old applications. For example: DOOM.ZIP (Just a hypothetical example...) SMINSTALL DOOM.ZIP The smart install program now makes a temp dir, and unzips DOOM into it (first checking to see if there is enough disk space, etc...). Then, it displays a list of executable files found in the archive. From this, you can either run one of the executables (INSTALL.BAT) or view text files via the built in file viewer. Since the DOOM Install program will want to pick C:\DOOM as it's default, the smart install program should display a message such as: The program you have chosen to install is an older program which predates the DOS file system standard. As a result, this Smart Install program cannot install it automatically for you. Therefore you must decide which executable file is the installer for this program. Such install programs are usually named something like: INSTALL.EXE, INSTALL.BAT, SETUP.EXE, etc... If you are unsure which file to execute then you can use Smart Installs built in file browser to view the text files that come with the program you are trying to install. Look for a file called something like README.TXT, README.1ST, READ.ME, HELP.TXT, MANUAL.DOC, MANUAL.TXT, or some other file. Although you are free to install programs wherever you like on your hard disk, your computer will be more organized and will comply with the new DOS file system standard if you install this piece of software into it's own subdirectory off of the directory: C:\GAMES. So when the actual install program asks you where to install, pick: C:\GAMES\GAMENAME > Since the hardest thing to do to get a project off the ground is come > up with the name, I'll suggest one: The OpenDOS Package Manager > (OPM for short) Hopefully no one will misunderstand when > someone says "I really need OPM!" :^) > > Tim Bird Either that or "Caldera Package Manager" sounds good. I think I'll start refering to this program as "OpenDOS Package Manager" from now on though. I'm going to start a section in the wishlist for it now that ideas are starting to take shape. TTYL Mike A. Harris | http://blackwidow.saultc.on.ca/~mharris Computer Consultant | Coming soon: dynamic-IP-freedom... My dynamic address: http://blackwidow.saultc.on.ca/~mharris/ip-address.html mailto:mharris AT blackwidow DOT saultc DOT on DOT ca DJGPP: Free 32 bit DOS C compiler.