visualpython-users

[Visualpython-users] Re: download components

[Ihor R. <ro...@tu...>]

Bruce Sherwood wrote:
> Do any of you have experience with various installer engines? For Windows
> we're thinking that maybe Wise InstallMaker might be the right tool (GUI
> interface and not too expensive). What do you think? And for the Mac there
> is Vise, but while it is free to independent shareware builders it is
> something like $700 to people at universities. Suggestions?

	I have been using free Inno Setup installer 
http://jordanr.dhs.org/isinfo.htm

since 1998. It is very nice and powerful program especially when used
together with accompanying tools like Scriptmaker
http://www.tafweb.com/scriptmaker.html

and Inno Setup Extensions

http://www.wintax.nl/isx/

Anyway, I think simple ZIP-based installation should be available in the
future for some Very Experienced Users who could manage ZIP-files :-).

With best regards,
==
Ihor Rokach

[Visualpython-users] Re: download components

[Ihor R. <ro...@tu...>]

Bruce Sherwood wrote:

>Ihor Rokach asked for zip files for experienced users; I'm hoping 
>that it won't actually be necessary to maintain two kinds of files. 
>Is there any issue here other than download time?

1. There are a LOT of countries with non-free Internet and transmission
rate < 1Kb/sec :-(

2. Some people are using the newest version of the Numeric from CVS.
They will not be happy if your installation overwrites their files. Of
course, Inno Setup scripts could be configured to avoid such a problem.
However, nobody knows what is inside the 'black-box'-like installation
file before the installation :-).
==
Ihor V.Rokach

RE: [Visualpython-users] Re: download components

[David S. <dsc...@cm...>]

> Bruce Sherwood wrote:
>
> >Ihor Rokach asked for zip files for experienced users; I'm hoping
> >that it won't actually be necessary to maintain two kinds of files.
> >Is there any issue here other than download time?
>
> 1. There are a LOT of countries with non-free Internet and transmission
> rate < 1Kb/sec :-(
>
> 2. Some people are using the newest version of the Numeric from CVS.
> They will not be happy if your installation overwrites their files. Of
> course, Inno Setup scripts could be configured to avoid such a problem.
> However, nobody knows what is inside the 'black-box'-like installation
> file before the installation :-).

3.  ZIP files can be useful to people on other platforms, who might intend
to take source or Python files and leave the rest.

However, it's somewhat unfair to ask Bruce to maintain two separate
installation methods for the sake of the minority of users who fall into one
of these cases.  Perhaps someone else will step up (e.g. to write scripts to
compile .ZIP files automatically)?

Dave

Re: [Visualpython-users] Re: download components

[Bruce S. <ba...@an...>]

--On Sunday, December 17, 2000 1:40 PM +0100 Ihor Rokach 
<ro...@tu...> wrote:

> I have been using free Inno Setup installer
> http://jordanr.dhs.org/isinfo.htm
> since 1998. It is very nice and powerful program especially when used
> together with accompanying tools like Scriptmaker
> http://www.tafweb.com/scriptmaker.html

Many many thanks for this recommendation. Despite of (or because of) it 
being a scripting installer maker, I found it easier to use than the Wise 
engine which I previewed, and more powerful as well. I didn't even feel a 
need to pick up the Scriptmaker tools. With the low-end $200 Wise installer 
I couldn't actually do everything that needed to be done, whereas Inno 
Setup is freeware and has all the power I need.

I've updated the VPython web site Windows download page to feature 
install.exe files rather than zip files. These installers automatically 
detect where Python 2.0 is installed and put the VPython additions into 
that folder. A desktop shortcut is produced by the full VPython installer 
that points to the right place. You can uninstall using the Add/Remove 
Programs control panel.

A disadvantage is that these exe files are bigger than the corresponding 
zip files (particularly noticeable for some unknown reason in the case of 
the documentation files). However, I was going slightly crazy and was in 
danger of making serious mistakes using WinZip. With Inno Setup (stands for 
"Innovative Setup" program), I'm able to have scripts that automatically 
produce the right stuff, with separate control over source and destination 
folders, something that WinZip doesn't provide. And when additional files 
are added to a VPython folder these scripts pick them up, thanks to wild 
cards. Ihor Rokach asked for zip files for experienced users; I'm hoping 
that it won't actually be necessary to maintain two kinds of files. Is 
there any issue here other than download time?

Now does anyone have a comparable great suggestion for the Macintosh?

Bruce Sherwood

P.S. Dave Scherer had pointed out that I had omitted some components from 
the Numeric suite, such as the FFT module. The new stuff includes those 
pieces.

Re: [Visualpython-users] Re: download components

[Markus G. <gr...@iu...>]

Hi!

I have never used it, but have you looked at the dist-utils included in Python
2.0?  I thought here one can write a Python install script, which builds
and/or installs extension Modules written in Python and/or C.  Doesn't this
work as expected?

Kind regards, Markus

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RE: [Visualpython-users] Re: download components

[David S. <dsc...@cm...>]

> I have never used it, but have you looked at the dist-utils
> included in Python
> 2.0?  I thought here one can write a Python install script, which builds
> and/or installs extension Modules written in Python and/or C.
> Doesn't this
> work as expected?

I think distutils are an easy-to-use setup system by the standards of 1970s
UNIX.

Admittedly, this opinion is based only on experience with an old version of
distutils.

Dave

RE: [Visualpython-users] Re: download components

[Bruce S. <ba...@an...>]

--On Monday, December 18, 2000 9:15 AM -0500 David Scherer 
<dsc...@CM...> wrote:

>> I have never used it, but have you looked at the dist-utils
>> included in Python
>> 2.0?  I thought here one can write a Python install script, which builds
>> and/or installs extension Modules written in Python and/or C.
>> Doesn't this
>> work as expected?
>
> I think distutils are an easy-to-use setup system by the standards of
> 1970s UNIX.

I looked briefly, and my reaction is like Dave's. In fact, I tried using a 
disk-util package to install Numeric and basically bounced off, because it 
wanted me to run a DOS window in an appropriate directory and type a 
command line with flags. Forget it for many of the users we want to include 
in the enterprise.

Bruce Sherwood