> In my opinion, there should be no middle ground for installer > packaging. I think that statement is merely a cop-out. I do > not agree that people "do not want" a comprehensive installer > package. > > I am a firm believer that the installer package should address > every configuration that the software author claims to support > in their sales documentation. Anything less, and I believe you > are short-changing the purchaser, as well as risking loss of > sales of the product, due to complexity of the install and > configuration process. This issue is major enough in scope, > that I am also of the opinion that it is a reason so many > enterprises have decided to delay or just not upgrade. Hello? > MM, are you listening?
While I agree with you that there are plenty of areas where the installer could be obviously improved - the cacheRealPath item being a good example - I don't think it's possible for the installer to support every possible way that the product can be configured. > But. What to we do to install the product on a multi-homed > server? (being addressed successfully in Red Sky) What do > we do to install the product anywhere but the web root, > which requires that the default web site be always running? > This exposes the server to the constant spew of unsolicited > probes and attacks. How do you install the product where it > can only be addressed by the http headers and not by the IP > number? How do we install it so that the CF Administrator > applet can be opened in a web site that is not tied to > 127.0.0.1 or localhost? Most administrators of multi-homed > servers, prefer to keep the default web site turned off for > security purposes. I assure you this is not an issue local > only to me and my set-up. With the exception of the cacheRealPath issue, these issues, while they may be common to everyone installing CF and aren't local to you, don't have anything at all to do with CFMX, but rather have to do with web server configuration. No matter how well Macromedia makes the installer, they will not be able to do away with the requirement that the person installing the product have an adequate level of knowledge about web server configuration. This is something I run into quite a bit, actually. A lot of our customers use IIS, but few take the time to learn the bare minimum about configuring it properly until we find out about it. With Windows 2000, certainly, the default IIS configuration leaves a lot to be desired. Even with Windows Server 2003, there's quite a bit about the default OS and web server configuration that should be changed before deployment. As servers become more complex, and do more things, I believe it's wishful thinking to expect the installer to cover all options. At some point, the expertise of a server administrator will be required. That's why we have server administrators. And if you think the CFMX install is bad, try installing ANY content management system - you're likely to have fits! > The issue is not that it can't be done, the issue is doing > it fast, efficient, secure, and with a minimum of > "after-installation" hacks, tweaks, and editing config files > to get the job done. Hey, this is a great product, with many > innovations. Lets just make it install and set up in one > pass, applicable to every configuration the product supports, > in one pass, each time and every time. > > Provide solutions to these and I will gladly put my money > where my keyboard is. Keeping in mind the amount of QA time that would probably be necessary to cover every possible configuration option, you might not be able to afford it. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Dave Watts, CTO, Fig Leaf Software http://www.figleaf.com/ voice: (202) 797-5496 fax: (202) 797-5444 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=4 FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq Signup for the Fusion Authority news alert and keep up with the latest news in ColdFusion and related topics. http://www.fusionauthority.com/signup.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.4
