I was convinced that MacOS X users need different installer than we produce now. This is an issue and has to be solved. Solved like other issues: in our CVS to have it fixed in next release, verified and FINALLY closed.
Here's the dilemmas that I always have with installers and why I kept with the ZeroG set :
- Making a single installer that will automatically install all dependent software packages.
- Changing install location to a new default position, even outside of Applications (you'd be surprised at how many users ask for this)
- Using a "dimage" to include GPL source code where required to ensure our mirrors stay in GPL compliance by enforcing source distribution. The GPL source is minor when compared with the size of the OOo & supporting binaries.
- Supporting 10.2 users.
There are two opposing camps on this last issue, but statistics still show that there are a significant number of Jaguar users out there. To support both Jaguar and Panther requires including different versions of packages in the installer as well as X11 for Jag. users. The X11 install is arguably the one that was the most complex from a user interface point of view for Jag. users and required quite a bit of feedback to get the process right (Apple X11 Beta vs. XFree86, window manager, etc.). I did this by inserting additional panels prior to the install screen.
Aside from X11 configuration, the only other user interface element that used to be required for both was choice of default paper size to use in the psp config files.
Unfortunately, a lot of the funky installer stuff I had been looking at back when didn't allow for the user interface or wasn't supported by the 10.2 version of Installer.app.
The problem with the ZeroG stuff isn't that the installer "code" isn't licensed, but rather that each developer has to apply to ZeroG to get a donation of an InstallAnywhere license. They ask that we don't share keys :(
ed
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