On Dec 19, 2008, at 7:09 AM, Peter von Kaehne wrote:
The instructions should say to use the built-in app installer, or
otherwise download the Windows > package and install it.
Sorry, this is confusing to me right now :
Do you mean with "Windows package" the user should install *BibleCS*
or the *winzip* from the repository?
If former - I am not sure that is good advice - given that people
who use whatever, with a functioning module installer, might not
want to have BibleCS too.
If latter - mwtalbert emailed me that he tried the winzips out and
found them not self extracting in WinXP and Vista. I have not tested
myself on XP or Vista , but did right now a trial run on Win2000 and
it was badly broken:
a) there was nothing apparently self extracting about it - i.e being
called exe and being able to run like a programm it was not.
b) unzipping it showed a setup.exe
c) running the setup.exe did something and congratulated me on a
succesful install
d) running BibleDesktop did not show the module. BibvleCS is pretty
good in finding unorthodox install places.
e) starting BibleCS told me that it found a new module - after me
ok'ing this it did something and congratulated me for being
successful. The module showed up thereafter.
f) rerunning BibleDesktop found it now. All shiny and new.
The Windows module downloads stage the module to a location that
BibleDesktop does not look at. When BibleCS runs it looks there and
copies the module to the "install" location.
Summary: winzip modules are broken. Unless I did something wrong (I
doubt that as I did the intuitive thing and then some more) these
modules were not self extracting at all. To be used on a usually
very competent frontend (BibleDesktop) they required the presence of
BibleCS to get to work.
I could change BD to work with it. But no user has complained.
Most of the module related queries on sword-support are of the kind
"Cannae find me modules, guv" - always Win or Mac related.
I have already advise from the MacSword team that swd is deprecated
and while they will allow use of them we should not advertise them -
i.e. we should probably take the out of this page. That was their
view not mine, though I support that.
Mac user's should be strongly encouraged (perhaps required) to use the
program's installer and that using the raw zips are problematic.
I agree with Manfred that the .swd downloads should be discontinued.
My feeling regarding the winzips is as follows - there is the
definitive need for self extracting modules for Windows. I
personally want them for distribution to more "interesting" places.
I don't think the self-extracting installer looks at SWORD_PATH first.
I think it should. Otherwise how is it going to find a non-standard
install of BibleCS.
The current incarnation is broken badly in some form, so badly that
they are not fit for use. While I personally want them I am
currently in no position to volunteer to fix it, though I will once
I can come round to it (several months likely), unless someone else
was faster.
My suggestion is therefore that we take out all links to the
winzips, delete and destroy them unless someone has a use for them
which I have nbot figured and rely solely - for the moment - on
rawzips. we then bang all our heads here together and clarify once
for all where a sword supported and advertised Windows frontend
should keep its modules and how it gets them there.
Once this is done, someone else (or me if time allows) can step up
to the plate and create a new setup of self extracting winzips of
some sort (maybe NSIS based?) and then we will again advertise them.
And finally - two unrelated questions:
1) does the command line module installer work on Windows and if so
how?
2) can MacSword install locally unzipped modules (e.g. unzipped on
your desktop or in your document folder) into the correct place like
GS can do?
No. And BibleDesktop cannot either.
In Christ's Service,
DM
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