Re: New windows installer

[Wim Oudshoorn]

On Fri, Nov 05, 2004 at 08:02:28AM -0600, T.J. Yang wrote:
> From: Wim Oudshoorn <address@hidden>
>
> >Yes we could do this, but why?
> 
> 1. The WiX packaging process is described in XML language
>    as hellow.wxs text file.
>    Easier to maintain and can be scripted and automated
>    to do non-gui interactive build.

XML I don't care.  And I don't know what you mean
with scripted and automated.  
You can already run the installer from the commandline
without asking any annoying questions.

> 2. WiX is MS opensource project.
>    Personally I like to invest my efforts on a software
>    that has good longevity because of its open-source nature.

That is nice.  But INO is as far as I know also open source.
See http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php

> I also like to admit I don't know much about Windows Software Packaging.

Me neither, Tom Koelman is the person who wrote the Windows installer 
and maintains it.  I just tweak it once in a while and sometimes 
make the actual installer.
> 
> I am doing a personal project to package GNUstep using XML language
> base Cross-Platform Package Management tool call 
> TWW(http://www.thewrittenword.com).

But it does not seem to support Windows. 

> This will help me to allow GNUstep to be used in my office environment.
> Because TWW CPAM can generate different native packages(rpm,depot,pkgadd 
> etc.)
> from one package source.

I don't understand, you want to use the TWW installer to deploy 
in your office environment, but TWW is not supported for windows
anyway, so what does WiX buy you (WiX != TWW and Ino != TWW).
 
> Once TWW support Win32 platform(or we can do it ourselves),
> we can generate and release GNUstep from one singe package source.

Yes but I am not the person to make TWW work on Windows.
And until it is I see no incentive to do anything about the current situation.
I would rather put time in makeing the Gui installer work.

> PS: When you release GNUstep win32 installer, can you release the package
> source also ? This way your effort can be reused. I can learn and understand
> how you build the package.

Yes, I can send the source of the installer to you.  But not before
next week.  Although I doublt if it is really inspirational.
Roughly the installer does the following:

1 - Put the whole directory hierarchy with unpacked sources
    into place
2 - Runs a script that follows the MinGW Readme
3 - Runs a sanity check at the end.

Wim Oudshoorn.