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1992-06-29
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INSTALLER 1.2 -- Updated 92-06-28
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
by Rick Pedley, Coffee Mug Software
95 Notch Hill Road, Suite 306
Kingston, Ont. K7M 5Y6
Canada
*** NEW ***
1. Installer now correctly runs a .BAT or .COM file after installation is
complete, as well as .EXEs. Previously, only .EXEs ran correctly.
2. Installed files now are stamped with the date and time of the original
files, and if the 'Copy only new files' option is selected, the file
comparisons are made based on name, date, time, and file length; if any
item doesn't match, the file is considered new.
3. Exploding windows can be turned off; if on, the explosion speed has
been doubled.
4. Mono adapters are now detected and appropriate colors selected. Mono
operation can also be forced with a /b or /m switch (actually only the
'b' and 'm' are checked for -- the switch symbol is unneccesary). An
'h' or '?' as a switch explains the mono switch.
5. This is the last freeware version. I'm now beginning work on a beefed
up installer that hopefully will still be as easy to use. The cost
will be somewhere between $20 - $30 US and will be distributed as
shareware.
INTRODUCTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a freeware product but if you send me $5 I won't throw it
away. Use it as you wish, no credit need be given, but neither do I accept
any responsibility if it doesn't perform as expected.
Installer is designed for programmers who want the user to be able
to easily install their product on a hard disk, without having to explain
how to create subdirectories and copy files (which they won't read or under-
stand in any case). If the user can log onto a floppy by typing its letter
and a colon, and then type INSTALL, this utility will take care of the rest.
If the user can't manage even this modest feat, he or she should buy a
MacIntosh.
INSTRUCTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Start by copying all these files preferably to a floppy, or to a new hard
drive subdir'y.
2. Next, run INSTALL and get a feel for how it works. I've configured it to
copy any files it finds on the source disk into a default subdir'y. Specify
another subdir'y if you wish. The DUMMY program is there only so you can
see the whole process. (INSTALL doesn't SHELL for any operations.)
3. When installation is completed, either have it run the small dummy .EXE
program, or exit to DOS. The idea here is simply to see what it does.
- 2 -
4. Run CONFINST. The first thing CONFINST does is make a copy of PROGINST.TPL
and call it INSTALL.EXE. All configuration changes will be made to this
new file INSTALL.EXE. PROGINST.TPL is left in its original form, and I
have set the +r attribute to give it a little protection. If an uncom-
pressed INSTALL.EXE is already present, CONFINST reads the data out of
this file and uses it as the default values; otherwise an entire new copy
of INSTALL.EXE is made.
5. You are now guided through up to 7 screens of prompts. Most of them are
self-explanatory so I'll just comment briefly on a few of them:
File name of install utility: usually this will be INSTALL.EXE and this is
the file that CONFINST works on. If you specify another name, CONFINST will
rename INSTALL.EXE before exiting. Be sure to include the extension .EXE;
CONFINST doesn't error-check for this.
File name of executable: any program you want to run when all files have
been installed, be sure to include the extension. Can be an EXE, COM, or
BAT file. If left blank, INSTALLER just exits at completion.
Default target directory: six levels deep are supported. Some error
checking is done here, but follow the example shown. If installing in
the parent directory, just enter C: for example. Also, the source files
must be all at the same level -- INSTALL won't copy subdir's and their
contents from the source disk (the next version will).
Target drive space: how much space should there be on the target drive for
the files you're installing? Allow more room if further new files are
created by your own program. Note the number is in bytes, not Kbytes.
Copy All?...: `only different files' means files that either have different
names, lengths, file dates & times. `prompt for each' means the user will
be asked for permission to install each file on an individual basis. 15
disks, 1000 files per disk are allowed.
Copy install utility too?: this option overrides Copy All -- in other words,
you can elect to copy all files EXCEPT the install utility.
The next 20 options specify the colors for various titles, menus, boxes...
Accept the defaults if you're not sure what to do. It helps to have a color
chart handy for this section. Note that all 16 colors are available for
foreground and background. (REAL programmers of course, long ago memorized
all the color codes.) Monochrome adapters are now supported (see NEW
above).
Look for this file on Disk #1: Pick one unique file name to act as a flag on
each distribution diskette (include the extension, as usual). Include a
number on each diskette label so the user can quickly find the right disk to
insert next. INSTALL tries three times to find this flag file: the first two
times, it displays an error message; the third time it aborts installation &
returns to the main menu. NOTE: if you distribute your product in more than
one disk format, make up a different INSTALL for each format. As many as 15
disks are allowed, each with its own flag file.
Title screen effect: the 'diagonal' effect is the one currently installed.
Try the other one to see what it looks like.
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Installer title screen line #1-#4: anything you like here really. All four
lines will be displayed even if blank, so if you need only 2 for instance,
type all blanks into the top and bottom lines, so the remaining two are
centered vertically.
1. Save current configuration and quit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writes the changes you made into INSTALL.EXE, renames the file to the
name you specified if it's different than INSTALL.EXE, and exits to DOS.
Because the data is written directly into the INSTALL.EXE file, no addit-
ional 'script' files are required.
2. Quit without changing anything. -- just like it says.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. Re-start configuration from beginning. -- ditto, but you can also back up
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
a page at a time with Esc.
4. Save configuration, compress with LZEXE & quit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LZEXE is an excellent compression utility for EXE files by Fabrice
Bellard of France. An EXE file compressed with this utility de-compresses
AFTER loading into memory and then runs. This allows for significant space
saved on disks, and reduced loading time (de-compression is very fast). He
has given permission to use LZEXE free of charge and it can be found on just
about any BBS by this time. If you have LZEXE, copy it into the same dir-
ectory as CONFINST.EXE and INSTALL.EXE. NOTE: LZEXE is distributed as
`LZEXE91.ZIP' or `LZEXE91E.ZIP'.
This option saves the configuration, compresses it with LZEXE (if
present), renames it to your specification if different than INSTALL.EXE,
then exits to DOS. If you select this option and LZEXE isn't present, the
changes are written, and CONFINST exits leaving INSTALL uncompressed.
Lastly...
~~~~~~~~~
Copy INSTALL.EXE (or whatever) to the first disk and be sure to give
instructions to the user on how to log on to the drive and run INSTALL.
Rick Pedley, June 28, 1992
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