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SUPERINSTALL FOR DOS
Version 1.0
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION PROGRAM
USER'S MANUAL
LOGISTRAL, INC.
_______
____|__ | (R)
--| | |-------------------
| ____|__ | Association of
| | |_| Shareware
|__| o | Professionals
-----| | |---------------------
|___|___| MEMBER
Copyright 1994 Logistral, Inc.
SuperInstall is a trademark of Logistral, Inc.
All products mentioned in this manual are trademarked or
copyrighted by their manufacturers.
Software Licence
LICENCE AGREEMENT
When used in this Licence:
"We" and the "Author" mean "Logistral, Inc.". The "Trademark"
means the mark "SuperInstall". The "Software" means the program
and related text files and printed materials distributed by the
Author under the Trademark.
This Shareware Licence gives you a limited period to evaluate the
Software. It also tells you how you can use the Software after
the evaluation period ends, and *encourages* you to distribute it
so that others can evaluate it. By using the Software, you agree
to all of the terms, conditions and disclaimers in this Licence.
Ownership
The Author owns, or has licenced from the owner, all copyrights
and trade secrets in the Software, and owns the Trademark under
which it distributes the Software. Among other things, this
means:
[1] The Software is not public domain software and is not free.
Your rights to it are only those provided by this Licence.
[2] The rights granted by this Licence are on the condition that
you will not modify, reverse compile, disassemble, or reverse
engineer the Software, in order to use or disclose any secret
information of the Author that it contains.
How and why to register
You may evaluate the Software for 30 days after you first run any
part of it on a computer.
To use the Software after your evaluation period ends, you must
register your use of the Software by completing the ORDER FORM
and sending it to the author together with the registration fee
it indicates.
After your register the Software, you will have the right to use
the Software on any number of machines, so long as there is no
possibility that more than one copy will be used at a time. You
will have the right to use the Software royalty-free to develop
any number of installations, of any number of software titles, of
which you are the author or publisher.
Use of the Software beyond the trial period is copyright
infringement unless you register and pay us the registration fee.
Such use also threatens the continuation of the shareware
revolution, which has benefitted users by its "try before you
buy" philosophy and by slowing increases in software prices.
i
Software Licence
Shareware enables hardworking shareware authors who don't have
the marketing resources of a large software company to market
some of the best and most innovative software to be found
anywhere. SHAREWARE IS GOOD FOR YOU -- IF YOU LIKE THE SOFTWARE,
PLEASE REGISTER YOUR COPY OF IT!
Disclaimer of Warranty and Limitation of Remedies
[1] THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED TO ALL WHO RECEIVE IT "AS-IS". NO
WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE AS TO IT OR
ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES
OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
[2] ALL WHO RECEIVE THE SOFTWARE HAVE NO REMEDY FOR INDIRECT,
CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM THE
SOFTWARE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, INCLUDING SUCH FROM NEGLIGENCE,
STRICT LIABILITY, OR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, EVEN FROM A
PERSON WHO HAS NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Some jurisdictions do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties
or the exclusion of consequential damages, so the above
disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you.
Reservation of Rights
All of the Author's right, title and interest in and to the
Software and the Trademark not expressly granted herein are
reserved exclusively by the Author.
Miscellaneous
This agreement [A] shall be governed in all respects by the laws
of the Province of Quebec as to its validity, construction and
performance, without giving effect to the choice of law
provisions thereof; [B] constitutes the entire agreement of the
parties as to its subject matter and merges and supersedes all
prior discussions, agreements, and understandings; and [C] may
not be modified orally. With respect to every matter arising
under this Agreement, the parties consent to the exclusive
jurisdiction and venue of the courts sitting in Quebec City,
Province of Quebec.
ii
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LICENCE AGREEMENT........................................i
When used in this Licence:..........................i
Ownership...........................................i
How and why to register.............................i
Disclaimer of Warranty and Limitation of Remedies...ii
Reservation of Rights...............................ii
Miscellaneous.......................................ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS........................................iii
Chapter 1: Introduction.................................1
Thank You For Using SuperInstall....................1
Our Philosophy......................................1
Major features......................................1
Chapter 2: Using the Keyboard and the Mouse.............2
Keyboard Conventions................................2
Mouse Conventions...................................2
Chapter 3: Setup........................................3
Getting installed...................................3
Ready to go.........................................3
Chapter 4: Reference....................................4
File | New..........................................4
File | Open.........................................4
File | Save.........................................4
File | Save as......................................5
File | Close........................................5
File | Shell to DOS.................................5
File | Exit.........................................5
Configuration | Main................................6
Configuration | Directories.........................6
Configuration | Requirements........................7
Configuration | Boot file modification..............8
Distribution | File selection.......................10
Distribution | Disk set configuration...............11
Distribution | Disk set creation....................11
Options | Colors | Customize........................12
Options | Colors | Load palette.....................12
Options | Colors | Save palette.....................12
Chapter 5: Miscellaneous................................14
How to Get Technical Support........................14
Tools of the Trade..................................14
iii
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 1: Introduction
Thank You For Using SuperInstall
We at Logistral, Inc. would like to thank you for choosing
SuperInstall, our installation program generator. We are confident
that you will find that this practical and versatile software meets
your needs.
The purpose of this guide is to help you get the most out of
SuperInstall in the shortest possible time. We know that you are
eager to begin, but please take time to read through this guide
before you start using the software.
Our Philosophy
While most installers force you to write scripts for even the most
basic installation, SuperInstall uses a menu driven approach. You
answer a few basic questions about your application and
SuperInstall does the rest. The program's user interface conforms
to industry standards. It is intuitive and easy to use.
We designed SuperInstall as a flexible tool, capable of handling
most software installation tasks. We believe that software
normally should not require the development of a custom
installation program or a complex installation script.
Major features
Menu driven interface - No scripts!
Superior file compression - ZIP 2.0 compatible!
CUA-compliant user interface - Modern and intuitive!
1
Chapter 2: Using the Keyboard and the Mouse
Chapter 2: Using the Keyboard and the Mouse
Keyboard Conventions
Just to make sure we are on the same wavelength, here are a few
conventions for the keyboard:
Press Tab to move the cursor from one field to the other in
sequence.
Press Shift-Tab to move the cursor backwards through the fields.
Press Enter to accept a dialog.
Press F1 to bring up a context-sensitive help screen.
Press F10 to activate the menu.
Press Esc to leave a menu or back out of an option or dialog.
Mouse Conventions
Move the mouse until the pointer on the screen is over the menu,
the field or the command you want to select. Click the left mouse
button to select.
2
Chapter 3: Setup
Chapter 3: Setup
Before you setup SuperInstall on your computer, you should make a
backup copy of your master disk.
Getting installed
Insert the SuperInstall master disk in drive A (or drive B). Then
log onto drive A by typing:
A: [Enter]
Now you can start the Setup process. Type:
INSTALL [Enter]
Once the installation has started, you should simply follow the
instructions shown on the screen. Along the way, you will be asked
to confirm information about the directory where the program is to
be kept on disk. Normally you should accept the suggested
directories by pressing [Enter].
Depending on the diskette format being used, the installation
program may need to access files which are stored on another
diskette. The program will prompt you to change diskettes if that
is necessary.
Check the file README.TXT for late-breaking information,
corrections and notes of special interest. Who knows, the answer
to your first question might just be there.
Ready to go
Now you can load SuperInstall. Type:
SINSTALL [Enter]
3
Chapter 4: Reference
Chapter 4: Reference
To create an installation, you will circulate through all menu
options under Configuration and Distribution.
But before you may start, you will need to create a definition file
or open an existing one. This will enable several new menu
options.
File | New
Select this menu option to create a new definition file. The file
will be given the temporary name 'UNTITLED.DAT'.
File | Open
Select this menu option to open an existing definition file. You
will see a dialog box. In the Name field, enter the name of the
file you want to open. You may enter a fully qualified filename
(i.e. 'C:\SINSTALL\MYSOFT.DAT') or simply 'MYSOFT.DAT' if the file
is in the current directory. To get a list of files matching a
file specification, enter the file specification in the Name field
and press Enter.
You can also select a file from the list. Press Tab to move to the
Files window, use the arrow keys to highlight the file you want to
open and press Enter. To change the current directory or navigate
the subdirectories on your disk, press Enter on the '..\' file
specification and select the subdirectory you want to make current.
File | Save
Select this menu option to save a definition to disk. If you were
modifying a definition file, this option will save the definition
file under its current name, overwriting a previous version. If
you were working on a new file, you will be prompted for a
filename. The default filename is 'UNTITLED.DAT', you will want to
enter a more descriptive name. You may enter any valid DOS
filename, preferably with the '.DAT' extension.
4
Chapter 4: Reference
File | Save as
Select this menu option to save a new definition to disk, or to
save a modified definition to another filename. You will be
prompted for a filename. The default filename is 'UNTITLED.DAT',
you will want to enter a more descriptive name. You may enter any
valid DOS filename, preferably with the '.DAT' extension. The
Files window offers a list of existing definition files so you can
enter a unique name.
File | Close
Select this menu option to close the definition file that you are
working on. If the definition file has been modified, you will be
asked if you want to save it. Choose Yes to save it, No to close
without saving (loosing your work) or Cancel to return to the
program without closing the file.
File | Shell to DOS
Select this menu option to exit to DOS momentarily. Most of the
memory occupied by SuperInstall will be made available so you can
run large programs. To resume using SuperInstall, type:
Exit [Enter]
You should not run TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident) programs from
within SuperInstall. If you need to run such a program, it should
be loaded before you launch SuperInstall.
File | Exit
Select this menu option to exit SuperInstall. Careful! Make sure
that you save your file first, or all your work will be lost!
5
Chapter 4: Reference
Configuration | Main
Select this menu option to provide general information about your
program.
Enter the name of your program in the field Application name. The
installation program will display this information when it is run.
For example: 'MySoft version 2.0'.
Enter the author's name in the field Author name. For example:
'John Smith'.
Enter your company's name in the field Company name. For example:
'GoodSoft, Inc.'.
You may select the name you wish the installation program to
display: the author's name, the company's name or both. Use the
checkboxes to indicate your preference.
If you want the installation program to display a "README" file,
you must provide its filename in the field README file. For
example: 'README.TXT'. The file can be shown Before or After the
installation. Use the checkboxes to indicate your preference. If
both Before and After are checked by mistake, the file will be
shown once, before the installation.
If you want to run another program automatically when the
installation is complete, enter its filename, for example:
'CONVERT.EXE'. This option is particularly useful when you wish to
run a conversion program or if the installation of your software
requires actions than cannot be handled by SuperInstall. Normally,
you will want to ask the user first about running this program, by
marking the appropriate checkbox (Prompt). Enter the question you
want to ask the user in the field Ask.
Configuration | Directories
Select this menu option to provide information about the
directories required by your program.
Enter the directory where your program will normally be installed
on the user's computer in the field Default directory . For
example: 'C:\MYSOFT'.
If your program also requires subdirectories below the main
directory, to separate documentation files from data files, for
instance, select the button Subdirectories. A new dialog box will
appear. Select New to add a subdirectory. Enter the directory
name in the field Subdirectory name. For example: 'DATA' if you
want a subdirectory named 'C:\MYSOFT\DATA'. It is important for
the subdirectory name not to be fully qualified, as the user may
override the default directory.
6
Chapter 4: Reference
In some very rare cases, you may find it necessary to create
directories outside the default main directory. In that case you
would provide a fully qualified directory name, for example:
'C:\BACKUP'. We strongly recommend that you use this feature
judiciously.
After you have added a subdirectory, it will be included in the
list of subdirectories. You may edit entries from that list by
selecting the button Edit or erase entries by selecting the button
Delete.
Configuration | Requirements
Select this menu option to provide the system requirements of your
program.
If your program requires a specific microprocessor class, use the
CPU radio button control to select the appropriate type. The
default is 8088, which means the program has no specific CPU
requirement.
Note: More advanced microprocessor types are considered as
meeting the requirement. For instance, if you select 80286, then
your program will run on computers equiped with an 80286 but also
on those with an 80386, 80486, or Pentium. It will not run on
8088-class computers.
Note: There is no option for 80486 CPUs or better because software
for those microprocessors will also run on computers equiped with
an 80386.
If your program requires a specific graphics card, use the Video
radio button control to select the appropriate type. The default
is No graphics for programs that run in text mode (most DOS
programs).
Note: Again, computers with better graphics capabilities than your
strict requirements will be able to run your program. For
instance, if you select EGA then computers with EGA, VGA and better
graphics will run your program while CGA systems will not.
If your program has special requirements like a math coprocessor, a
mouse or a joystick, use the Various checkbox control to indicate
these requirements. Check these items if your program absolutely
requires those equipments, as opposed to merely supports them.
You may indicate your program's memory requirements in the Base
(RAM), EMS and XMS fields, expressed in Kilobytes. For example:
'512'.
7
Chapter 4: Reference
If your program requires a minimum DOS version, you should specify
it in the DOS version field, as a whole number. For example: '330'
for DOS 3.3, or '500' for DOS 5.00.
If you check the box Abort if not satisfied, then the user will be
informed if his computer does not meet one or more of the system
requirements of your program (they will be listed), and the
installation will abort. If you do not check the box Abort if not
satisfied, then the user will be prompted before the installation
proceeds. For example:
'This program requires 512K RAM free. Do you want to continue?'
The user may choose to abort the installation or continue.
Note: If Abort if not satisfied is checked and Install is unable
to identify the graphics adapter present in the system, the user
will be asked if he/she wants to proceed with the installation
instead of aborting the installation right away, which would
prevent installation on a computer with a non-standard video card.
SuperInstall can detect and identify most graphics adapters,
however.
Configuration | Boot file modification
Select this menu option if your program requires modifications to
the user's CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files.
Enter the number of buffers required in the field Buffers and the
number of file handles required in the field Files. For example:
'20'. The default value is '0', which means no special
requirement.
If your program requires an environment variable to bet set, enter
it in the field Environment. For example: 'MYSOFT=/C /MD /G20'
would add the line 'SET MYSOFT=/C /MD /G20' to the user's
AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
Note: The command SET is added automatically. This is
particularly useful for programs which can obtain default
parameters from an environment variable.
If you want to add the directory where the program is installed to
the PATH statement, use the appropriate checkbox control to
indicate your desire.
Normally, the user will be prompted before those changes are made
to his/her configuration. In very rare cases you may want to force
those changes without prompting, use the appropriate checkbox
control to indicate your decision. This may be useful if your
program's market is beginners who would be confused by a question
about changes to CONFIG.SYS. It is often considered rude to make
8
Chapter 4: Reference
changes to the configuration files without the user's
authorization, so we strongly recommend that you use this feature
judiciously.
Note: Backup copies of the user's original CONFIG.SYS and
AUTOEXEC.BAT files will be preserved.
9
Chapter 4: Reference
Distribution | File selection
Select this menu option to indicate which files your program
consists of. These files will be included in the distribution set.
Select the New button to enter a file specification. You may enter
filenames individually, for example:
'C:\DEV\MYSOFT\PROGRAM.EXE'
or use wildcards like ? and/or * to include multiple files matching
a single file specification, for example:
'C:\DEV\MYSOFT\*.EXE'
Normally you will leave Destination as '\' because you want to
place these files in the main directory where the program is being
installed, on the user's computer. Or enter the subdirectory name
where you want the files installed instead, for example 'SAMPLE' to
install in 'C:\MYSOFT\SAMPLE\'.
You may enter a description for this file specification, in the
field Description. Currently this is for reference only, although
future versions of SuperInstall may use this information.
Use the radio button control to indicate how you want the files
being installed to be processed. You can choose to Always
overwrite files already on the system, Prompt the user before you
do so, or skip installation of files already on the system by
selecting Never. The default is to always overwrite files already
on the system.
If a file absolutely needs to be on the first disk, use the
checkbox First disk to indicate that fact. ReadMe files are an
example of such files that have to be on disk one. Those files
will not be compressed, so they should be small files and there
should be very few of them.
The files INSTALL.EXE, INSTALL.DAT, as well as INSTALL.PAL if
present, will be included on disk one automatically by SuperInstall
and you must not include them in this list of files.
You may edit a file specification by selecting the button Edit or
remove one by selecting the button Delete.
Note: You must make sure that the files specified exist, and are
located just where you indicate they are. Files that can't be
found by SuperInstall will be ignored.
10
Chapter 4: Reference
Distribution | Disk set configuration
Select this menu option to indicate for which diskette formats you
wish to create distribution sets. It may be your company's policy
not to offer 5 1/4" or low-density diskettes, for instance. Use
the checkbox controls to indicate which formats will be supported.
SuperInstall will create copies of the master disks on your hard
disk. Enter the name of the subdirectory where you want to create
those copies in the field Create in directory . If this directory
does not exist, it will be created. For example: 'C:\DIST\MYSOFT'.
Subdirectories will be created below it, for example:
'C:\DIST\MYSOFT\DSK72_1' for format 3 1/2" - 720K Disk 1.
Warning: If there are any files in this directory, outdated
distribution sets for instance, they will be deleted.
The directory for disk one will include the files INSTALL.EXE,
INSTALL.DAT, any files you selected to go on disk one (in
uncompressed form) and a compressed file named DISK1.BIN.
The directory for disk two (if required) will include DISK2.BIN,
while disk three (if required) will include DISK3.BIN...
You can have up to 99 disks.
Note: SuperInstall won't split files, so if one of the files
compresses to 400K, you can't use 5 1/4" - 360K disks for
distribution.
Distribution | Disk set creation
Select this menu option to create the distribution set(s) for the
disk format(s) you have selected.
11
Chapter 4: Reference
Options | Colors | Customize
Select this menu option to customize the colors used by
SuperInstall. The Colors dialog box appears.
The Group list box control on the left displays all groups of user
interface elements for which you can customize the colors. The
Item list box control presents the individual items part of that
group. Select the item you want to change.
Now select the foreground and background colors you want for that
item. As soon as you make a color selection, you will see it
reflected in the sample text window.
Choose OK to make the new colors active. You will probably want to
preserve the new color selections for future work sessions. Select
the menu option Options | Colors | Save palette to save the color
definitions.
Options | Colors | Load palette
Select this menu option to choose one of the color palettes you
already defined or one of those provided with SuperInstall. Select
the Preview button to see what the highlighted color palette looks
like. Select the OK button to make the color palette active, or
the Cancel button to exit without changing the color palette. The
active palette is saved in the file SINSTALL.PAL and is read
automatically when the program is run. If the file SINSTALL.PAL
does not exist, default colors will be used instead.
See File | Open for a detailed explanation of all commands
available in a similar dialog box.
Options | Colors | Save palette
Select this menu option to save a color definition. You will be
prompted for a filename. You may enter any valid DOS filename,
preferably with the '.PAL' extension. The Files window offers a
list of existing color palettes so you can enter a unique name.
Hint: You may also customize the colors used by the Install
program. Simply define a palette and save it under the name
'INSTALL.PAL', or copy an existing one to that name, for example:
COPY BLUE.PAL INSTALL.PAL [Enter]
12
Chapter 4: Reference
SuperInstall will include the file INSTALL.PAL in the distribution
set automatically and the program INSTALL.EXE will read it when it
is run by your customers.
13
Chapter 5: Miscellaneous
Chapter 5: Miscellaneous
How to Get Technical Support
Technical support is a benefit of registration. Logistral, Inc.
offers free unlimited technical support to all registered users.
Consequently, unregistered users receive only a bare minimum of
support and are not entitled to phone support at all. To obtain
technical support, please contact us at:
Fax: 418-285-0710
Compuserve: 70313,1071
Internet: pats@novalink.com
Logistral, Inc.
P.O. Box 483
Donnacona, Quebec
Canada, G0A 1T0
Tools of the Trade
This software was developed with Borland Pascal and the Turbo
Vision application framework from Borland International.
This manual was written with Word for Windows from Microsoft
Corporation.
14
