This document contains a brief summary of the changes made between Installer 4.0 and Installer 4.0.3. There are three sections to this document: Enhancements, Bug Fixes, and Known Bugs.
ENHANCEMENTS
• Using older scripts with a newer Installer is easier •
If the user opens a script with an ‘invs’ resource specifying an earlier Installer version we present the user with an option to open the script anyway. Previously, the Installer would refuse to open a script that was written for a specific version.
• Installer is now smaller •
We use a better resource compression algorithm, resulting in a smaller disk footprint for the Installer application.
• We now request AppDied apple events •
We now set use the acceptAppDiedEvents flag in our 'SIZE' ID -1 resource. This better supports scriptwriters that want to sub launch an application from the Installer and need the AppDied apple event to correctly handle errors.
BUG FIXES
• Added kQuitInstallerNow constant to SetupFunctionHeader.h file •
Developers noticed that we referenced the constant kQuitInstallerNow in our documentation but they couldn't find it declared anywhere.
• We no longer create empty family 'FONT' resources for compatbility •
We always created an empty family 'FONT' resource to provide compatibility with very old applications, but this caused problems for some newer applications.
• FONDs can now be encoded as 'iFND' resources •
When the scriptwriter compresses or splits the 'sfnt' and/or 'NFNT' resources into resources of a different type, the 'FOND' doesn't reference any valid font resources in the file and may cause our status dialog text to be drawn incorrectly. We solve this problem by encoding the 'FOND's data in a resource of type 'iFND' so the system can find it. The FONDEncoderTool included in the InstaCompOne SDK helps scriptwriters by converting ‘FOND’ resources to ‘iFND’ resources.
• Action Atoms now get system temp directory ID •
We were always passing -1 or 0 for the temp. dir ID to Action Atoms. We now pass the ID of the temp directory on the system volume, if it exists, otherwise it should be -1.
• Fixed Folder Atom/File Searching bug •
Sometimes the Easy or Custom rules would misfire after canceling or continuing after an installation when using the Folder Atoms and referencing target file specs from the Easy or Custom rules.
• We no longer orphan 'NFNT' and 'sfnt' resources whose IDs are less than 1024 •
We were leaving duplicate 'NFNT' and 'sfnt' resources after updating a font when the ID of the existing ‘NFNT’ or ‘sfnt’ had an ID of 1024 or smaller.
• Syntax error in ActionAtomCBGlue.c is now fixed •
Certain assignments in the MakeFSSpecFromFileSpecID() function in our file ActionAtomCBGlue.c were cast to the wrong type.
• Some found files were ignored when using a search proc with Rsrc Atoms •
When a Rsrc Atom used a search proc and found multiple files with the same name on the same volume the Installer ignored all but one.
• We no longer say unknown target disks are damaged •
Wording was changed from "The selected disk named “Macintosh HD” is damaged" to "The selected disk named “Macintosh HD” cannot be a destination disk". This made people using Novell networks concerned because they thought their server volumes were damaged.
• Nested comment lines (gray lines) in Custom Install now work •
Due to several problems, comment lines in Custom Install would not work. A small cosmetic bug remains when unchecking the child checkboxes individually after selecting them with the parent checkbox.
• Packages can now have empty parts lists •
We had required at least one atom in the package parts list, thereby creating bogus errors in ScriptCheck. The Installer no longer crashes in this situation.
• Disk space calculation is better •
The old ScriptCheck overestimated the size of each atom. This masked a bug in the Installer, where we would underestimate the actual disk space needed. This was most evident when copying fonts that are placed into separate target files, like we do in System 7.X Installer scripts, and when copying many small files that have both forks, like we do in System 7.5's LaserWriter 8 package. This problem was not obvious because the error message does not say the disk is full, which we also fixed.
• The full disk alert now says the disk is full •
If the Installer could not complete the installation because the target disk became too full we displayed a generic error alert. We now say the disk is full.
• Installing to a volume named the same as one of the installation disks now works •
If the user’s hard disk had the same name as one of your installation disks, the installation could not be completed until the user’s hard disk was renamed.
• We no longer create improper destination folders on the user’s disk •
If the user clicked Select Folder and choose another folder we created the default folder anyway. We no longer do this.
• Installer no longer says Atom Extender is low on memory in Installer Debugger •
Error messages would sometimes appear in the Installer Debugger saying that the Atom Extender didn’t have enough memory when it really did.
• Target DirID passed to external code resources is now reliable •
The target dirID passed to code resources, such as a Rule Function, was junk if the folder did not exist at the time. We now set this field to -1 if the folder does not exist or if no rule clause or atom references a file spec that has the 'folder-user' volume path.
• Modification dates are now set correctly •
Modification dates of files were being set to the current date and time after installation. We now preserve the modification dates whenever we can, and with the new format version 1 of the ‘intf’ resource, we allow the scriptwriter to set specify the Finder flags and target creation and modification dates.
• External code resource errors now propagated to user. •
Errors from some of our calls to external code resources for file searching, the setup function and others were ignored.
• A NULL handle passed back from file search procs no longer cause a crash •
The Installer would crash if the scriptwriter returned NULL in the fFoundFileArray field of the File Search parameter block.
• Status bar now more accurate for ResMerge Atoms •
The status bar never moved for ResMerge Atom reads.
• RM and File Atoms no longer accidentally delete the data fork of the target file •
When we were saving the original file, we accidentally forgot to mark it to be copied back to the original location. This would cause the file to lose its data fork in specific low disk space situations.
• I/O errors on file reads no longer cause a hang •
A bug caused an error from the File Atom read to be ignored, causing a hang.
• File Sharing no longer causes problems when deleting files •
In some situations, we reported that the Installer couldn’t delete the file, but it worked the second time. This was due to an old File Sharing bug and we now compensate for this.
KNOWN BUGS
• When installing onto a UNIX volume the Installer may miscalculate the required disk space needed •
This problem is mostly likely to occur with scripts that allow the user to specify the destination folder. The Installer assumes the UNIX volume is only one hard disk and does not account for the fact that directories may actually be located on a separate hard disk.
Workaround: If the Installer runs out of disk space during the installation the process is stopped. Ask the user to delete files from the directory into which files or resources are being installed.
• Numerous Disk Swaps required if Installer Script, active System Folder, and target disk are on seperate floppy diskettes •
Workaround: Ask the user to have patience. The Installer will install correctly, but requires information from floppy disk that is not in a drive, and therefore requires the disk to be inserted to continue.
• Custom Icons for folders are not displayed correctly after installation •
The invisible "Icon\n" file containing the Custom Icon is correctly copied during installation, but the Custom Icon bit in the Finder Attributes flags for the target folder is not set correctly when installing the "Icon\n" file by Folder Merge atom ('infm') or by file atom ('infa').
Workaround: Use an action atom to set the Custom Icon bit of the target folder's Finder Attributes flags.
• Global Rules Framework does not function as advertised •
The Global Rules framework is supposed to support use of Custom Rule Clauses ( ones that reference code resources ), use of AddPackages{}, AddUserDescription{} and AddCustomItems{} rule clauses; but these rule clauses do not always function as expected.
Workaround: Avoid rule functions that call code resources or modify the Easy or Custom package lists, or modify the Easy Install description from within the Global Framework. Use the Global Framework for calling non-code resource rule clauses, and for setting and checking assertions. Use the Custom Framework for modifying the Custom Install package list, and use Easy Install Framework for modifying the Easy Install package list or the Easy Install description.
• Extra Disk Swaps required when no file is installed from the first install disk •
If you create an installation set that does not install any files from the first installation disk ( the one containing the Installer and the Installer Script ), several extra disk swaps may be required from the user. Other than the extra "unneeded" disk swap, the installation is performed "normally". This situation does not apply during Custom Remove; it only applies to Custom Install and Easy Install.
Workaround: Make sure that every Easy and Custom Install scenario installs at least one file from the first installation disk.
