On Wed, April 9, 2008 4:27 pm, distutils-sig-request@python.org wrote:

Message: 5 Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 21:21:09 +0100 From: Floris Bruynooghe <floris.bruynooghe@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [Distutils] how to easily consume just the parts of eggs that are good for you To: distutils-sig@python.org

On Wed, Apr 09, 2008 at 02:26:31PM -0400, Stanley A. Klein wrote:

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I don't know what Windows add/remove programs function does, but all it might do is to run the executable to install packages and record the installation (as was previously done by third party programs) to facilitate clean removal. Unless you can perform more of the other functions I listed above, I doubt I would call add/remove a package manager.

Ugh, you have yet to discover the horrors/wonders of MSI (I wish I was as naive as you here!). A properly installed windows program will install using an MSI database, registering each file, registry setting etc. Often a setup.exe will still interface with the MSI database in the background (they should, there's a C API for it too). MSI will even do stuff like reference counting how many programs need a certain file (in case you have something installed in a shared directory), figure out what to do on conflict etc. They have many anc complicated rules, options and features.

As far as I am concerned MSI (and thus Add/Remove Programs) can be treated as a package manager in windows.

I have 3 desktops and a laptop. They are all at least dual boot. One of the systems on each machine is Windows. All the others are Linux, including Fedora 7, Fedora Core 5, Ubuntu 7, or CENTOS 5 in some combination on each machine. My greatest use of Windows is at tax time, because the good tax programs aren't released for Linux. I also have a mid-1990's version of QuickBooks that I still use. Aside from those applications, my use of Windows is sporadic at best, maybe a few times every few months. I do everything else in Linux. My exposure to Windows is minimal, so my exposure to MSI is even less. I wouldn't call it naivete. I just don't do Windows. :-) Stan Klein