[Distutils] how to easily consume just the parts of eggs that are good for you

[Stanley A. Klein]

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

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

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