[Python-bugs-list] [ python-Bugs-416824 ] Python 2.1 installer freezes on Win 2000
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noreply@sourceforge.net
Wed, 25 Apr 2001 07:57:33 -0700
Bugs item #416824, was updated on 2001-04-17 13:27
You can respond by visiting:
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Category: Windows
Group: Platform-specific
Status: Open
Resolution: None
Priority: 5
Submitted By: Xavier Lagraula (xlagraula)
Assigned to: Tim Peters (tim_one)
Summary: Python 2.1 installer freezes on Win 2000
Initial Comment:
My aim is to install Python 2.1 on a Windows 2000
Professionnal (French) workstation.
The windows intaller works well until it show the
screen where one can choose which parts of the product
one wants to install (third window).
If one hit the "next" button without touching anything
else, the installer will definitively freeze. Trying
to stop it using the pop-up menu in the task bar will
result in a few seconds pause, followed by an error
window telling that the 16-bit subsystem has not
answered in time to the stop request. The possibility
is then given to kill it, eventually leaving the 16
bit subsystem unstable.
I tried to download the installer from both the main
site and sourceforge, to check if it came from a
corrupted file. Same result.
The workaround is simple: just uncheck at least one of
the check boxes, click "next", it won't freeze. Now
click "back", re-check the check boxe, click "next"
and... tada! It won't freeze neither. Now you can go
on installing the whole package. Haven't thoroughly
tested it yet, but seems to be working fine.
This problem is not really serious as one can easily
bypass it, and as it doesn't involve the langage or
the interpreter themselves. Nevertheless, it IS a
bug...
Regards,
Xavier
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>Comment By: Xavier Lagraula (xlagraula)
Date: 2001-04-25 07:57
Message:
Logged In: YES
user_id=198402
Well, it is not a bugfix, but a solution is to use the
ActivePython distribution instead, as suggested by tim_one
(cf. #418156). Even after managing to work around the
problem of the first distribution (as I've said), I tried
to install it on my win2k workstation (sheer curiosity) and
it worked without problem.
It comes as a .msi file, the new standard. You may need to
download the installer on microsoft.com. Everything is
explained on the ActiveState web site:
http://www.activestate.com/ASPN/Downloads/ActivePython/
I'll soon have a look at the availability of this msi
format: if the old version of the Wise Solution installer
starts to make problems, we might as well start to look for
a replacement.
--
Xavier
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Comment By: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody)
Date: 2001-04-18 15:30
Message:
Logged In: NO
In case it helps, I've got a win2k pro workstation, 128MB
ram, and it also hangs on the same page during the
installation. Oh, and the workaround you mentioned did not
work for me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Comment By: Tim Peters (tim_one)
Date: 2001-04-18 11:41
Message:
Logged In: YES
user_id=31435
It's fine that you were logged in as an Administrator.
Indeed, things probably have the *best* chance of working
then.
Please note that we didn't write the installer code: the
Wise installer is a commercial product, which they kindly
let Python use for free:
http://www.wisesolutions.com/
We have no access to the source code, either. So if you
*do*, for example, find evidence of an uninitialized
variable, there's nothing we can do about it. Alas, I
doubt Wise will do anything about it either, as the version
of the product we're using is over 5 years old (and looks
like they stopped supporting it a few years ago).
OTOH, the Windows installer is used many thousands of
times, and this is the only freeze report we've seen. If
we don't see another, the presumption still has to favor
that there's something flaky about your particular machine.
BTW, I've never tried it on a machine w/ 512Mb of RAM, so
perhaps that is relevant. Have tried it on machines w/
256Mb.
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Comment By: Xavier Lagraula (xlagraula)
Date: 2001-04-18 05:31
Message:
Logged In: YES
user_id=198402
To answer your question: I was logged using the
Administrator account ("Administrateur", in fact, on a
french box). Like most of the time, because many software
which are not specifically written for NT won't run
correctly without it. I know this is bad but what else can
I do?
Anyway I don't have access to another french win2k box. All
I can do is give you spécific information about my computer:
- PII 400 - 512Mo of PC133 SDRAM
- Asus MB - P3 BF
- Video: GeForce 256 DDR (Hercules) / Hauppauge WinTV
- Sound: SB Live Player!
- Network: 2 SN3200 (PCI, ethernet 10Mbps, ne2000
compatible)
- SCSI: Diamond Fireport 40 / CDROM x32 (plextor) / CD
burner (ricoh MP6200s)
- Win2k french SP1 + IE 5.5
- mysql: latest stable version + MyODBC drivers
- apache: latest stable version + PHP
- naviscope (web proxy/dns cache)
- net vampire: v4.0 beta
- ICQ 2000b
- all drivers were up to date 3 weeks ago.
Still, I believe that those symptoms look either like a
uninitialized variable or a faulty pointer, such bugs that
can remain hidden except under very specific "context-
specific" circumstances. (Un)checking one of the check
boxes, by forcing a value in the variable or by allocating
a memory block would correct the problem and allow the user
to go on with the installation.
If I can reproduce the bug this evening, I'll try to see if
the installer eats all CPU while freezed. Could give a clue
about what's really happenning. I may also try removing
256Mo of RAM to verify my "pointer hypothesis" (if it makes
the bug impossible to reproduce, then it has something to
do with memory allocation. Crude method but quite useful
sometimes).
Regards,
Xavier
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Comment By: Tim Peters (tim_one)
Date: 2001-04-18 02:47
Message:
Logged In: YES
user_id=31435
This is the only freeze report we've seen for Win2K.
Did you do something bizarre <wink>? For example, we've
had one-of-a-kind reports from people in the past who tried
to install on NT or Win2K while logged in to a Restricted
User account. Were you? Or were you logged in to an
Administrator account? Or were you logged in as something
in between?
Could you try it on another Win2K (French) box? We have a
poor track record when it comes to fixing Microsoft's bugs
for them, and in the absence of more info I have to assume
it's a bug unique to the specific box you used.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can respond by visiting:
http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=105470&aid=416824&group_id=5470