[Python-Dev] VC 7.1 maintenance?

Tim Peters tim.peters at gmail.com
Fri Jul 2 01:57:30 CEST 2004


[Thomas Heller]
> I was asking because I'm not sure if there will be problems with Windows
> file system protection with non-MSI installers.

I doubt it, and Python doesn't try to replace system files anyway. 
The Zope 2.7, Z4I and ZRS Windows installers are all written with
InnoSetup, and nobody has reported problems with them; two of those
include their own Python and win32all installations; I've tried all
those myself on Win98SE, Win2K, and WinXP Pro.

It's possible (don't know) that InnoSetup doesn't play "correctly"
with XP system restore points.  MSI does.  I've found restore points
to be an essentially useless feature, so I don't really care about
that.

If it were up to me (and it's certainly not!), I'd go with MSI at this
point.  I don't know how to drive that either, and am an
advanced-level InnoSetup hacker, so that's not a self-serving position
<wink>.  The thing is that MSI is certain to play well with all
Windows gimmicks (like Group Policy, install-on-demand, restore
points, whatever new nightmares XP SP2 unleashes, etc), and free tools
to make it palatable are appearing.  For example, I've been told (but
don't know) that this one is worth its weight in electrons:

   http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~dbareis/makemsi.htm



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