[Python-Dev] New Windows installer for Python 3.5

[Glenn Linderman]

General comments:

I was a bit concerned when Steve first posted his plans for the Windows 
installer and making a web installer forcing re-downloads for every 
install, and expressed those privately. I'm no longer concerned, this 
outlined scheme is good, but I have some suggestions to make it great :)

With these other options available, if the web installer can do the 
/layout, especially from a checkbox, I'd almost be tempted to agree that 
the 20MB installers wouldn't be needed.

But here's another idea:  automatically keep all the .msi and .cab files 
used for the first installation of Python with it in the directory from 
which it runs (naming convention... prefix them all with 
python-3.5.0a1.<stuff>.(msi|cab)  It is very likely that a reinstall 
will use the same components (if more are needed on a later install, add 
them to the directory also).  And a good naming convention makes it 
obvious what to delete when done with the installer.

And a related idea: on the first install page, have a check box 
"download all installation components", that would do that, even if they 
are not used, and even if either of the one-click installs are chosen.

And a related idea: for custom installs, record the choices made in a 
metadata file in that same directory, and after the first install, 
subsequent installs could have a 3rd single-click install: same custom 
install as last time.  This would be kept in the directory with the 
installer, so could be applied to a zillion machines, and an install 
option /ditto would allow those choices from the command line. That way, 
the administrator could use the friendly interface to install the first 
machine, making the appropriate choices, and then just run 
"python-3.5.0a1.exe /ditto" on all the other zillion-1 machines, without 
needing to learn any other obscure command line parameters. I don't care 
how you spell /ditto, as long as there is documentation.

Regarding /layout, to me, that name has no mnemonic meaning of "download 
all these installation components and save them". Documentation could 
provide that, of course, but choosing a name like /download might be 
nicer.  Saving to the same directory as the installer lives in seems 
easier than needing to specify a directory... the documentation can warn 
that users of the option should put the web installer in the desired, 
shared or private, installation directory prior to running the option...

On 1/3/2015 4:16 PM, Antoine Pitrou wrote:
> One comment: I would find it a bit confusing if the default install
> path changes when using the customized install. OTOH, maybe you can't
> choose another default there.

This could be cured by defaulting to either the new or old install 
location, or to a blank box, and having a couple buttons to "set install 
location to C:\Python35" or "set install location to "C:\Program 
Files....", as well as the browse button and the option to type into the 
box.

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