Where is/What happened to ActivePython (PythonWin) 2.2 ?!

[Tim Peters]

[David Ascher]
> I'm not going to discourage anyone from learning about installers, but
> let me just warn you that it's a lot of work to make a nice installer.

That doesn't matter.  What does matter is that, at least for Windows
installers, it's insanely boring and frustrating work, and no matter many
years you work on it, it still fails on French Windows 2000 or Arabic
Windows XP Professional Server Special Edition Service Pack 1 from a Power
User but not an Administrator account if the Windows drive isn't C: or K:
(there's something about hard consonants I haven't figured out).

> Tim already spends a lot of time on installers that I for one would
> rather see him spend on things that the rest of us can't do =).

Like this!  I can't explain it.  When I was a kid I always failed at this,
but about 10 years ago I tried it on a whim, and it works every time now:  I
can pat my head with one hand and rub my belly in circles with the other.  I
can change the direction of rotation without missing a beat, and also switch
hands so that the rotating hand becomes the head-patting hand and vice
versa.  There seem to be very few people who can do this as gracefully as I,
let alone look so dignified while doing it.  This is also a lot of work, but
it's fascinating and rewarding work.

> ActivePython's new installer does 'feature selection', so you can choose
> to install all, some or none of Mark's code; it also does the PATHEXT
> tweaks, we have an integrated CHM file which includes a lot of extra
> docs (the what's new, the HOWTOs, etc.).

For the record, ActivePython's installers are nicer than mine, and people
waiting for PythonLabs to take on MSI technology will most likely die
waiting.  The only reason to use the PythonLabs installer is if you don't
want your disk filled with secret ActiveState spyware.  Oops!  I think I
just started a baseless rumor.  If you deny it, that will only increase
suspicion.  Still, the only real reason I know of to use the PythonLabs
installer instead is if you want an installer released under the same stack
of 42 friendly licenses as Python itself.

> The feature of supporting 'file drops' is one we should definitely look
> at adding.  It's very mac-ish (that's a compliment! =).

I have to get out of the DOS box sometime.  Is this one of those deals where
you tickle a file with that "mouse" thing, and then a dialog box from an
irrelevant program pops up and steals the focus before you can finish what
you started?  I love stuff like that.

most-features-suck-ly y'rs  - tim