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Re: Cross Platfrom installer

To: realbasic-nug at lists dot realsoftware dot com
Subject: Re: Cross Platfrom installer
From: Brendan Murphy <bmurf at comcast dot net>
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 20:21:25 -0600
Delivered-to: realbasic-nug at lists dot realsoftware dot com
References: <20060131014829 dot 369B410A2099 at lists dot realsoftware dot com>
Lynn Fredricks wrote:
I have used Inosetup before but I like to know if there is an
installer for both Win and Mac and even Linux systems.

Well, Mac users don't like installers. So my suggestion would
be to create a .dmg archive for your Mac version.

I think this is a dangerous assumption. There are people who only work on macs who love .dmg files, but I also know many who use both Mac and Windows
who don't.

I used to see the point of disk images back when I needed to make complete
floppy disk images. Why are the necessary now?

Dmg files have the cosmetic advantage of being able to make the
the files appear exactly as you want them to when the dmg is
mounted. You only need an installer on the Mac if you have to
place files in special locations or do some kind of copy
protection through the installer.

One of the reasons Mac people hate installers is because it is
putting files is locations where they will never remember to look
when uninstalling the software. Unlike Windows, Apple never
institutionalized uninstallers because it was never needed.

Dmg files also avoid the problem with stuffit archives (version
8.0) and Mach-0 applications with setting permissions incorrectly.
Every once and a while I get someone tripping over this problem.
Yet I use stuffit archive format since it is a one step process to
make them, whereas making a dmg is a little more involved. Ease of
use is the big factor for me.

If you are really fussy about how your software is presented, then
dmg files are the way to go.

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