From:	Kbwms AT aol DOT com
Message-ID:	<ab9210eb.2443acf8@aol.com>
Date:	Mon, 12 Apr 1999 16:09:28 EDT
Subject:	Re: LBInstDJ
To:	broeker AT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de (Hans-Bernhard Broeker)
CC:	djgpp-workers AT delorie DOT com
MIME-Version:	1.0
X-Mailer:	AOL 3.0 16-bit for Windows sub 38
Reply-To:	djgpp-workers AT delorie DOT com

Dear Hans-Bernhard Broeker,

On 04-12-99 at 14:15:32 EST you wrote:
>
> > OK, now about multiconfiguration...
>
> > 1) If user knows how to setup multiconfigurations, he will be able to
> > install DJGPP by himself.
>
> Correct. Actually, I think you should be *extremely* careful editing
> autoexec in any kind of automatic way. There's good reason almost
> no commercial installer tries to do that.
>

There was a time when installers did so.  Several lawsuits prompted
changes in attitude and policy.  Only the foolhardy continue.

> My recommendation would be: copy autoexec.bat, change the *copy*, and
> ask the user to manually
> a) check the changes thoroughly
> b) move to the new version if all's well, backing up the previous one.


I agree.


> Or at least show all changes to be made, *before* actually changing
> autoexec.bat, and only if the user says they're OK, do them. If he says,
> no write an edited copy so he has something to start off from when doing
> the changes manually.
>

I find it a chilling prospect that we would propose making automatic
changes to autoexec.bat.  I, for one, have two safeguards:

    1) My autoexec.bat is a read-only file (as is config.sys).

       What is planned in this case?

    2) The lion's share of my work is done in a shell like Bash called
       KornShell.  The proposed changes will never be seen.

       How will I find out what changes need to be made to my path
       variable in KornShell?

> > 3) For multi-confs my idea is:
> >      * Read from config.sys all configuration names and their descriptions
>
> It's probably wisest to just give up immediately when multiple
> configurations are detected.
>

There are entirely too many things that can go wrong with a system like
the one proposed.  It is far safer to write the new autoexec.bat to a
disk file and annotate the changes.  Let the user take over from there.

It is through bitter experience that I warn of the unknown dangers that
lurk out there.  There is simply nothing to be gained by venturing into
uncharted waters by changing a critical device like autoexec.bat.  It is
better to tell the user what has to be done and let it go at that.

K.B. Williams

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