Phil,
________________________________________
From: address@hidden address@hidden on behalf of Phil Holmes address@hidden
Sent: 24 June 2011 10:02
To: address@hidden
Subject: Windows/DOS PATH statement again
I normally install each new version of Lilypond as it's released. I never
uninstall the old version, since I use it for testing. As a result, my PATH
statement gets an increasing number of entries similar to: C:\Program Files
(x86)\LilyPondV2.14.0\usr\bin;C:\Program Files
(x86)\LilyPondV2.15.2\usr\bin.
This has two effects: running Lilypond from the command line (which I never
actually do) runs the oldest version, since it's first on the PATH
statement; and eventually the PATH entry becomes too long and most of it is
lost, stopping me running many DOS commands.
Question is: is this a bug in the install process? It doesn't particularly
worry me now, because I know about it and prune my PATH statement every now
and then. I presume (though I've not checked) that uninstalling lily also
nukes the extra PATH entry. But it seems to me that a new install _should_
over-write the PATH statement of a previous install. Anyone else think so?
-----------------------
No it isn't a bug.
It just depends on how the installer part is coded (at least from the limited
experience I have had with my own company's devs - we use installsheild)
If I install product A.0 and then an update comes along A.1, and the installer
allows an in-place update, then keep everything that A.0 had (assuming the PATH
is the same of course). If new version B.0 is released and there is no upgrade
path or the software developer decides A.x should be un-installed then the
installer should pop up 'Hey! You have version A.x installed you cannot install
or update to B.0 please un-install A.x first'.
What you do is not 'usual' so the installer is not coded to check for other
versions of LP and then deal with that accordingly.
As we don't set our paths to contain the version of LP as part of the PATH
(like .NET for instance - where each iteration of a full release has its own
separate PATH and files) then we run into this problem.
As far as I can tell for 'normal' use where someone installs, uninstalls and
installs the next version it all works.
But not if we keep installing new versions again and again.
I never presume to tell the devs things I know nothing about, but I *expect* we
could make a simple check for the PATH statement and not add a new one if it
already exists.
James
_______________________________________________