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From: dlyons@Apple.COM (David A. Lyons)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: What's so great about INSTALLER?
Message-ID: <43665@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 5 Aug 90 20:08:51 GMT
References: <4459UD182050@NDSUVM1> <43664@apple.Apple.COM>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 36

>In article <4459UD182050@NDSUVM1> UD182050@NDSUVM1.BITNET (Mike Aos) writes:
>I'll admit that I use it too, but I really don't understand what possible
>difference there is between copying the files, and telling the installer to
>do it....would someone please explain that to me?

If you're making an exact copy of an existing working system disk, there's
no problem as long as your copy utility gets both forks of extended files.

When you go *adding* stuff, though, the Installer knows not only what to
add in groups but what to *remove* for you from older versions of the
system software.


Matt D replied, in part:

>We didn't spend a lot of time writing the Installer and the scripts because
>it was a check-off item ("Oh, the system software must be good now.  It has an
>Installer.").  It's there because it's useful and needed.  Use it.

For the benefit of anybody who misread that first sentence on the first try
(like I did), it says Apple spent time creating an installer and scripts
because it's useful and needed, not because somebody decided "there has to
be an installer."


By the way, future improvements to the Installer are likely, and your
comments can be useful.  (Don't bother posting that it takes a -lot- of
disk swaps in certain popular configurations...we know already!)
-- 
David A. Lyons, Apple Computer, Inc.      |   DAL Systems
Apple II Developer Technical Support      |   P.O. Box 875
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My opinions are my own, not Apple's.