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From: drc@dbase.UUCP (Dennis Cohen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Installer 2.5 glitches
Message-ID: <269@dbase.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 21-Nov-87 12:31:06 EST
Article-I.D.: dbase.269
Posted: Sat Nov 21 12:31:06 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 23-Nov-87 05:52:46 EST
References: <18374@amdahl.amdahl.com> <174400075@uxc.cso.uiuc.edu> <34318@sun.uucp>
Organization: Ashton Tate Development Center Glendale Cal.
Lines: 33

In article <34318@sun.uucp>, chuq@plaid.Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) writes:
> 
> This may sound like a silly question, but why does anyone use the installer
> at all? Not that I don't trust it or anything, but I find it MUCH easier
> and faster to simply take a new System file and stick all my fonts and DA's
> in it instead of trying to take an old system file and mucking with it in
> some undefined way. (and once I get around to installing suitcase, I may
> never need to touch the system file again!).
> 
> I simply use the virgin Apple files, add my changes to them to build a 
> prototype system, and then install it in place. If you keep a list of what
> changes you make to the various files (for me, it's only fonts, da's, a 
> few fkeys and finder LAYO mods) it's much easier to just re-install them
> (and verify that you aren't hosing something out) than it is to try to 
> upgrade the system.
> 
> The installers nice, but why bother?

But, Chuq, what about people with SEs and IIs?  If you just take the virgin
files from the distribution disks you are getting a number of patches that are
not necessary (and could be less than desirable) whose sole raison d'etre is
to emulate capabilities that their newer hardware already provides.  There is
an advantage to your approach for people with a Plus (I've been known to use
it myself), but I don't and won't recommend it to people with an SE or a II.
I have both at the office and have actually encountered (but not pinpointed)
different behavior when following your suggestion on the II.  This is all
ignoring the point that it is wasteful of disk space.

Dennis Cohen
Ashton-Tate Glendale Development Center
dBASE Mac Development Team
--------------------------
Disclaimer:  I speak for me, not for my employer.