Windows Installation

[Jonathan Gardner]

I'm going to restate the problem because I don't think I was very clear in 
the first place. (I'm not being rude, I just don't think that it was very 
well put now that I read it again.)

My problem is:
I don't have a windows box. I can't afford a windows box. I can't even 
afford a Big Mac right now. I don't have access to a windows box. This is 
because I am a jobless programmer who is looking for work, writing free 
software in the meantime. (And it looks like more and more I am going to 
have to find a job in the local grocery store).

I run a free software project that is trying to keep things compatible with 
Windows and Linux. So that means I am in *deep trouble* because I can't 
test windows directly. BUT! I do have a few guys who run windows and do try 
stuff out very actively. Unfortunately, they can't code well enough to do 
this themselves.

My question is twofold:
1) Where do I go to find a neat free software (READ: No problems with GPL) 
windows installer (that works on all windows platforms)? I could work 
through this on the Linux box and then have the guys on windows try stuff 
out realtime for me.

2) Can someone on this list help me (by writing the installer for me?) 
[Note: this is a plea for help out of desperation].

Gerhard Häring wrote:
> Peter Hansen wrote in comp.lang.python:
>> Jonathan Gardner wrote:
>>> 
>>> I have a free software program (http://sf.net/projects/bttotalcontrol/)
>>> and I am having great difficulty writing an installation script for
>>> windows.
>>>
... 
>>> I am at a major disadvantage because I don't have access to a windows
>>> machine, and so I can't test anything directly. However, I do have a few
>>> people who actively test for the project at home.
>>> 
...
>> 
>> Why not find and use one of the several free installer programs, rather
>> than trying to write something from scratch yourself?
>>

Great idea. I'll do that. 
 
>> For example, try looking at google with "free windows installers" and
>> follow the first link you find.

To... http://www.wxwindows.org/technote/install.htm ? =)

I did try looking on google, and it looks like I have a choice between:

a) Windows Installer
b) WISE

None of which seem to be free. I remember a long time ago that there was a 
popular installer offering a free version for free software. Was I just 
seeing things or was that so?

> 
> NSIS rocks. But AFAIR his problem is that he doesn't have a Windows
> box to build the installer on.
> 

What is NSIS?

> The best solution to this problem is to give in and get a damn Windows
> box.  Even a virtual one with VMWare or Bochs will do. AFAIK Bochs can
> run at least Windows 95 and it even runs on non-x86 hardware.
> 

Bochs sounds cool, but I don't own a copy of Windows, nor do I plan on 
pirating a copy. However, in the meantime, I will dig around for an old Win 
95/98 disks that I can take from somebody who doesn't use it anymore (as 
this is perfectly legal).

Thanks for the suggestion.

Jonathan