[Python-Dev] [Python-3000] 2.6.1 and 3.0

[Giovanni Bajo]

On gio, 2008-11-27 at 00:29 +0100, "Martin v. Löwis" wrote:
> > So, deducing from your reply, this "merge module" is a thing that allows
> > to install the CRT (and other shared components)? 
> 
> Correct. More generally, a merge module is a something like an MSI
> library (.a). It includes a set of files and snippets of an installation
> procedure for them.

OK. One question: why CRT doesn't get installed as regular files near to
the python executable? That's how I usually ship it, but maybe Python
has some special need.

> > Another option is to contact the Advanced Installer vendor and ask for a
> > free license for the Python Software Foundation. This would mean that
> > everybody in the world would still be able to build an installer without
> > CRT, and only PSF would build the official one with CRT bundled. I
> > personally don't see this as a show-stopper (does anyone ever build
> > the .msi besides Martin?).
> 
> I personally don't have any interest to spend any time on an alternative
> technology. The current technology works fine for me, and I understand
> it fully. Everybody in the world is able to build an installer today,
> also. However, I won't stop anybody else from working a switch to a
> different technology, either.

I proposed an alternatives because I read you saying: "The tricky part
really is when it breaks (which it does more often than
not), in which case you need to understand msi.py, for which you need to
understand MSI". Which means that maybe everybody *has tools* to build
an installer today, but only a few people have the required knowledge to
really do releases on Windows.

So I believe that switching to an alternative that doesn't require full
understanding of MSI and msi.py would probably low the barrier and allow
more people to help you out.
-- 
Giovanni Bajo
Develer S.r.l.
http://www.develer.com