[lazarus] New Install for Win32 FreePascal

[michael at tfdec1.fys.kuleuven.ac.be]

On Fri, 16 Jul 1999, Michael A. Hess wrote:

> Michael Van Canneyt wrote:
> > 
> > > What generates this link.res file and can we get it to use convert
> > > to use the short file names? Onces this is fixed it will be possible
> > > to install Free Pascal anyplace on your machine.
> > 
> > The compiler generates this file for the linker. I do not know
> > if the linker supports this.
> 
> It doesn't, that is the problem. I would like to see the compiler
> generate the file with short names.

If the linker doesn't support it, the compiler can generate what it wants,
if the linker doesn't eat it, you're stuck.

>  
> > Simply suggest c:\pp as the standard directory.
> 
> I can do that but as you have just stated that is all I can do,
> 'suggest'.
> 
> > Why would you install Free Pascal under Program files ?
> 
> Well....I guess.....because it's a program. Gee, that is where Delphi
> is, Builder is, Java is, etc.etc.etc. Why wouldn't FPC be there????

There are actually 3 directories in my program files dir:

- Borland Shared\BDE             (for the BDE)
- Commone Files\Microsoft shared (DAO and so on)
- Windows NT                     (Wordpad and pinball)

And only because I cound't configure it it go somewhere else.
All the rest is somewhere else.

> 
> > It will be a pain to use, don't forget this is a command-line tool !
> 
> Maybe to you it is. FPIDE already exists to use FPC as a GUI tool and as
> soon as Lazarus is further along it will also be a GUI tool.

Just keep in mind the linker problem :-)

> 
> > If you ever tried to run a command that resides under program files
> > from the prompt, you'll know what I mean.
> 
> If you look at the way Cliff (and now myself) have setup the
> distrubution it uses batch files so that it can be run right from
> Explorer no command line needed, at least as far as the user can tell.

If you touch autoexec.bat to accomplish this, it won't work on NT.
(-  just a reminder, I have experience with weird setups :(  -)

>  
> > > Any easy solutions so that I can distrbute this installer today?
> 
> I can suggest that for now but that is not an acceptable solution.
>  
> > No easy ones, except not installing it there.
> > (
> > you should be banned from the programmer's society for doing so
> > in the first place, in my opinion :)
> > )
> 
> Why??????
> 
> Whether I put it there or you put it there, or whether we think it
> should be there or not, SOMEBODY is going to WANT to put it there. FPC
> better be able to handle it.

Nothing I can say against that :-) 

The problem is not FPC, it doesn't mind spaces. the problem is the linker. 
I will see what I can do. Normally, putting a \ in front of a space 
should do the trick. Could you test that please ? I am not under NT at the 
moment, and won't be accessing it till monday. If you test it, I can apply
a fix tonight !

Michael.