[Lazarus-other] Install and upgrade situation

[Doug Chamberlin]

I've been watching the Lazarus and FPC mailing list for about a year,
trying to decide whether to give these fine systems a go. But every time
I get close to seriously trying them out I shy away. That is because I
see a new raft of messages telling stories of how an installation and/or
upgrade failed for some inexplicable reason. I just don't need that kind
of hassle in my life.

Sometimes it is a simple install that results in a configuration that
cannot compile a simple demo program. Sometimes it is an attempt to
upgrade to a new compiler that results in previously working programs
failing to compile. The description given usually seems like the person
did a reasonable thing but they nevertheless end up with an error that
they cannot explain and cannot easily fix.

The regularity of these types of messages is a phenomenon in itself. I
cannot myself judge whether these are unusual results. I wonder how many
people download the packages, install, and go on their merry way with no
problems.

So, I'm asking everyone to discuss this a bit so we can develop an
understanding of what is going on here. I'm not criticizing the current
way of doing things and I don't want to jump right to "solutions" to
specific favorite annoyances. Rather I'd like to assess the overall
situation and determine where the problems lie.

Is the build system flawed? Is the installation procedure flawed? Are
the upgrade procedures flawed?

Is the documentation for all the above flawed?

Are the main problems specific to certain platforms?

Would it be a worthwhile goal be to make the install and upgrade
procedures simpler? Are they already as simple as they can be?

Are there more problems with Lazarus than for FPC itself? Could improved
integration of Lazarus and FPC help?

Does the core team think the situation is "not all that bad"? (I often
get that impression.)

Is there already an effort planned or underway to improve things? (I
have not seen one beyond a couple of individuals making their own
installer.)

What do you think?