[Lazarus] Recommended install methods

[Graeme Geldenhuys]

On 2015-08-17 00:52, DougC wrote:
> Is there a similar (not any more complex) recommended way to handle
> Lazarus installs that allows for multiple versions to be
> simultaneously installed and used interchangeably?

When you say "multiple versions", do you mean a copy of Lazarus using
multiple versions of FPC, or do you mean multiple copies of Lazarus?

If you meant the first, the only thing you can do in Lazarus is to go to
"Tools » Options" and specify the full path to FPC and do a FPC Source
Rescan. Lazarus will remember the last few compiler paths, so when you
need to change them again, it will simply be a selection in the ComboBox.

If you meant the latter - multiple Lazarus copies - that is possible
too. Again, I never use any package managers for Lazarus, I simply
download and unpack the source code release and build Lazarus (normally
with the latest stable FPC) from the command line. Any subsequent
rebuilds, I'll do via the dialog inside Lazarus IDE itself. I install
the stable version into ~/devel/lazarus/ , and then use Git to checkout
the trunk one in ~/devel/lazarus-trunk/

On my desktop or window manager I would then setup two shortcuts to both
Lazarus executables. The stable one is just the path to "lazarus". For
the Trunk one I would setup the shortcut with the path to the unstable
lazarus, and specify the --pcp=<my_new_config_dir> so the unstable one
uses a different config directory to the stable one.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
  - Graeme -

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