Am 09.05.2011 20:03, schrieb Joost Verburg:
1. the installer doesn't recognize if Ghostscript is already installed
2. the installer doesn't recognize if Python is already installed
3. the installer doesn't recognize if Imagemagick is already installed
For computers where these are installed, we unnecessarily take 42 MB of disk
space.
In my opinion it's better to bundle a tested combination of these tools with
LyX. There's no way to
test all possible combinations of Python/ImageMagick/Ghostscript versions and
to ensure they work
well together and with LyX.
Also note that I don't just install the standard binaries. They are customized
portable version
which don't need administrator privileges.
Ah, I wasn't aware of this.
Did you sent them also to the Ghostscript and Python developers? I guess they are interested in this
feature too.
For Imagemagick I already do the same.
Fine with me when people accept that LyX doesn't check for existing installations of Ghostscript and
Python.
5. The latest version of the metafile2eps printer gives an error message when
it is first used:
When I compile a LyX file containing a wmf-image, I get the error message that
the printer could
not be successfully be initialized. For all further uses of the printer, I
don't get this error.
However, the WMF-image is still rotated by 90° in the output, so that
WMF-images can still not be
used for real-life documents. I can send you a LyX test file showing the
problematic.
I tried to resolve the known issues in the new 2.0 version of the Metafile 2
EPS converter.
Apparently there's still a compatibility issue with some Windows versions.
Because of the use of the
Postscript printer drivers, compatibility is always a difficult thing with this
tool. What Windows
version are you using?
Win XP 64bit. I have also a Win 7 machine, but didn't test LyX 2.0 there yet.
7. It is not possible to select the LyX GUI-language in the installer. My
installer provides this
feature, because it was once often requested.
This setting is also in the LyX preferences. We can duplicate it in the
installer if you want. My
main concern was having to maintain an additional list of supported languages.
Well, this work is already done. All that we have to do is to add a new string in the file
io_ui_language.ini and in LanguageSettings.nsh (see the versions of these files that are on SVN).
Yes, the user can also do this in the preferences, but I implemented this feature on request. There
were users that want to have e.g. a French LyX on e.g. a Swedish Windows. Without the installer
option, LyX will be started the first time in Swedish making it difficult for the user to switch to
the language he can understand.
This might happen on research institutes with a lot of foreign students, but also with some Win Xp
versions. I can for example set the menu language of my Win XP 64bit (which is in fact Win2003) to
French, but it will still be recognized as a German Windows.
So this feature doesn't harm, but is a service to our users.
8. The installer doesn't ask the user to update MiKTeX. This is an important
feature, because many
of the problems discussed at lyx-users mailing list are the consequence of a
bug in LaTeX-packages
or MiKTeX. By asking to update MiKTeX, we assure that MiKTeX is updated from
time t tome. Since I
implemented this in my installer, the number of bug reports/questions at the
mailing lists could
be reduced.
Sure, should be easy to do. Perhaps a checkbox on the finish page?
I pop up a windows asking the user.
Btw., can you please check out my complete installer for LyX 1.6.10? This way we can better discuss
what I mean as you then have seen it in action.
9. The installer doesn't allow to decide if the new LyX version should be
associated with the
*.lyx file extension. This is a useful feature if conservative users still want
to open
*.lyx-files with LyX 1.6.10 and not 2.0. (for example if they are working on
important LyX
documents that they begun with LyX 1.6.x.
Perhaps this could be added to LyX itself? So people can change it afterwards
without having to
reinstall?
In my opinion this should be done by the installer. The users shouldn't be forced to read the manual
where in the preferences he can find this. At installation time, we have to register *.lyx anyway
and having a checkbox in the installer is much easier to do that.
If Users later want to change the file associations, they can at any time do this comfortably via
the Windows folder options (no need to have admin privileges).
11. When installing LyX the first time, and therefore also MiKTeX is installed
the first time, the
configure.py file should be run in a console window. This is very important
because the first
installation will install more than 50 LaTeX-packages and take approximately
half an hour. In the
console window the user can see that there is some progress. Without this
information, many users
will kill the install process because they think it hung up.
What exactly do you mean? The installers already prints a message saying this
should take a long
time. And there's a "Show details" button.
This works here only when MiKTeX is already installed, but not when install MiKTeX together with
LyX. Maybe something is misconfigured here, so I'll recheck this tomorrow.
12. We should not ship all hunspell dictionaries. Currently we install 200 MB
of only these
dictionaries. Nobody needs them all. We should there fore only install by
default the dictionaries
of the system language and English. The installer should have a page where the
users can select
additional dictionaries. My installer contains such a method for Aspell. As you
know, I have been
in south america and noticed that Internet a good connection speed is a
rareness. Saving 180 MB of
disk space and about 40 MB of the installer size would be a big advantage for
many users.
I think having to keep the installer around to be able to add languages is not
a good thing.
Why not? The installer of Inkscape does this and some other programs as well. They do it in a
separate installer page where the user can select what languages he prefers. This is simple and
saves a lot of download space.
Ideally
perhaps we would install a little app to download dictionaries? I don't have
time to work on this
now but it's something we could look into in the future.
I already do this for Aspell in my installer. I install automatically the dictionaries for English
and the Windows GUI-language from the Internet. If the user wants more dictionaries, he can download
it by himself. Setting up an installer page where the users can select the dictionaries should not
be a problem.
13. It was often requested that the complete installer, installs everything
that is necessary to
have a complete LaTeX-setup. I therefore also provide JabRef. If the user use
my complete
installer, they uncheck JabRef, if they like, This way they are informed about
this program and
what it is for. This has been proven useful, especially for new users. I
therefore want to have
this feature in the new installer.
I don't have a strong opinion on this. Let's see what people think about it.
They once requested it, that#s why I implemented it.
What do you think? Can/should I go forward to implement this? Can I count on
your support in doing
this?
Feel free to add features to the installer after discussing it here! I can also
help you with this.
Thanks.
For now, please don't directly commit things to the installer. I need to learn how the installer
works and therefore looking at the patches before would help me more at the moment. I also need to
play with the code by myself. If you just implement the features, I won't learn the code.
For the features I implement, I will sent you a patch in any case and not
commit anything directly.
Btw. we also need something like this:
http://www.lyx.org/trac/export/38683/lyx-devel/branches/BRANCH_1_6_X/development/Win32/packaging/AltInstaller/informations/InstallerStructure.pdf
This helps us to keep an overview about the structure. (I once drawed this scheme on request after a
discussion on the lyx-devel list.)
How do you install hunspell. I cannot find it in the installer code. I'm
interested because when
LyX 2.0 is installed, I only get hunspell as spell engine. When I install LyX
2.0 with my
installer I still only get Aspell. I'm asking because I think it is a good idea
to be able to use
both, Aspell and hunspell. At many systems Aspell is already installed because
of LyX 1.6.x and
prior. For example, I wrote my PhD-thesis with LyX 1.6.x and therefore have
trained Aspell a lot
to understand the special words of physics. I therefore don't want to be forced
to train hunspell
again when a well-trained Aspell is already available on my system.
LyX is linked to the Hunspell DLL.
This doesn't work for me. I have the dll in the build folder, but when compiling LyX, it is not
linked to hunspell. Do you have a special configuration of Cmake? Do I need to put the hunspell dll
in a special folder?
Previously I had to maintain our own Windows port because Aspell itself doesn't
provide it. Also the
dictionary updates etc. required a lot of maintenance. I don't plan to continue
supporting Aspell
now we have Hunspell which works much better.
Me neither. I'm happy that Aspell is gone.
regards Uwe
