[Zope-dev] Re: Windows Installer Nice-to-have

[Lennart Regebro]

On Zope windows installers.

First of all, I only use Zope on windows intermittently nowadays
(although it was what I used most of the time a coupl of years ago).
So feel free to ignore anything I say.


1a. I really hate the C:\Python24 install. Zope should by default
install in the program files directory, debunked myth or not. On
closer though, lets de-debunk (rebunk?) that: ;-)

> Python, Lotus Notes and, perhaps most tellingly, IIS and Microsoft's
> other server offerings, don't install themselves in Program Files, they
> create their own top level directory.

Python, I'm told, does it because of some earlier stupidity of not
working when installed in a directory with a space in it. Notes does
it because it's been installed in C:\Notes since Windows 3. Why
Microsoft does it is beyond me, but it's not like I feel any great
confidence in Microsoft doing server-things correctly. There is
nothing especially "stupid" with installing stuff in program files,
and it's no more stupid than installing them in /usr/bin instead of in
/. Polluting C:\ is bad and annoying.

If you, as a server admin, doesn't want to install Zope in Program
Files, but have some opinon on where it should be installed, it's
actually just as unlikely that you want to install it in C:\.
C:\Zope-whatevah is pretty much the most unlikely place to install it
at all no matter if you do it to test Zope or if you do it to make a
production install.

Hence, running on an english windows the default directory to install
Zope in should be C:\Program Files\Zope-something. I wouldn't mind
C:\Program Files\Zope\2.10.0 and C:\Program
Files\Zope\Name-of-instance.


2. It would be great if you could get a list of compatible Python
versions to select, or install one, in the directory above. If that's
too much work, installing a installation unique python version is a
better option, as that's most likely the best option for a production
server.