Garance Drosehn (12/27/87)
I also used the installer scripts for the new system, despite
the bad press I've heard about them. As far as I can tell, I
didn't have any problems due to the installer scripts (I've
been running on the new system for a few weeks, so I think
it's likely that any problems would have turned up by now).
There were a few things the installer scripts could have done
better on, I think. It was helpful that they carried over all
my fonts and DA's to the new system, but not so helpful that
they added some of the standard Apple fonts that were not in
my old system file. Since I have SUITCASE (TM), I had removed
some Apple fonts from the system because I wanted them off in
Suitcase files. By having those fonts re-added when the new
system was installed, I got the versions in the system file
instead of the ones in my Suitcase files. In some cases I
had alternate versions in the Suitcase files, which meant that
I got unexpected results until I realized what had happened.
Similarly, I didn't want it to re-add any Apple DA's that I
had removed from the System file.
One DA that didn't transfer successfully for me was the
SMART ALARMS (TM) DA. That has a special installer program
(you can't install it with Font/Da Mover), so it probably
mucks around with resources or other things of the system
file. In my own opinion, that DA should be rewritten to
work as an INIT file and a DA which could be handled by
SUITCASE. I don't see that Apple should try to handle it.
There is also some kinda neat utility that I had run against
my older version of Finder, which created some special resource
for it. I can't remember the name of that resource right now,
but it allows you to customize the way that Finder lays out things
on the desktop. As a for instance, I have this set up so that
the "cleanup window" process (in the SPECIAL menu) will stagger
the location of Icons in adjacent columns. This way means that
I can have longer names on my files without the name under one
Icon running into the name under the neighboring Icons. Kinda
nice, but the installer script did not copy that resource over
to the new version of Finder that it installed. Given that this
is a resource that Finder recognizes, but which would *always*
be setup by the user (as opposed to Apple), I think the installer
should check for it and copy it if it's there.
(assuming I have my facts straight on how it works, of course)
Note that all three of the above problems would have happened
if I had just dragged stuff into my system folder instead of
using the installer scripts. I think that the installer could
be improved to handle the first and the third situations better,
but even as it is I feel I was better off using the installer
scripts.
I also wish it would have remembered all the preferences that
I had setup from the control panel...
- Garance Alistair Drosehn
Bitnet : USERALVF@RPITSMTS
Internet : Garance_Drosehn@mts.rpi.edu