Re: [Caml-list] How to fail to install Ocaml in 18 steps

[Anthony Tavener <anthony.tavener@gmail.com>]

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I saw this as a "user experience report" (as stated), not really asking for
a solution.

The number of different suggestions for how to "install" OCaml has been
quite telling... this is similar to the confusion I find most times I look
for existing libraries: multiple options for similar things with no good
way to tell whats applicable without actually trying them.

People are working on pieces of the "OCaml experience" which are in this
report. I figured the original post was a broadcast in hopes the
appropriate people might glean hints from a fresh user's run through the
rat-maze. If the Norton AV issue is known, and the solution (which I can
agree with) is: kill Norton AV, then maybe some warning for Windows users,
at the site of the binary installer, that this is a known problem and what
the solution is? (Mind you, some people won't have such control over the
machine and have no option but running the local antivirus.) Also, I can
agree that running Linux is an excellent choice... but really, I'm fine
with most of the world running other OS's. Linux becomes like the others
the more widespread it's adoption.

I understand a lot of work has been done to simplify installation, but
sometimes people hit an edge case which sends them spinning into a
nosedive. Ideally a smooth landing can be had regardless of weather
conditions. Some of those edge cases will be found in the wild, by users.

Just my take on it, :)

 Tony



On Wed, Nov 16, 2011 at 6:44 AM, Komtanoo Pinpimai <romerun@gmail.com>wrote:

> The easiest solution for your situation as of right now would be
> making a vm image that has everything installed, ocaml, eclipse,
> ocaide etc. and distribute it to everybody.
>
> On Tue, Nov 15, 2011 at 4:22 PM, Andrej Bauer <andrej.bauer@andrej.com>
> wrote:
> > Switching to a different operating system, or running a different
> > operating system in a virtual machine is NOT the most obvious solution
> > to normal people (everyone on this mailing list excluded). While I
> > agree with what Dario says in principle, I am convinced that people
> > aren't that keen on using Gnome/GTK gui inside Virtual box running on
> > a Windows 7.
> >
> > Realistically, there is just no easy way to install Ocaml on Windows
> > from what I've learned.
> >
> > With kind regards,
> >
> > Andrej
> >
> > On Tue, Nov 15, 2011 at 4:28 PM, Dario Teixeira <darioteixeira@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >>> I was shocked to learn that you cannot set it so that it only warns
> >>
> >>> about suspicous files. It actually instists on deleting them! I asked
> >>> my student what Norton will do with his Ph.D. dissertation if it is
> >>> judged to have too low a reputation, and he just faintly smiled. I
> >>> will try to get his boss to buy him a Mac.
> >>
> >> But if switching to a Mac is a solution on the table, that means that
> your
> >> student does not actually need OCaml running on Windows.  What they
> >> need is OCaml, and they just happen to be using Windows as their OS.
> >> However, if this is the case, then it seems you did pick the most
> convoluted
> >> approach.  As others have mentioned, why not just install a
> free-as-in-beer
> >> and easy to use virtualisation software like Virtualbox and use it to
> run a Linux
> >> distro where OCaml is just an apt-get away?
> >>
> >> Mind you, I'm not saying you don't have a point regarding the
> complexity of
> >> installing OCaml on Windows (I wouldn't know).  Nevertheless, it does
> strike me
> >> that you are bending over backwards to avoid what is the most
> straightforward
> >> solution in these cases: run OCaml in a Linux distro.
> >>
> >> Cheers,
> >> Dario Teixeira
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
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> >
>
>
>
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