Windows Installer for MsWinContext

Windows Installer for MsWinContext

[Vyatcheslav Yatskovsky]

Hello,

I'm back with my idea of installer for mswincontext  distribution. I successfully use my local (post-install) version , which simply sets env. vars, but I feel there is need for more. Anticipating new mswincontext build, I can implement the installer for it using free Inno Setup software.
The controversy is about setup file content. I see it as whole mswincontext, because it is declared as minimal distribution (so, nothing can be thrown away). However, I was suggested on this list to make some parts downloadable on demand, so I need to ask: what parts to make? 
In general, I believe that if classical Windows installer for ConTeXt were available, it would gain more popularity and appreciation. Of course, I'd like to hear from Hans and Taco what they think about it, and whether they dare to facilitate this.

Best,
Vyatcheslav Yatskovsky

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Re: Windows Installer for MsWinContext

[Idris Samawi Hamid]

Hi,

On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 14:41:16 -0600, Vyatcheslav Yatskovsky  
<yatskovsky@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I'm back with my idea of installer for mswincontext  distribution. I  
> successfully use my local (post-install) version , which simply sets  
> env. vars, but I feel there is need for more. Anticipating new  
> mswincontext build, I can implement the installer for it using free Inno  
> Setup software.

Good project!

> The controversy is about setup file content. I see it as whole  
> mswincontext, because it is declared as minimal distribution (so,  
> nothing can be thrown away). However, I was suggested on this list to  
> make some parts downloadable on demand, so I need to ask: what parts to  
> make?

I believe you should just support the whole mswincontext, and install it  
in C:\ConTeXt etc. Please do not use
C:\Program Files ;-)

Perhaps the docs should be an install option, as they are quite huge.

Some things like the complete TeX-Gyre font suite need to be added to  
mswincontext or given as an option. There are other modules as well that  
might make good options for the installer.

> In general, I believe that if classical Windows installer for ConTeXt  
> were available, it would gain more popularity and appreciation.

A true stand-alone ConTeXt has been a goal I have pushed for a number of  
years now, and from what I understand Hans has heading more and more in  
that direction.

> Of course, I'd like to hear from Hans and Taco what they think about it,  
> and whether they dare to facilitate this.

My only real question is how to also support a minimal LaTeX distribution  
side-by-side. I hardly use it, but many of us still have legacy documents  
we need to process now and then. Maybe we can take the LaTeX portion of  
XemTeX and make it an install option as well. A couple years back I  
actually dumped the XemTeX LaTeX files into my C:\ConTeXt\tex\texmf tree  
and it worked (and mswincontext is closer to fpTeX/Fabrice's way than to  
the MiKTeX way AKAIK). Since ConTeXt always uses \texmf-local there was no  
conflict. OTOH there may be other issues... maybe a dedicated \texmf-latex  
tree branch is called for...

Good luck and all the

Best
Idris

-- 
Professor Idris Samawi Hamid
Department of Philosophy
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523

Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

___________________________________________________________________________________
If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / http://www.ntg.nl/mailman/listinfo/ntg-context
webpage  : http://www.pragma-ade.nl / http://tex.aanhet.net
archive  : https://foundry.supelec.fr/projects/contextrev/
wiki     : http://contextgarden.net
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