1. Currently Seeking Auto Execs
Howdy y'all!
I'm proud to announce that the installer is now capable of installing the
Euphoria and optional libraries to the user's computer, and can successful=
ly
handle occasions where a previous copy of Euphoria exists at that location=
.
I've now arrived at the part of the show where, with the user's permission=
, the
user's autoexec file is altered to add the EUDIR environment variable, as =
well
as adding euphoria to PATH.
Now then, here's my next problem: locating the autoexec file. Perhaps wi=
th a
bit of na=EFvet=E9, I'm assuming that the autoexec file will be in the roo=
t
directory of the user's boot drive. So, wonderful ... which one is the bo=
ot
drive?
The reason I ask such a silly question is that I've never had a computer w=
ith
more than one hard drive. That being the case, the user *could* install
Euphoria on a secondary drive ... the one that *doesn't* have the autoexec=
.bat
file.
The only way I could figure to do this programmatically and without "askin=
g"
the user is to search the root directory of every drive on the user's syst=
em
for "autoexec.bat." But ... is it possible for the user to have _two_ aut=
oexec
files ...
On my computer, at start up, I can load either Windows or Linux. I'm worr=
ied
about a situation in which another user could load Windows NT or Windows 9=
8, or
some such confusing setup. In that case, it is conceivable that there wou=
ld be
two autoexec.bat files, if NT booted using drive C: and 98 booted using dr=
ive
D: for instance.
In short, folks, I do believe that I'm confusing the hell out of myself. =
Could
someone please help before my head explodes. Thank you.
Travis Beaty
Claude, Texas.
3. Re: Currently Seeking Auto Execs
- Posted by gertie at ad-tek.net
Jun 26, 2001
On 26 Jun 2001, at 12:38, Travis Beaty wrote:
> Howdy y'all!
Howdy pardner! lol
<snip>
> Now then, here's my next problem: locating the autoexec file. Perhaps with a
>
> bit of naïveté, I'm assuming that the autoexec file will be in the root
> directory of the user's boot drive. So, wonderful ... which one is the boot
> drive?
>
> The reason I ask such a silly question is that I've never had a computer with
> more than one hard drive. That being the case, the user *could* install
> Euphoria on a secondary drive ... the one that *doesn't* have the autoexec.bat
>
> file.
>
> The only way I could figure to do this programmatically and without "asking"
> the user is to search the root directory of every drive on the user's system
> for "autoexec.bat." But ... is it possible for the user to have _two_
> autoexec
> files ...
Yes, it is. I routinely make all my hardrives bootable,, in either dos 5, dos
6.22, or
win95. The startup files files on each drive are different. Plus, win95 makes an
autoexec.dos for dos boots in win95. Course, i don't use the 20megabyte
harddrive
much anymore. Will you modify the win95 boot autoexec or the dos boot autoexec?
> On my computer, at start up, I can load either Windows or Linux. I'm worried
> about a situation in which another user could load Windows NT or Windows 98,
> or
> some such confusing setup. In that case, it is conceivable that there would
> be
> two autoexec.bat files, if NT booted using drive C: and 98 booted using drive
> D: for instance.
Err, there is also the linux version that exists on the harddrive only as a file
image? I
don't think you can modify that from the other OS.
> In short, folks, I do believe that I'm confusing the hell out of myself.
> Could
> someone please help before my head explodes. Thank you.
/me plugs Travis into the Matrix and reconfigures reality for him.... feel all
better? 
Kat
4. Re: Currently Seeking Auto Execs
Howdy!
> Howdy pardner! lol
<TIP SRC="Cowboy Hat">Good evening, ma'am.</TIP>
> Yes, it is. I routinely make all my hardrives bootable,, in either dos 5, dos
> 6.22, or win95. The startup files files on each drive are different. Plus,
> win95
> makes an autoexec.dos for dos boots in win95. Course, i don't use the
> 20megabyte
> harddrive much anymore. Will you modify the win95 boot autoexec or the dos
> boot
> autoexec?
Well, I'm aiming for the DOS boot autoexec.bat, which on my system is
c:\autoexec.bat. I figure this would be best because 1) I know where the dang
thang is, and 2)because the DOS interpreter will be installed right along with
the Win32 version. The only other concern that I have is that, when I first
got this computer, autoexec.bat had the "hidden" attribute set. That being the
case, I'm concerned that this is standard behavior for WinME installations ...
after all, the user must be protected from himself. >
> Err, there is also the linux version that exists on the harddrive only as a
> file
> image? I don't think you can modify that from the other OS.
I've seen what you're talking about -- Linux Mandrake 8.0 offers this as well,
although I risked sudden doom and repartitioned. BeOS, may it rest in peace,
does the same thing ... the OS is contained in a 50M Windows file. I've found
that Windows files can be modified from Linux, but Linux files cannot be
modified from Windows. Windows apparently is antisocial and doesn't play well
with others.
> /me plugs Travis into the Matrix and reconfigures reality for him.... feel all
> better?
No, it attempted to access my brain, and reported "Cannot read from specified
device."
Thanks, Kat!
Travis Beaty
Claude, Texas.
5. Re: Currently Seeking Auto Execs
Howdy again!
> OK, my computer has two drives.
> Each has a copy of Windows, and a version (or two) of Linux.
> So, if you looked at my drives, you'd find
> autoexec.bat on C: as well as on D:
> If I were to boot from a floppy, it too would have autoexec.bat,
> but that wouldn't mean that I necessarily wanted to write any
> changes to A:autoexec.bat when I installed Euphoria.
>
> I think you'd save yourself, and others, a lot of headaches if you
> simply asked the user where they wanted to write the new file.
> Defaulting to C: of course.
I'm beginning to agree with that. I had hoped to have the installer divine
this itself, as some of the younger kids that no nothing but Windows may not
even know what the autoexec.bat file does. But I can see how the
installer could be easy duped into writing to the wrong one.
Okay, what I'll do is present the user with a combo box containing the drive
letters, and I'll default to the drive upon which Euphoria is being installed.
Thanks for the help,
Travis Beaty
Claude, Texas.
6. Re: Currently Seeking Auto Execs
On Tuesday 26 June 2001 19:37, Travis Beaty wrote:
> Okay, what I'll do is present the user with a combo box containing the
> drive letters, and I'll default to the drive upon which Euphoria is being
> installed.
It wouldn't take long to check C: and D: for autoexec, and only present
the ones which _do_ have an autoexec.bat as choices.
As far as I know, they have to be in the root directory, not stored away
somewhere inaccessable to the boot program.
Regards,
Irv
8. Re: Currently Seeking Auto Execs
On 27 Jun 2001, at 0:27, Gerardo wrote:
> My copy of Win98 (should check other versions) maintains an environment
> variable called 'winbootdir' that contains the string 'C:\WINDOWS'. This I
> take to mean 'the Windows directory in the drive from which the current
> instance of Windows has been booted.'
>
> Of course, this doesn't mean that it's the only bootable Windows disk in the
> system, but it should give you a head start, perhaps to offer as first choice
> to
> the installing user.
I've decided on the simple approach to determining which autoexec.bat file to
modify. I've built up a form which is displayed when it comes time to modify
the autoexec file. This form contains a combo box which shows a listing of all
the drives on the user's system. It will of course default to the drive upon
which Euphoria has been installed.
That was where the consideration of removable media came in. For 80% of the
human race, this won't be a problem because the only removable media listed
would be the 3.5er and the CD-ROM. But there may be those techno-junkies out
there installing Euphoria on a box with five floppies, four CD-ROMs, three
DVDs, two zip drives, and a partridge in a pear linked tree.
> If you modify autoexec.bat, even with the user's permission, don't forget to
> make a copy of the old file, _and_ tell the user what you called it: say,
> autoexec.eu4. Please, don't call it autoexec.old!
Will do.
> And if the user declines your kind offer to modify autoexec.bat (suspicious
> people, and you such a nice guy!), it would only be courteous to tell them to
> (no, not that!) add this string and that, later, at their convenience.
Ah, I've got that covered as well. The user will have four options.
1) Let the installer modify the file.
2) Let the installer modify the file, but confirm each modification before its
made.
3) Make their own modifications later on.
4) Open up install.txt (it would have been installed by that point), so they
can read about what's going on.
If they choose Option 4, they can then choose 1-3 once they've read what they
wanted to read.
> Q: are you leaving the user an after-install text file, detailing every step
> you
> took and every change you made. I've always found that rather helpful.
I had not considered doing that. Sort of like a LOG file, showing all
deletions, creations, etc.? Or just the modifications to autoexec.bat?
Since you mentioned the registry above, I should mention that, at least for
this version, there will be no modifications made to the registry at this
point. In future releases, I'd like to have the installer associate Euphoria
files with the interpreter for "Run" and the user's choice of editor for
"Open." (That's how mine's set up, anyway.) However, I will need to get much
more experience with the registry, or else I'll feel as nervous as a frog with
a glass ass.
I've also looked into shortcuts as well -- my idea was to provide shortcuts to
ed/ee, and Judith's IDE if installed, as well as the documentation. However,
I've looked at the API for creating links, as well as the file format, and I
fear that is also way over my head at this point.
One final point is that I'm planning on releasing an alpha which will install
Euphoria 2.2; however, since it appears the release of 2.3 is reasonably
imminent, I may hold off on releasing an "official" version until 2.3 is
released. In the interim, the beta can be tested repeatedly and every nook and
cranny can be poked, until the thing is right. After all, this program may be
the first experience people have with Euphoria. Unlike a certain other
organization (won't mention names but Washington state should ring a bell), I'm
embarrassed when my apps crash. 
Thanks for everyone's help in this,
Travis Beaty
Claude, Texas.
10. Re: Currently Seeking Auto Execs
Sorry if I'm adding to the confusion here, but in Windows NT and
Windows 2000 the environment variables are stored in the registry
under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment
It would be very useful if the installer could handle Win2k as I think
many users would find changing the environment variables themselves a
problem (it's in Control Panel->System->Advanced->Environment
Variables btw).
I'd recomend the registry wrappers by Davi Figueiredo, you can get them at:
http://www.brasil.terravista.pt/Jenipabu/2571/e_eu.htm (under
Miscellaneous programs).
If you want any help or need someone to test it I'll be happy to :)
Thomas Parslow (PatRat) ICQ #:26359483
Rat Software
http://www.rat-software.com/
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