File README.TXT 6/21/93 WinInstall 3.0 Software and Documentation (c) Copyright 1991-1993 by Aleph Takoma Systems, Inc. 7319 Willow Avenue Takoma Park, MD 20912 (301) 270-4458 FAX: (301) 270-6710 CompuServe 71371,635 All rights reserved. This is the June 21, 1993 release of WinInstall 30. It contains several new features and fixes for some minor bugs noted in the original release of WinInstall 3.0, dated March 31 1993. This file contains information on the following topics: 1. Late Additions to the Program 2. Fixes to Bugs in Earlier WinInstall 3.0 Release 3. Installation Instructions 4. Upgrade Instructions (from earlier versions of WinInstall 3.0) 5. Compatibilty with Prior Releases 6. Sending Applications and Upgrades by Electronic Mail 7. Mail-Enabled Features and Configuration (Administration Program Only) To understand what WinInstall is and how it works, please see the full WinInstall documentation, or consult the on-line help for WINSTADM.EXE. You can run WINSTADM.EXE and WINSTALL.EXE as soon as you move the distribution files to the appropriate directories, as described below. To run AUTONAI.EXE (and WINSTALA.EXE) successfully, you will have to adapt some of the data files to your network and applications. Full details of what this means and how to do it are included in the documentation and online help (see the online help for WINSTADM.EXE, the administration program). *************************************************************************** 1. LATE ADDITIONS TO THE PROGRAM A. Restart Windows Option WinInstall now provides a means to restart Windows after the installation of an application or upgrade. This is implemented as a check box on the Administration Program Add/Modify screen; if it is checked, then at the end of the installation, WinInstall will present the user with the option of restarting Windows. WinInstall /Auto will do the same, but if it is installing multiple applications, it will wait until all are installed before offering this option to the user. B. AUTONAI.EXE (Fast Autoloader for WINSTALA.EXE ) WinInstall now includes another executable file, AUTONAI.EXE, which is a fast autoloader for WINSTALA.EXE. If you use WINSTALA.EXE in the WIN.INI RUN= line or the Windows 3.1 Startup Group, you will want to take advantage of AUTONAI.EXE. This file is written in C so it loads and runs very quickly (probably no more than 1 or two seconds at most, depending on the CPU of the PC it is running on and the speed of your network). It checks the date/time stamp on WINAPPS.LST (or whatever .LST file you specify on the command line) and compares it with a new value in NAI.INI, which specifies the last time that WINSTALA.EXE was run. If the .LST file has been modified since the last time WINSTALA.EXE was run, then AUTONAI.EXE calls WINSTALA.EXE so that any new applications may be installed. If WINSTALA.EXE has been run since the last time the .LST file was modified, then AUTONAI.EXE simply terminates, without calling WINSTALA.EXE. The net result is that your users' Windows startup is much faster, because WINSTALA.EXE does not have to load each time Windows starts. Under most circumstances, AUTONAI.EXE, which is very fast, is the only program run when Windows starts--unless applications need to be installed, in which case the WINSTALA.EXE program is called to do the installations. AUTONAI.EXE accepts the same command line parameters and switches as WINSTALA.EXE: it will pass its command line on to the WINSTALA.EXE program. If you users are currently calling WINSTALA.EXE at Windows startup, you can modify your users' systems so that AUTONAI.EXE is called. First, place the AUTONAI.EXE file in the same directory as WINSTALA.EXE. Then, use the WINSTADM.EXE program to create an application upgrade. In the REMOVE .DAT file, remove WINSTALA.EXE from the RUN= line or the Windows Startup Group. In the INSTALL .DAT file, put AUTONAI.EXE in the RUN= or Windows Startup Group. The next time your users start Windows, WINSTALA.EXE will make the change, and from then on, when Windows starts, it will do so much more quickly, unless there are new applications to install. C. WinInstall /Auto Runprog Command Line Switch The WinInstall /Auto program now accepts an additional command line switch, RUNPROG, which enables WinInstall /Auto to integrate the installation and launching of programs by acting as a program install/run utility. This switch instructs WinInstall /Auto to alter its behavior in the following ways: At the conclusion of the installation, WinInstall /Auto will run the Post-Install program, as specified in the Administration Program Pre/Post Options Window, but WinInstall /Auto will not pause to await the conclusion of the called program as usual. Instead, it will continue its operation and conclude by awaiting the final OK click from the user. If the OK click is not received in 30 seconds, WinInstall /Auto will, in keeping with its normal operation, terminate itself. If WinInstall /Auto finds that the program has already been installed, then in keeping with its normal operation, WinInstall will not appear on the user's display at all; but if the RUNPROG switch is specified, then contrary to normal operation, WinInstall /Auto will call the Post-Install program before terminating itself. The RUNPROG switch is designed to allow the use of WinInstall /Auto as a program install/run utility. By creating a WinInstall /Auto icon for the installation of a specific application, you can use the RUNPROG switch in conjunction with specifying the installed program itself as the Post-Install program. The result will be that this icon will install and run the application if it is not installed, or just run the application if it is already installed. NOTE: The RUNPROG switch is only valid in conjunction with an install .DAT file. D. Multiple Install/Remove Enable Variable Values The Administration Program Security Window now permits the entry of multiple alternative values for the Install and Remove Environment Variable Values. For example, if you wanted to allow installation only to users Smith and Jones (and your users have their usernames in the environment), you could enter USERNAME in the Install Variable field and SMITH,JONES in the Value field. WinInstall will then permit installation only to a user who has in his environment the variable USERNAME set to either SMITH or JONES. In prior releases, only one value could be entered. Now, an unlimited number of alternative values can be entered, separated by commas (no spaces). E. $VAR Codes in Network Log Filename The Administration Program now accepts, and all the programs now properly process, $EnVar and $Const codes in the Network Log Filename. NOTE: Other $VAR codes are not valid in the Network Log Filename. F. $VAR Codes in Boot Drive Field The Administration Program now accepts, and the WinInstall and WinInstall /Auto programs now properly process, all $VAR codes entered in the Other: field of the Boot Drive section of the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS editors. *************************************************************************** 2. BUG FIXES A. The Administration Program now accepts .PIF files for any of the "Programs to Call" fields in the Pre/Post Options Window. B. The WinInstall and WinInstall /Auto programs now properly process all $VAR codes in the Source File path of the Files To Copy section of application .DAT files. C. The WinInstall and WinInstall /Auto programs now properly process all $VAR codes entered in any of the fields of the Administration Program Pre/Post Options Window. D. Under certain circumstances, the cursor in the Administration Program would not change back from an hourglass to a pointer (though it still functioned as a pointer). This anomaly has been eliminated. E. Under certain circumstances, WinInstall would retain the AppVar values from one installation to the next (within the same WinInstall session). The problem with this retention was that the second install to require the same AppVar would not prompt the user for it; instead, it would use the value entered during the prior installation. This problem has been fixed. F. The automatic check for available disk space before an installation has been modified to improve its accuracy and to avoid potential problems with the use of application-specific variables to specify the destination drive. *************************************************************************** 3. INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS End users and administrators alike require the files VBRUN200.DLL, THREED.VBX, and NAI.DLL in their Windows\System or Windows directory. The file DDEML.DLL must also be in the Windows\System or Windows directory, and this file must be dated 10/21/92 or later--or WinInstall will crash while installing icons. WINSTALL.EXE, WINSTALL.HLP, AUTONAI.EXE, WINSTALA.EXE, WINAPPS.LST, and all *.DAT files should be in the same directory on the file server. All users require READ access to this directory; administrators require full READ, WRITE and DELETE access. NOTE: The .DAT files included with this software are samples only--no guarantee is offered for their accuracy or completeness. WINSTADM.EXE and WINSTADM.HLP can be anywhere that is convenient and secure. For use of the electronic mail features, please see the "Sending Applications and Upgrades by Electronic Mail" and "Mail-Enabled Features and Configuration" sections later in this file. *************************************************************************** 4. UPGRADE INSTRUCTIONS (FROM EARLIER VERSIONS OF WININSTALL 3.0) The June 21, 1993 Update consists of 4 executables and 1 help file. These files should be considered a set: do not install any of them unless you install all of them. Once a .DAT file is modified with the June 21 Administration Program, it cannot be read by any earlier version of any WinInstall executable. If you are currently using WinInstall 3.0, please check the "About" Screen (accessible from the Help Menu) in either WINSTALL.EXE or WINSTADM.EXE. If the date displayed there is earlier than June 21, 1993, then you should upgrade to this version by simply replacing your current WINSTALL.EXE, WINSTALA.EXE, WINSTADM.EXE, and WINSTADM.HLP files with the new ones. In addition, you should add the file AUTONAI.EXE to the directory where WINSTALA.EXE resides. For information on how to use AUTONAI.EXE, see item B of the "Late Additions to the Program" section, above. *************************************************************************** 5. COMPATIBILITY WITH PRIOR RELEASES All of the WinInstall 3.0 programs can read and process WINAPPS.LST files and all application .DAT files from any prior release of WinInstall, WINSTALL or N.A.I. But once these files have been revised by the WinInstall 3.0 Administration Program, they are no longer compatible with earlier versions and must be processed only by the WinInstall 3.0 programs. *************************************************************************** 6. SENDING APPLICATIONS AND UPGRADES BY ELECTRONIC MAIL Standalone .DAT files (also called .NAI files) may be attached to an electronic mail message and sent to users of any Windows-compatible electronic mail system which supports file attachments. No special features or compatiblity is required of the mail system. For users to be able to install applications from within their electronic mail program, they must have an association for WINSTALA.EXE in the [Extensions] section of their WIN.INI file. Add this line to WIN.INI, beneath the [Extensions] heading: NAI=fullpath\WINSTALA.EXE ^.NAI For fullpath, substitute the full directory path, including drive, to the WinInstall /Auto program (WINSTALA.EXE). With this modification to WIN.INI, users will be able to install or remove applications and upgrades directly from their electronic mail program by simply double-clicking on the .NAI file attachments. *************************************************************************** 7. MAIL-ENABLED FEATURES AND CONFIGURATION (ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM ONLY) If you are using a MAPI-compatible mail system (such as Microsoft Mail or Windows for Workgroups), or a VIM-compatible mail system (such as Lotus Development Corporation's cc:Mail for Windows), then you can take advantage of additional mail-enabled features in the WinInstall Administration Program. In either case, you must have certain files (included with your mail system or available from your mail system vendor) present in your path, and a certain setting in your WIN.INI file. NOTE: These features are available in the WinInstall Administration Program only: end users do NOT require these files or settings. MAPI To use the mail-enabled features of WINSTADM.EXE with a MAPI- compliant mail system, you will need the file MAPI.DLL (dated 10/7/92 or later) in your Windows\System directory or elsewhere in your path. You will also need the following lines in your WIN.INI file: [Mail] MAPI=1 VIM To use the mail-enabled features of WINSTADM.EXE with a VIM- compliant mail system, you will need the following files in your Windows\System directory or elsewhere in your path: MAILENG.DLL (Dated 8/17/92 or later) MEMMAN.DLL CCSMI.DLL CCEDIT.DLL CHARSET.DLL SMI.DLL VIM.DLL Lotus Development Corporation has promised that these files will be included with cc:Mail for Windows version 2.0 and above, as well as with Lotus Notes version 3.0. In the meantime, Lotus has made them publicly available for download from the cc:Mail BBS, at (415) 961-0401. You will also need the following lines in your WIN.INI file: [Mail] SMI=1