The Quick & Easy Install manual Page 1 _______ ____|__ | (R) --| | |------------------- | ____|__ | Association of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| Member March, 1995 This document has two main portions: 1) The basic setup for floppy or BBS installation The basic setup covers how to setup Hands On for 5 1/4", 3 1/2" and hard disk or BBS installations. If you are a disk vendor but received the product in BBS format, then you should rebuild the distribution for diskette installation. 2) Setting up the INSTALLer Setting up the installer describes how to set it up. Install is designed to allow you to install and run your software including demonstration programs, and maintenance software. You may also use it as a general install program, to setup software that you only use occasionally and the like. 1) The basic setup for floppy or BBS installation The basic Hands On Remote Access package is setup so it can be installed from three 360K disks, one 1.44/1.2M floppy disk, a hard drive, or indirectly from a BBS/internet. The diskette form is a series of .ZIP files, the installation files and FILE_ID.DIZ. The BBS version is one ZIP file including the installation files. Normally just run the INSTALL.EXE. If it finds the various files are already unarchived it will assume a BBS or hard drive setup and immediately run '1STHAND SETUP'. It will avoid using the script instructions. The Quick & Easy Install manual Page 2 Diskette setup: ------------------------------------------------------------ HO51.ZIP portions of the product, including the manuals, VENDOR.txt, FILE_ID.DIZ, and the like. (disk 1) ------------------------------------------------------------ HO52.ZIP portions of the product (disk 2) ------------------------------------------------------------ HO53.ZIP portions of the product (disk 3) ------------------------------------------------------------ Just to confirm: 360K diskettes are setup with the installation files and HO51.ZIP on disk 1, HO52.ZIP on disk 2, and HO53.ZIP on disk 3. 1.2 Meg and 1.44 Meg disks combine these files on one disk. We distribute the diskette version with the unzip.exe tool and the install script will try to run it. You can edit the script to use pkunzip or another unarchiver instead. The BBS form includes everything in one HO5x.ZIP file, with the x denoting the release month. For example, HO5O.ZIP is an October release, and HO5N.zip is a November release. If you come across a HO5sX.ZIP file it will be the default September release plus the 'extras' in the same file, and will be the complete set (EVERYTHING). Some BBS's will carry the 'extra's file HO5X.ZIP where the X means eXtras. This file will include the extra material not included in the default distribution. If you are missing the 'extras' and decide that you need it, you can check BBS's (eg Compuserve PCCOM (was IBMCOM) LIB 3 UTILities) or you might also contact disk vendors to see if they carry the full set. 2) Setting up the INSTALLer Install stores its help information and script instructions in the INSTALL.DBF and INSTALL.DBT Xbase database files. You can edit the help by tapping F7 instead of F1 -Help while running install or you can start install with the "EDIT" command line parameter. Install always looks in the last active, or undeleted, entry for its script instructions. You can take advantage of this by putting alternate installation sets in other dbase deleted entries and undeleting them for particular disk distributions. Don't leave the last entry blank, or install will yell at you. Command line parameters The Quick & Easy Install manual Page 3 INSTALL [EDIT ADD MONO RECNO#] EDIT - to edit the script database ADD - to add a new entry and edit the script database. MONO - to force monochrome screen output. The install script language follows: # is used for comments. Anything to the right of a # is considered a comment. Every install script must start with the line. "TELESHARE INSTALL SCRIPT" Otherwise the installer might try to work over one of its own help files, and snivel at you. BROWSE somefile to browse or review some text file for information. It has a built-in search capability. CHANGEDISK key_file To prompt to change to the next diskette, and to check for the specified key file on the next disk. You can leave a space and add a message that will be displayed in place of "Please change disks" after the key_file name. Do not use a zero length key_file name. CHANGEDISK peaches.exe Please change to the red disk. CLEAR to clear the screen. This version actually calls the DOS CLS to ensure that the screen color/colour matches similar DOS related commands that you may be using in association with it. COMMAND to directly run programs and to pass commands to command.com. See the RUN and SWAP commands below. COPY - to allow copying of materials from the source to target disk as in: COPY file_1 file_2 file_3 etc The destination is the DIRECTORY provided earlier. DIRECTORY - to supply a directory name for editing. ECHO like the DOS echo. Anything that is not recognised by The Quick & Easy Install manual Page 4 the script parser is simply echoed to the screen, but any spaces on the left side will be trimmed off. IF and END or ENDIF If is used with ADD-IN or BASIC, as in IF BASIC # installation commands for the BASIC option ... ENDIF IF ADD-IN # installation commands for the ADD-IN option ... END if add-in basic # to combine the partial installation options ... endif IF direct_install # direct_install is a logical switch # that becomes TRUE if the 'last file' # is found at the start of the install run save HOMENU.BAT QUIT ENDIF The final "END" or "ENDIF" is an implied "QUIT", so if you use one of the two optional partial installation options, ensure that the 'right stuff' is done before the "END". There is no "IF ALL" to install everything. If the option to install everything is chosen, any "IF BASIC" or "IF ADD-IN" instruction sets are ignored. INSTALL DIRECTORY \HANDS_ON\ # to specify the \HANDS_ON\ directory. INSTALL HEADER - This allows you to provide an alternate header to replace the default message at the upper part of the screen. You may use up to 3 message or header lines. INSTALL README some_file to allow you to use any file name instead of the default README.DOC name. README.DOC is used in place of README.1ST to make it easier to look up a group of manuals, ending in ".DOC", with various browsers. INSTALL ADD-IN or BASIC - to specify that the distribution is only a partial distribution. The installer defaults to asking if you want 1) A FULL distribution or 2) Only the REMOTE or the HOST (BASIC) or 3) As an ADD-IN to another product like The Quick & Easy Install manual Page 5 bitcom. Use one of these command options to bypass the prompting. QUIT - to instruct INSTALL to quit to DOS. QUIT_TO to quit and run another program. This version of Install does NOT use keyboard stuffing to run the next program, unlike previous releases. When you use "QUIT_TO some_prog" the program swaps all but 2k of itself to disk and runs the "some_prog". It then swaps itself back in after running and immediately quits. LASTFILE to specify the last file in a disk set. This allows the installer to look for the last file and automatically decide that the installation is a 'one disk' set. This allows you to use the same installation instruction script for 360K diskettes, 1.44M diskettes, and BBS type installation. It causes CHANGEDISK type instructions to be ignored. eg.: "LASTFILE lastdisk.zip". The Sept/94 update adds a logical switch DIRECT_INSTALL that becomes True if the LASTFILE is present when the installer reads in the install script in install.dbf. You can use it with IF ... ENDIF as shown above, most likely for installations from files downloaded from a BBS. If you are installing an update and the lastfile already exists in the target directory, the installer will assume a BBS type of installation and bypass most of the update. So erase the lastfile before doing the update. # if the 'lastfile' has been found this IF will be entered IF direct_install some stuff ... quit ENDIF Please note that a side effect of the LASTFILE command is that the installer logical rule base goes bonkers if you use LASTFILE and install a second time over the first set of files, from 5 1/4" diskettes. It then decides that you are actually installing from a 3 1/2" diskette, and mistakenly avoids asking you to change disks. RUN - to tell INSTALL to run the program on the same line. For both RUN and SWAP, install looks for the file to be run in both the source and the destination directories, and runs it where it was found with the current directory being the destination directory. This means that it works with self- extracting archive files and software that has been installed. Use the COMMAND command to simply run programs and The Quick & Easy Install manual Page 6 to pass commands to command.com. If you are running a batch file, ending in .BAT, use "COMMAND /C that.BAT". Use swap if you need all but 2K of memory. The parser ignores ".COM" files, so add the .com if you want to RUN or SWAP .com files. SWAP - to tell INSTALL to SWAP all but 2k of itself to disk before running the program given on the same line. Examples: CLEAR RUN some SWAP bigthing # swap all but 2k of the program to disk WAIT to wait for the user to press a key to continue. The wait is actually a long delay. The best way to learn how to use INSTALL is to study an existing script in the INSTALL.DBF/DBT file. Run 'INSTALL EDIT', and compare its actions to the command script. Practise with small scripts and work up. Test your setups. If you use the install program very much to install other software, you will notice that the size of the install.dbt file builds up. Use the ITUNE.EXE program to retune the size. It will automatically reclaim wasted space. ASP Introduction: Please also carefully read the accompanying SHARE.ASP or SHR_WARE.DOC document. "This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536." DISTRIBUTION: This product is the property of P. C Softsmith (c) 1991-5. It may be distributed freely, but it is shareware. If you use it to produce setup/installs for yourself or others, please send a letter with comments and The Quick & Easy Install manual Page 7 suggestions to P. C. Softsmith. You do not have to register TeleShare or Hands On to include it with your product. However, you must include this documentation with any and all distributions of INSTALL, and you may not charge more than an 'industry standard' distribution fee for shareware distributors. See the "History" section below for more distribution information. Support: Please contact us for TeleShare/Hands ON support and sales at P. C. Softsmith by telephone (604) 433 - 5189 or at Suite 606 - 6455 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, V5H 4E4. Both registered and soon to be registered users currently get the same support without any arbitrary time limit. Internet and Compuserve users can also direct email to: COMPUSERVE: 75020 2664 INTERNET: vic_williams@mindlink.bc.ca Your comments on the product will be appreciated. Naturally we all might expect ongoing changes in the product. History: March 24, 1995 v3.00 - The BBS or disk vendor material was added to the first portion of the manual. March 23, 1995 v3.00 - If you unzip from a BBS or try to install when the files are already on disk, the installer checks for 1STHAND.EXE and swaps to it for the setup matters. If it then finds HOMENU.BAT it will quit and run it. February 16, 1995 v2.62 - various minor changes. It appears that the installer may 'argue' with CDROM driver software at times, and this may well be related to the DIET compressor used on the .EXE. The BBS logic has been cleaned up a bit. October 17, 1994 v 2.61 - the logic for the BBS version of the package allowed one to choose another drive and directory, but did not copy the package to that directory. Disabled such capability with the idea that its a good idea to avoid duplicating the files on your system, and most people will actually be happy with the files where they unzipped them. At least for test driving purposes.. The Quick & Easy Install manual Page 8 September, 1994 v 2.6 - still resolving problems with LASTFILE and the 3 1/2" and 5 1/4" disk installations. Removed some of the residual Teleshare setup options. June, 1994 Version 2.5 -- added the LASTFILE command. This install is a version of the installation program used to install the FORCE Xbase compiler (the ONLY native code producing Xbase compiler), with portions Copyright (C) 1989 Sophco Inc. The terms of the distribution agreement are such that this install program may only be distributed with P. C. Softsmith products. If you want to distribute it solely with your product, please contact us and we will direct you to the appropriate contact people. In mid July 1993, the script language was added to the install program and the version was upgraded from 1 to 2. 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