CHIEF'S INSTALLER PRO FOR WINDOWS v1.50a ---------------------------------------- (c) 1994-1995, Dr. Abimbola A. Olowofoyeku (The African Chief) -------------------------------------------------------------- Files in the package -------------------- 1. INSTALL.EXE (Chief's Installer Pro main executable) 2. UNINSTAL.EXE (Chief's Windows UNinstaller) 3. WINSTALP.DLL (Binary for the "banner" routines) 4. CTL3DV2.DLL (OPTIONAL DLL for 3D dialogs) 5. CHIEF.HLP (Help file for Chief's Installer) 6. CHIEF.WRI (Straight dump of CHIEF.HLP in MS-Write format) 7. README.TXT (This file) 8. SETUP.EXE (OPTIONAL small loader for INSTALL.EXE) 9. WINSTALL.ZIP (contains resource script for WINSTALL.DLL, and (a number of precompiled language DLLs) 10. UNINST.ZIP (contains resource script for UNINST.DLL, and (an English version of the DLL) 11. WINSTALL.HLP (sample help file for the installer) 12. AUTOCALC.EXE (utility to calculate required disk space) 13. AUTOCALC.TXT (documentation for AUTOCALC.EXE) 14. SHOWLOG.EXE (DOS utility to show contents of LOG file) 15. SHOWLOG.TXT (documentation for SHOWLOG.EXE) 16. SAMPLExx.INF (sample INF files for WINSTALL.INF) 17. TEMPLATE.INF (template for new INF files) 18. FILE_ID.DIZ (ID file for BBS SYSOPS) 19. REGISTER.TXT (Registration information) 20. ORDER.FRM (Order form) What is CHIEF'S INSTALLER PRO? ------------------------------ Chief's Installer Pro for Windows is a generic program for installation of Windows applications. Install is an "off-the-shelf" installation suite. The program will copy files from floppy disks (or a directory on a hard disk) to the destination directory. If the files are compressed with Microsoft's COMPRESS.EXE they will be decompressed automatically. In this respect Install uses the routines in LZEXPAND.DLL. If the files are not compressed, they will simply be copied. INSTALLATION ------------ You can either; [a] simply copy all the files into a directory, or [b] run INSTALL.EXE from Program Manager or File Manager or [c] run SETUP.EXE from Program Manager or File Manager RESTRICTIONS/FEATURES --------------------- 1. You can only install into any combination of the following; (a) ONE destination directory, and up to 45 subdirectories under it (b) the Windows directory (c) the Windows SYSTEM directory (d) the TEMP directory 2. Only a maximum of 45 installation disks are supported. Install will prompt for the disks as they are required. 3. Install will optionally offer to put the destination directory into the "PATH" statement in AUTOEXEC.BAT 4. Install will optionally create a Program Manager group file, and icons for any supplied file(s) - .EXEs, README files, etc. 5. Install will optionally run any supplied program(s) during the installation, as part of the installation process. 6. Install will optionally run any supplied program(s) immediately after the installation is complete 7. The stipulated format of the WINSTALL.INF file must be followed strictly. 8. Install allows you to supply on-line for the installation. You have to create a Windows help file called WINSTALL.HLP. This help file can be accessed by clicking on the "HELP" button. A simple one is supplied. You can either use that, or create your own. If no WINSTALL.HLP file is found in the path, then the "HELP" button is removed from the Install window. 9. Install will check whether there is sufficient space on the target drive - based on information which you supply as to how much disk space your application requires. If you need extra temporary disk space for the installation, Install can check for this also. 10. Install will make entries in any INI (or other) file(s) specified by you. Up to 20 entries can be made. Do NOT use this feature to insert an entry which may already exist - the old entry will be deleted and replaced by the new one (e.g., do NOT use it for "DEVICE=" lines in SYSTEM.INI 11. Install provides support for non-English languages - it will look for a DLL called WINSTALL.DLL in the directory from which INSTALL.EXE is executed. If this DLL is found, Install will load the string tables used for messages from it. By the same token, it will look for UNINST.DLL in the directory from which UNINSTAL.EXE was executed. 12. Install provides support for PARTIAL INSTALLATIONS of program. In this respect, you can have up to 10 installation options. 13. Install provides support for displaying a "banner" in the background, and for specifying the text of the banner, the font to use used for it, the font size, the color of the text, the color of the background, and a brush to paint the background. 14. Install provides support for displaying a bitmap file, stretched to fill the screen. 15. Install will optionally check the disks being inserted by the user to verify that they are the correct ones. 16. Install provides an UNINSTALLER, which can be used to uninstall any program that was installed with Chief's Installer Pro. 17. Chief's Installer Pro will check the target directory for the existence of any copy of each file being installed, and will prompt the user for over-write permission. 18. Chief's Installer Pro will check for version information in existing copies of shared binary files, and for date stamps in non-shared files. 19. Chief's Installer Pro will use the 3D dialog effects in CTL3DV2.DLL if a copy of that file is found. If CTL3DV2.DLL is not found, then the program will use standard Windows dialogs (the absence of the file will NOT cause an error). 20. Chief's Installer Pro provides support for restarting Windows if any active shared file was overwritten. A dialog asking for confirmation appears automatically if any active shared file was overwritten during the installation. The text on this dialog can be changed by the $RESTARTWIN-MESSAGE reserved word. 21. Chief's Installer Pro provides support for displaying a README file to the user when the installer is executed. The README file should be a plain ASCII file not bigger than 16kb. The file should be called WINSTALL.TXT. You can cause the contents of the file to be displayed automatically by setting $AUTO-CLICK-BUTTON to 4 (otherwise the user will have to click on the "readme" button to display the text. If the file WINSTALL.TXT is not found, then the "readme" button will be removed at run time. 22. Chief's Installer Pro provides support for making entries into the the Registration Database, by the reserved word $REG-DATA. LICENSE ------- CHIEF'S Installer Pro IS *NOT* FREE SOFTWARE. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Chief's Installer Pro is released as SHAREWARE. This means that you may use it, and/or supply it as the installation routine for any of your applications, as long as; ----------- [1] You PAY THE REQUIRED REGISTRATION FEE AND, [2] My name does NOT appear ANYWHERE in your application's documentation - I am not interested in answering any questions from any of your customers. The REGISTRATION FEE is œ20 (U.K. Sterling); or $29 (US); or equivalent. SHAREWARE DISTRIBUTION ---------------------- You may distribute the package freely to FTP sites, Bulletin Boards, Shareware/Freeware/Public Domain archives, CD-ROMS, Magazine Cover Disks and CD-ROMS, etc. Shareware disk vendors also may also freely freely distribute the package. Distribution of the package in any form (other than as the installation program for your Windows applications), is subject to ALL the following conditions; [1] ALL the files which I have supplied must be included, and [2] NO ATTEMPT must be made to modify or alter ANYTHING in any of the files, and [3] You must not charge ANYTHING for distributing this package (disk vendors may charge a reasonable fee, not exceeding $5 (US) for media and duplication). Please note the disclaimers below. DISCLAIMER ---------- I do NOT warantee ANYTHING concerning any of the programs or files which make up "Chief's Installer Pro for Windows". I accept NO RESPONSIBILITY for ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE of ANY kind, including, but not limited to, losses of a physical, mental, social, financial, marital, or of whatever nature, resulting from the use, or the purported use of Chief's Installer Pro for Windows", or any of the files in the package, for any purpose whatsoever. I do not even warantee that the programs will not kill you. You use Chief's Installer Pro for Windows ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK, and you supply it to your customers, friends, family, acquaintances, or enemies, ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. If these terms are not acceptable to you, then please DELETE all the files from your disks IMMEDIATELY AND PERMANENTLY. Contact address: ---------------- Dr. Abimbola Olowofoyeku c/o John Barton 57 Baddeley Green Lane Baddeley Green Stoke on Trent Staffs, ST2 7JL ENGLAND. Email: laa12@keele.ac.uk chief@mep.com -------------------- Dr. A. Olowofoyeku January 1995 --------------------