Multi-Platform Newbie Questions

[RFiorentino]

Hi All,

I am a current Installshield user for the Windows platform only. The version my company is using is older (6.x) and we are looking towards the 11.5 multi-platform. We develop for multiple flavors of Windows and Linux. We would like to have one install tool to handle it all.

Does 11.5 allow one project to contain the install builds for all the platforms, or are seperate projects required?

Can you share script files or are seperate files required for each platform?

Is it correct to assume each platform needs to check out the install source and build natively?

With the FlexNet license edition will I need a license for my development machine and the build machine? Or can I just have the one license on the build machine and have it serve as the license server to be shared?

Finally, anyone out ther building multi-platform installs? How easy is this version? Why use this over InstallAnywhere?

Thanks for the help,
Rick

[MEinstaller]

I'm also a Newbie but one project can contain the builds for all platforms. I also believe you can share script files but I'm not positive. I build for Windows, UNIX and Linux and the program is pretty user friendly. I can't compare it to InstallAnywhere because I've never used it but I like the new Multi-platform.

[RFiorentino]

Thanks for the response MEinstaller.

Have you shipped product at this point using the multi-platform installer? If so, have you run into any major issues?

Good luck with your endeavors!

[MEinstaller]

I have not shipped anything yet, I have been working on recreating our old installs (Installshield 5.5) into InstallShield 11.5. So far I have 3 out of my 4 platforms working. But I think the one with the problem is related to the machine itself and not my installer.
I really haven't seen any issues, just make sure you look for all of the JVMs you can and maybe bundle one with the install just to make sure. That way if it can't find it on the customer's machine it will use the bundled JVM and not cause any problems. It makes your install a little bigger, but I think it's worth it, could save some headaches in the long run.

[singletd]

Hi

See my answers to some of your questions:

Does 11.5 allow one project to contain the install builds for all the platforms, or are seperate projects required?[DS]Yes as long as your happy with a java installer. If you wanted to create an msi for Windows or an rpm for Linux then you would have a problem. See the thread I posted today.

Can you share script files or are seperate files required for each platform? [DS]Obviously bat/cmd files would have to be converted and either installed or conditioned by platform.


Finally, anyone out ther building multi-platform installs? How easy is this version? Why use this over InstallAnywhere? [DS]Yes, Linux, Windows and HP-UX. Not as easy as InstallShield for WIndows installations but not overly difficult, just everything takes a lot longer as you need to test on all variants you are targeting.

Hope that helps a bit.

DS

[singletd]

Forgot to answer this one.

Its an interesting question that, I fail to see how they can continue to maintain two seperate products that offer essentially the same functionality. Time will tell?

If I had a preference it would be the IDE from InstallAnywhere and a merge of the available functionality of the two but as it stands now I use Multi-Platform as I 'm more familiar with this.

Good Luck

DS

[RFiorentino]

singletd / MEinstaller,

Thanks for the replies.

Regarding sharing the script files, I was curious if the IS scripting language was abstracted so a command like say 'copy' for instance would result in the correct action based on the OS installing onto ('cp' or 'copy')? Basically is there an IS API layer that buries the platform specifies and compiles in the correct actions for the desired platform.

From the sounds of it if you use the java installer this would be the ticket, for obvious reasons however, msi or RPM require seperate projects...no single source generates MSI or RPM. Hmmm...this seems possible, anyway, please advise if my thinking is correct on this.

Regarding my question on which of the 2 multi platform installers, I would obviously like to stay with what I know, InstallShield. My fear is Macrovision buries one of the installers and I happen to be on the wrong side of that decision.

Thanks again, your comments have been very helpful.

Best Regards,
Rick

[singletd]

Hi Rick

Follow up to your questions:

Regarding scripting I assume you mean writing java code in the scripting sections and not specific script files, a subtle difference there. Basically if you write your java code and include the platform packs you are targeting then I believe all should be resolved okay.

If you are calling external scripts installed with the product then they need to be platform dependant. Also if you create a exec action and call cp for example, its unlikely to work on Windows unless you have installed some Unix tools. In this case you would have to create 2 actions 1 for Unix and 1 for Windows calling cp and copy for example.

From the sounds of it if you use the java installer this would be the ticket, for obvious reasons however, msi or RPM require seperate projects...no single source generates MSI or RPM. [DS]Currently you are correct, I want rpm added as a build type and not a seperate project. It makes sense if you can create an msi from MP to also be able to create an rpm should you so wish.

Regarding the 2 products, I am purchasing a support plan this year, hopefully this will cover us for the future should the 2 products merge as I was told this gives me product updates for the life of the plan. Therefore at the end of the year I should only need to renew my plan year on year.

What would be nice is for some idea of the producs roadmap.


Cheers

DS

[enanrum]

Just to add a comment about the InstallAnywhere - I was told that Multiplatform and InstallAnywhere were going to be merged into one product sometime this year!!!

[pv7721]

Who told you that? Obviously, it did not happen last year (in 2005). Maybe this year (2006). What I've been told is that there's gonna be a new IA release so maybe the merging of the two product lines won't happen this year either.