Linux installation

[J. Landman Gay]

Bob Warren wrote:

> Thanks Jacque. If what you say is strongly true, then that's a sad day 
> for Rev Linux users, since there is not one Linux but hundreds. But 
> since I need to be a bit more optimistic, let me try another definition:
> 
> "The output program from Rev is as 'standalone' as the Rev development 
> environment itself. If the Rev IDE runs on your particular flavour of 
> Linux, then so will your standalones." [True or false in your opinion?]

Probably true, though it may depend on what your standalone does. But in 
general, I'd say yes.

> 
> The definition above simply refers to whether the program executes or 
> crashes. I'm not sure what you meant by "certain features of the OS", 

The engine calls on the OS and its hardware to access or draw various 
components and features. If you don't have a window manager, you won't 
get any windows. If you don't have a sound card, you can't beep. And so 
forth. Every machine will be different.

> So now I'll try a 2nd part of the definition:
> 
> "If you transfer your standalone program to another flavour of Linux, it 
> will not crash upon intitialization. However, if your program attempts 
> to access HD or network paths that are differently placed in the runtime 
> environment, and appropriate error routines are not included, this might 
> cause your standalone to crash." [True or false in your opinion?]

I don't think "crash" is the right word. Sometimes it may, sometimes it 
won't. Depends on what you are trying to do and how good your error 
checking is. As for the network and file paths, again, that will depend 
on the installation. You are correct that various flavors of Linux will 
have different requirements. Every machine will be different because 
Linux users can install components they want and omit others. You have 
no control over that. If a library your software depends on is missing, 
you'll have to ask the user to install it.

> Trying to sum up a little on what has come out of this thread regarding 
> the obtaining of fundamental Linux system info, I would like to point 
> out that the apparently useful suite of functions provided by RB is 
> insufficent, even if it were failproof and always correctly identified 
> all 8 HD paths. A good example is the problem I mentioned above. If you 
> want to use CD-Rom or Floppy Diskette drives in your program, they have 
> to be "mounted" and you need to discover where in the file system this 
> can be done. And what would I do in #2 of my file/picture chooser 
> widgets if I wanted to access local network drives?

How about just asking the user to select the path via "answer folder"? 
Then store it for future reference.

-- 
Jacqueline Landman Gay         |     jacque at hyperactivesw.com
HyperActive Software           |     http://www.hyperactivesw.com