installer

[Ulf Wiger]

I've dusted off an installer program that -- I'm not sure
how it started, if I wrote it and Mats Cronqvist improved
it, or if Mats wrote the first version -- ehm, we have been
using a little bit on the side for some of our tools.

I'm beginning to think that it might be quite useful as a
contrib, but thought I'd ask first if someone out there
would like to assist in finishing it and being a beta
tester.

This is the idea:

For any given application, you write an .app.src file and a
.rel.src file. These look like the .app and .rel files, but
with some details removed. The installer program reads these
files, creates .app and .rel files, e.g. with an updated
list of modules based on what's in the directory. It then
generates .script and .boot files in the "priv" directory.
The program will find the applications listed in the
.rel.src and extract version info. It will also insert the
erts version info from the OTP version being used.

I've added some customization options, like the possibility
to direct the output files to some other directory, and the
possibiliy to skip modules that are not ready for inclusion
in the .app file.

One way to use the tool could be to "build" one application
at a time, and testing them with a full boot script. You can
then incrementally build your system. I find it quite handy.

Anyone interested in helping out with testing and ideas?
I want to add some more power and flexibility without making
it dauntingly difficult to use.

/Uffe
-- 
Ulf Wiger, Senior Specialist,
   / / /   Architecture & Design of Carrier-Class Software
  / / /    Strategic Product & System Management
 / / /     Ericsson AB, Connectivity and Control Nodes