Re: To use or _NOT_ to use InstallShield?

[Doug Brown <dbrown at clark dot net>]

I think the real question is "who is the intended audience of cygwin32?"

If the intended audience is experienced unix developers who are looking for a
porting tool for NT/95, then a .tgz distribution is sufficient.

On the other hand, if the intended audience is NT/95 developers/users who are
looking for a free compiler/development alternative to msvc5.0 et al, or who
are looking for an introduction into the unix/gnu development environment w/o
installing Linux/FreeBSD, then installshield is the way to go. Such people
expect an installation package like installshield. They would not know what to
do with a tarball, nor would they have the tools on hand to work with one,
even if they did understand what to do with it.

Reviewing the gnu-win32 mail list and the faq, it seems there are several
people in both camps. Therefore, I have a few recommendations:

1) Clarify in the documentation which audience is targeted.

2) Tailor the installation method for the intended audience

3) If you truly intend to target both audiences, then provide installation
mechanisms for both.

BTW, I've been a silent user of cygwin32 for about a year, and a lurker in the
mail list for the last few months. I'd like to publicly commend the people
responsible for Cygwin32. I've used it extensively and had only minor problems
that were easily corrected.

Doug

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