Re: [MacPerl] Installing on Users' Macs

["Paul J. Schinder" <schinder@pobox.com>]

At 4:30 PM -0500 12/2/98, Chris Nandor wrote:

} I keep hearing that it is some sort of problem to install MacPerl on users'
} machines.  I don't get it.  I really don't.  Hard drive space is a good
} reason, but other than that, I don't get it.

Personally I've always been in favor minimal intelligence tests for
software.  As in, "if you can't run a Mac installer, you shouldn't be using
Perl in the first place.  If you can't keep users from messing things up,
what are you doing installing things like Perl on your machines?"

But OTOH, MacOS is MacOS, and Perl is a Unix program.  It's designed to sit
in a tree that is protected from the clue challenged and to be administered
by a person of clue.  It's unlike the typical monolithic Mac app which
drops it's "extension" files in the System Folder (hmm, there's a thought,
since System Folders are usually the target of what few file protection
thingies there are on MacOS).  It puts boatloads of "undocumented" files in
a folder out in user land.

} I can think of a few solutions, though.
}
} One would be to make a static build of MacPerl for PPC and 68K that had all
} the text files  (.pl, .ph, .pm, etc.) in the resource fork.  One big app
} with everything, hold the mayo.

Difficult to upgrade, but possible, I suppose.  There must be limits on
resource forks, though.

}
} The other is a script that would, after installing MacPerl, make the folder
} invisible and lock everything up so it could not be "messed" with by
} anyone.  A corresponding unlock/visible script could be made, too.

That's an idea.  As I recall, Tcl/Tk puts all of its files in the
Extensions or the Preferences folder.  Maybe lib should go there,
additionally protected by invisibility.  There's a System Folder lockdown
built into 8.5, no?

}
} Thoughts?  The second idea can be implemented now.  The first can only be
} implemented right now with 68K code, but in the future it could be done
} with both, I think.
}
} I would still install the entire MacPerl installation on everyone's
} machines, but this might help others of you who have really stupid users.
} :-)
}
} --
} Chris Nandor          mailto:pudge@pobox.com         http://pudge.net/
} %PGPKey = ('B76E72AD', [1024, '0824090B CE73CA10  1FF77F13 8180B6B6'])
}

-----
Paul J. Schinder
schinder@pobox.com

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