Author | Topic: Installation issues with WAA (for SL-1) | |
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Andreas Gehrs-Pahl | Installation issues with WAA (for SL-1) on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:32:12 -0400 Dear Alaska Support Team, There are a couple of issues with the recent WAA installation package for Xbase++ 1.90.355 (SL-1). 1) The actually used directory structure is different from what the (readme file) documentation says. The second part, which is installed in the User's "Documents" folder isn't placed in a subdirectory tree named: "\ALASKA\WAA1W32\" but instead in a single subdirectory named: "...\Alaska Web Application Adaptor\". In addition, a third folder named "SessionData" is created -- besides the documented "LogFiles" and "Samples" folders -- in that directory. Also, instead of the User's "Documents" folder a better location for this data would be the user's "Application Data" folder (CSIDL_APPDATA) or even better "Local Settings\Application Data" (CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA). 2) The Readme and Licence files are only supplied in RTF format, instead of a plain text format, even though they don't contain any kind of formatting. That means that they can't be easily viewed without using a program (like Word or WordViewer), which is able to show RTF files. -- Andreas --- --- Andreas Gehrs-Pahl E-Mail: GPahl@CharterMI.net 415 Gute Street or: Andreas@DDPSoftware.com Owosso, MI 48867-4410 or: Andreas_Gehrs-Pahl@CrimeCog.com Tel: (989) 723-9927 Web Site: http://www.Aerospace-History.net --- --- | |
Andreas Herdt | Re: Installation issues with WAA (for SL-1) on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:53:47 +0200 Hello Mr Gehrs-Pahl, Thank you for pointing us on the issues mentioned. Also, thank you for the very clear and complete description. In fact the documentation was not synced with what is installed and used by default. To cover the first part of your description I have opened PDR 6302: http://www.alaska-software.com/scripts/waa001.dll?WAA_PACKAGE=PUBLICDTS&WAA_FORM=DISPLAYPDR&PDRID=6302 PDR 6303 describes the documentation gap of the directory sessiondata: http://www.alaska-software.com/scripts/waa001.dll?WAA_PACKAGE=PUBLICDTS&WAA_FORM=DISPLAYPDR&PDRID=6303 Regarding the location of the stuff that goes to the documents folder now: The folder "Application Data" is the perfect place to hold data that is used by an application that can be run by different users on a machine. However there are several issues to be taken into consideration. 1) The user needs write permission on that folder. Without the required permission the application (WAA) works quite well, however all data is written to the shadow copy for that user. This can be covered when write permissions are assigned while the package is installed. However, the user running the WAA then requires appropriate credentials To cover this, the installation package could create a user-group to which the user running the WAA needs to be member. We felt that the entire topic is not easy to explain when the alternative to have a per-user installation is a solution for this. For a per-user installation the users documents folder is the perfect place (platform conform) to maintain the WAAs data. Please note that the entire topic raises only because the WAA does not run as service - otherwise things would be easier and more platform conform. 2) There is no MSI installer conform place where application data can be maintained for an application that can be run from different users and that place can be browsed via the explorer. This means that such files as logfiles and WAA samples go to a directory that can not be easyly found by the users using the Microsoft file Explorer. Note that the arguments above is not targeted to experienced professionals who know perfectly the requirements to deal with the topics above. On the other hand, we have introduced the new environment variable WAA_CONFIGURATION with which the location to where the WAA writes all his stuff can be manipulated. This provides great flexibility to the professionals who understand all the side effects when proper credentials are not maintained. Hope this helps to understand our motivation that made us to choose the users documents folder for WAA data. Regarding the RTF file format: We have not suspected any issue with that since all Windows installations come with an application that can read RTF documents. Do you feel that a readme must be provided in txt format? Your opionion (and the opinion of all others who discover this thread) is welcomed. Andreas Gehrs-Pahl schrieb: > Dear Alaska Support Team, > > There are a couple of issues with the recent WAA installation package for > Xbase++ 1.90.355 (SL-1). > > 1) The actually used directory structure is different from what the > (readme file) documentation says. The second part, which is installed > in the User's "Documents" folder isn't placed in a subdirectory tree > named: "\ALASKA\WAA1W32\" but instead in a single subdirectory named: > "...\Alaska Web Application Adaptor\". > > In addition, a third folder named "SessionData" is created -- besides > the documented "LogFiles" and "Samples" folders -- in that directory. > > Also, instead of the User's "Documents" folder a better location for > this data would be the user's "Application Data" folder (CSIDL_APPDATA) > or even better "Local Settings\Application Data" (CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA). > > 2) The Readme and Licence files are only supplied in RTF format, instead > of a plain text format, even though they don't contain any kind of > formatting. That means that they can't be easily viewed without using > a program (like Word or WordViewer), which is able to show RTF files. > > -- Andreas > > --- --- > Andreas Gehrs-Pahl E-Mail: GPahl@CharterMI.net > 415 Gute Street or: Andreas@DDPSoftware.com > Owosso, MI 48867-4410 or: Andreas_Gehrs-Pahl@CrimeCog.com > Tel: (989) 723-9927 Web Site: http://www.Aerospace-History.net > --- --- Andreas Herdt Alaska Software -------------------------------------------------------------------- Technical Support: support@alaska-software.com News Server: news.alaska-software.com Homepage: http://www.alaska-software.com WebKnowledgeBase: http://www.alaska-software.com/kbase.shtm Fax European Office: +49 (0) 61 96 - 77 99 99 23 Fax US Office: +1 (646) 218 1281 -------------------------------------------------------------------- |