why reboot after win32 install?

[Ian Kallen <ia...@gamespot.com>]

Normally a happy end user, I'm wearing my reviewer's hat writing a
piece for PC Computing.  So with respect to the win32 distribution:
After installation is complete (on an NT4.0 w/sp3 server) , we're advised
that we must reboot to complete the installation. Why is that necessary? 
Aside from joking how _everything_ requires a reboot under windows, while
true too many times it isn't strictly true.  I don't recall having to
reboot after installing some other servers...

Also, any projection as to when the disclaimer about the win32 ports'
"beta" quality will be obviated?

Don't mean to ask pestering questions but I want to dot the i's on this
article.
thanks,
-Ian

--
Ian Kallen <ia...@gamespot.com>				ICQ: 17073910

Re: why reboot after win32 install?

[Marc Slemko <ma...@worldgate.com>]

On Mon, 1 Mar 1999, Paul Sutton wrote:

> On Sun, 28 Feb 1999, Ian Kallen wrote:
> > Normally a happy end user, I'm wearing my reviewer's hat writing a
> > piece for PC Computing.  So with respect to the win32 distribution:
> > After installation is complete (on an NT4.0 w/sp3 server) , we're
> > advised that we must reboot to complete the installation. Why is that
> > necessary?  Aside from joking how _everything_ requires a reboot under
> > windows, while true too many times it isn't strictly true.  I don't
> > recall having to reboot after installing some other servers...
> 
> No, Apache does not require a reboot and does not prompt you to reboot.
> The final screen from the installer is a question about whether you want
> to view the README file, then the installer exits.

Are you sure?  I think installshield may do it automatically if it
installs various DLLs.  Aren't there some DLLs included that are "system"
(ahem.  in MS's world...) DLLs, which od rqeuire a reboot?

RE: why reboot after win32 install?

[Mike Spreitzer <sp...@parc.xerox.com>]

Paul Sutton wrote: [[
However if we did two ways that spring to mind are: install the file into
the system/system32 directory with its version in the name (eg
MSVCRT50.DLL), OR install MSVCRT.DLL into the Apache directory. Neither
are very satisfactory. Um, or link MSVCRT statically, which is even less
acceptable.
]]

I'm a relatively new user of Windoze, and the way most apps install their
DLLs is just horrible!  I'm always breaking one thing by installing another,
despite trying hard not to.  My support people tell me to simply take the
load of apps they give me and install nothing on my own!  I'd be quite
willing to spend the disk and memory to give every app its own copy of the
DLLs it needs; disk and memory are cheaper than my time.  Even just putting
the version in the DLL name for a DLL in the system32 directory would help
(indeed, that's already done in many cases, and still doesn't eliminate all
the problems).

Mike

Re: why reboot after win32 install?

[Paul Sutton <pa...@awe.com>]

On Mon, 1 Mar 1999, Ian Kallen wrote:
> Paul,
> I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt but now that I'm
> largely over my flu and back in the office  where I have a scratch machine
> to do installations on virgin machines here's what I found:
>
> On NT 4.0 server w/sp4 freshly rebooted and no other diddling with it.
> Run the IS installer, _before_ you get to the prompt to view the readme,
> you're informed that installation has finished putting everything in place
> and that we must reboot to complete the installation.  If you decline the
> reboot, it will then prompt you for the readme otherwise you just cycle
> the machine without ever getting informed of the readme.
> 
> So perhaps putting the dll's in the system folder just automatically
> triggers this behavour in IS -- if it's truly unnecessary, then this
> behaviour should be suppressed.

Yes, this seems to be a windows "feature". If a system DLL is in use, the
only way it can be replaced with a later version is to stop and start
windows (it still should not be necessary to reboot: just re-initialise
windows, which I don't think windows allows unfortunately).

In the case of Apache, we install a file called MSVCRT.DLL into
\Windows\System or \WinNT\System32. 

Of course it is very nasty of windows to require a reboot after the
installation of an application, but since it is common across many other
windows installations *and* windows users seem happy to accept the
situation (or at least resigned to accept it), we probably don't need to
change it.

However if we did two ways that spring to mind are: install the file into
the system/system32 directory with its version in the name (eg
MSVCRT50.DLL), OR install MSVCRT.DLL into the Apache directory. Neither
are very satisfactory. Um, or link MSVCRT statically, which is even less
acceptable.

So in summary, Apache itself does not require a reboot, but if MSVCRT in
your system directory needs to be updated, the installer will prompt for a
reboot before Apache can be used.

Paul

Re: why reboot after win32 install?

[Ian Kallen <ia...@gamespot.com>]

Paul,
I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt but now that I'm
largely over my flu and back in the office  where I have a scratch machine
to do installations on virgin machines here's what I found:

On NT 4.0 server w/sp4 freshly rebooted and no other diddling with it.
Run the IS installer, _before_ you get to the prompt to view the readme,
you're informed that installation has finished putting everything in place
and that we must reboot to complete the installation.  If you decline the
reboot, it will then prompt you for the readme otherwise you just cycle
the machine without ever getting informed of the readme.

So perhaps putting the dll's in the system folder just automatically
triggers this behavour in IS -- if it's truly unnecessary, then this
behaviour should be suppressed.

my two cents anyway...
-Ian

On Mon, 1 Mar 1999, Paul Sutton wrote:
:On Sun, 28 Feb 1999, Ian Kallen wrote:
:> Normally a happy end user, I'm wearing my reviewer's hat writing a
:> piece for PC Computing.  So with respect to the win32 distribution:
:> After installation is complete (on an NT4.0 w/sp3 server) , we're
:> advised that we must reboot to complete the installation. Why is that
:> necessary?  Aside from joking how _everything_ requires a reboot under
:> windows, while true too many times it isn't strictly true.  I don't
:> recall having to reboot after installing some other servers...
:
:No, Apache does not require a reboot and does not prompt you to reboot.
:The final screen from the installer is a question about whether you want
:to view the README file, then the installer exits.
:
:Where did you see the suggestion to reboot? I think that may happen if
:you've installed something prior to Apache that requries a reboot, but you
:didn't reboot at the time (at least that is according to one PR we've
:got).
:
:> Also, any projection as to when the disclaimer about the win32 ports'
:> "beta" quality will be obviated?
:
:This depends on when we get some more active Win32 experts contributing to
:the Apache development. Hopefully any publicity, such as your article,
:might prompt people to get involved.
:
:Paul
:--
:Editor, Apache Week .. the latest Apache news http://www.apacheweek.com/
:
:

--
Ian Kallen <ia...@gamespot.com>				ICQ: 17073910

Re: why reboot after win32 install?

[Paul Sutton <pa...@awe.com>]

On Sun, 28 Feb 1999, Ian Kallen wrote:
> Normally a happy end user, I'm wearing my reviewer's hat writing a
> piece for PC Computing.  So with respect to the win32 distribution:
> After installation is complete (on an NT4.0 w/sp3 server) , we're
> advised that we must reboot to complete the installation. Why is that
> necessary?  Aside from joking how _everything_ requires a reboot under
> windows, while true too many times it isn't strictly true.  I don't
> recall having to reboot after installing some other servers...

No, Apache does not require a reboot and does not prompt you to reboot.
The final screen from the installer is a question about whether you want
to view the README file, then the installer exits.

Where did you see the suggestion to reboot? I think that may happen if
you've installed something prior to Apache that requries a reboot, but you
didn't reboot at the time (at least that is according to one PR we've
got).

> Also, any projection as to when the disclaimer about the win32 ports'
> "beta" quality will be obviated?

This depends on when we get some more active Win32 experts contributing to
the Apache development. Hopefully any publicity, such as your article,
might prompt people to get involved.

Paul
--
Editor, Apache Week .. the latest Apache news http://www.apacheweek.com/