Dear,

Kent, of course we can reduce the code also f.e. by using kixstrip to
do it. For easy reading and maintenance we prefer our version. The amount
of benefits isn't very high. Package will not reduce dramatically. Package
is already compressed. Speed of this script isn't significant slower in ori-
ginal form in comparison with a stripped script.

The first goal for creating kixstrip was: by removing all kind of unused
statements like comment and a like of output an user can't see we reduce
the amount of data transfer in a dramatically way in a slow network en-
vironment.

F.e. install.kix will reduce from 2.832 to 1.705 bytes
and start1.kix will reduce from 27.544 to 12.486 bytes

After creation a new package with stripped install.kix & start1.kix and
removed start2.kix script the result is
- unstripped 190.720 bytes
- stripped 182.528 bytes
Simple reducing the scripts with about 87.764 will reduce the package with
only 8.192 bytes. The amount of data which doesn't have much impact on
any kind of network connection.

In conclusion we can reduce our code also to the minimum, but with our
distribution we want to support all different kind of environments.
Starting with MS-Windows95 and ending with MS-Longhorn. Also we want
it very easy for unexperience kixtart user to return a good report
about his possible problems with the packages he or she is using.

Kent, it isn't necessary to use install.kix script when you
are skipping the debugging start2.kix script. It was only necessary
to make it possible that we can run both script types without the require-
ment to use different packages.
You known we can't change the PostInstallCmd during running package.
In your situation you can change it to

PostInstallCmd=wkix32.exe /i start1.kix

or

PostInstallCmd=kix32.exe start1.kix

Also we want the amount of modifications between start1.kix and wstart1.kix
very small. The most of them are layout issues and output for control file.
Summary of changes between both versions (skipping part of file associations)
code:
=============================================================================
<   $kix_console_mode="no" ; - kix32.exe -
---
>   $kix_console_mode="yes" ; - wkix32.exe -
=============================================================================
<   $kix_files[0]="kix"+Substr(@kix,1,1)+Substr(@kix,3,2)+".ok" ; - check file -
<   $kix_files[1]="kix32.exe"
---
>   $kix_files[0]="kix"+Substr(@kix,1,1)+Substr(@kix,3,2)+"w.ok" ; - check file -
>   $kix_files[1]="wkix32.exe"
=============================================================================
<     $title="KiXtart "+@kix
---
>     $title="KiXtart "+@kix+" (CONSOLE-LESS version)"
=============================================================================
<       IF (Exist($system_drive+"kix"+Substr(@kix,1,1)+Substr(@kix,3,2)+".ok") = 1) OR (Exist($destination_directory+"kix"+Substr(@kix,1,1)+Substr(@kix,3,2)+".ok") = 1)
---
>       IF (Exist($system_drive+"kix"+Substr(@kix,1,1)+Substr(@kix,3,2)+"w.ok") = 1) OR (Exist($destination_directory+"kix"+Substr(@kix,1,1)+Substr(@kix,3,2)+"w.ok") = 1)
=============================================================================
<       IF (Exist($system_drive+"kix"+Substr(@kix,1,1)+Substr(@kix,3,2)+".ok") = 1) OR (Exist($destination_directory+"kix"+Substr(@kix,1,1)+Substr(@kix,3,2)+".ok") = 1)
---
>       IF (Exist($system_drive+"kix"+Substr(@kix,1,1)+Substr(@kix,3,2)+"w.ok") = 1) OR (Exist($destination_directory+"kix"+Substr(@kix,1,1)+Substr(@kix,3,2)+"w.ok") = 1)
=============================================================================
<   IF (Exist($system_drive+"kix"+Substr(@kix,1,1)+Substr(@kix,3,2)+".ok") = 1) OR (Exist($destination_directory+"kix"+Substr(@kix,1,1)+Substr(@kix,3,2)+".ok") = 1)
---
>   IF (Exist($system_drive+"kix"+Substr(@kix,1,1)+Substr(@kix,3,2)+"w.ok") = 1) OR (Exist($destination_directory+"kix"+Substr(@kix,1,1)+Substr(@kix,3,2)+"w.ok") = 1)
=============================================================================
Another reducing in script can be f.e. logevent information part.
Most of the code after label:end has to deal with this.

Kent, about the idea about changing scripts for their own version
we aren't very enthusiastic. Simple a wrong way of modifying it f.e. wrong
quotation can have impact we doesn't see at this moment. We prefer that
we are controlling user's input by environment variables. Wrong input
can never have big impact.
For experience users it isn't a big problem to modify our installation scripts.
Also the documentation about creating our packages was already publish on
our site.

Kent, why should we include instructions for using other packages.
Some of them are freeware. Some are very expensive. More important is
that is doing the job in the right way (compact package, no direct user
input required).

Jooel, you can see we doesn't forget your remark about that.
Your remark about "I want to change where the files are being distributed"
is also an issue Kent suggested too. It was already something
on our TO-DO list.

greetings.

btw: possible you have see, that we are checking all our TO-DO things on
the board. Some are completed.
_________________________
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