Celestia Forums

try istool 4.0.8 http://www.istool.org/
+ inno setup 4.0.8 (stable) http://www.jrsoftware.org/

and via istool 4.0.8 with is an nice ide for inno setup you can compress
you exe with the very good soft 7-zip 3.10
http://www.7-zip.org

more info on each site

The celestia installer already uses Inno setup.
Unless 7zip is integrated into innosetup, the 2-10% size reduction is hardly worth the extra time of having to unzip the installer. Not to mention downloading an unzip program.

I used the nullsoft installer for my addon which can use bz2 compression.
The scripting language for NSIS is somewhat quirky but there are plenty of examples and there is a wizard program available. I liked it because the manual has jokes in it.

On a side note, we are using InstallShield for a product at work. What defines a project is a whole heap of small files and a complex directory structure which must have empty directories. (a bitch to keep in CVS). I also found that the projects are incompatible between versions of the InstallShield software. Stay away from InstallShield!

Inno-setup and NSIS projects are defined by a single script file, they can compile from the command line, they are mature and free.

The celestia installer already uses Inno setup.

It use an old one version (version 2.0.19 used bye chris Laurel)

Unless 7zip is integrated into innosetup, the 2-10% size reduction is hardly worth the extra time of having to unzip the installer. Not to mention downloading an unzip program.

to me decompressing the .7z file is quick enough but i have a pentium 4(compressing spend more time )
In istool(you have to install it, also innosetup and 7-zip), if you go to File->preferences... you can choose the folder of 7-zip (it will use 7za.exe in fact) and the command line of 7za.exe (so you can choose i think the way you compress your file(7zip support 7z, ZIP, CAB, RAR, ARJ, GZIP, BZIP2, TAR, CPIO, RPM and DEB formats), so compression could be faster)
Finally if you want to use 7-zip compression, you have to go to
Project->setup Option->compiler.. and in compiler choose the right compression aka 7-zip.
The creation of the installation file is automatic in istool(you only have to click on "compile setup")
And after the creation of the setup file you only have to execute it and the installation is automatic too.

I used the nullsoft installer for my addon which can use bz2 compression.
The scripting language for NSIS is somewhat quirky but there are plenty of examples and there is a wizard program available. I liked it because the manual has jokes in it.

I have heard that nullsoft installer was a good one, but chris use actually
inno setup. I don't know anything of nullsoft installer so i hope, if you think it's better than inno setup you will try to convince him and the community of celestia

Thats good that 7zip can be integrated in innosetep, I take back my comments on wasted time.
Unfortunatley, unless you do it yourself, i think you might find it hard to convince the developers to make the change. The time/improvement value isn't that great. You should make two example celestia installers (one with 7zip and one without) to demonstrate the size difference and provide some detailed instructions on how you did it.

I'm not pushing NSIS on celestia, I was just saying that I have used it and I find it okay. From what ive seen innosetup is probably just as good or better.

Nice plug by the way, and good luck with your software.

I create the other day a video with hypercam - http://www.hyperionics.com - of about 55 Minutes, at 800x600 in full color and ONLY 18 MB...

The technic is record the video at little frame rate, 2 frames per second, sound at minimum, 11025, 8 bits... After compress the video images with "Gif Movie Gear", this program compress very much the Video with not images, perfect for helps of programs, but cut the sound because in deep is program for convert video AVI files to GIF...

But I use a very old program of Asymetrix named "Digital Video Producer" for Win 3.1, but work well, and this old soft permit me merge the video compresed and the original sound in the AVI - I test with Adobe Premiere, but this very good and new soft changes the compression made by the Gif Movie Gear and not permit me have the wonderfull compression of Gif Movie Gear -...

After I compress with Winzip and the Video of 55 Minutes are in 18 MB... I believe the more and fast method for make helps is make in VIDEO AVI... Is very easy for the developer - much more fast and easy create the help - and very good for the user, an image is more better of 1000 words, and a video is more better of 1000 images...

Very thanks for the links of innosetup isetup and 7-zip, but if this program have a video for understand in minutes the complete soft, I would be more happy!!!

Sorry for me little english...

Javier Reinoso - http://www.zodiacwin.com/