Need advice - software to create autoinstall CD for Celestia

[fsgregs]

Hi everyone:

My educational Activities are being extensively revised, with two new ones being offered. I will be packaging them and all of their 1.5 GB of add-ons on two CDs, which will be offered by an Astronomy educators catalog company here in the U.S.

I have a CD burner on my computer. I need to buy or locate software that will create an autoinstaller file for my Activities for Windows. I tell the software what files go where, it handles everything and creates both CD's. You put the first one in a computer, it automatically launches, an install menu pops up, you click OK and it installs Celestia, along with all of my extra files, textures and Activities. Since there are 2 CD's, it also gives you the message to insert the 2nd CD and the install continues.

I can buy installshield, but it's $450 and I'd like to avoid that up front cost. I don't know if I will sell any of the CDS.

Does anyone know of software that will work for me at a lower cost to buy? I would greatly prefer the software to be user friendly ... perhaps with a walk-through wizard that helps me set up the files, etc. It has got to allow the option of inserting 2 CD's.

P.S. - I've been told that there is no such thing as an autoinstall feature for MAC or Linux. There, the users have to drag and drop files from the CD's into folders they create on their computers. Is that correct?



Awaiting word. Thanks

Frank

[d.m.falk]

The Windows version of Celestia is distributed already as an installer .exe file, which makes this job much easier. From there, all you need is to make a textfile called "autorun.iinf" that tells to run the installer, or set it to run another progfram that will make a menu so you can run the installer from the menu and iunload the add-on .zips from disk. There are plenty of optiions around, if you look.

d.m.f.

[rthorvald]

I need to buy or locate software that will create an autoinstaller file for my Activities for Windows. I tell the software what files go where, it handles everything and creates both CD's. You put the first one in a computer, it automatically launches, an install menu pops up, you click OK and it installs Celestia, along with all of my extra files, textures and Activities. Since there are 2 CD's, it also gives you the message to insert the 2nd CD and the install continues. [...] Does anyone know of software that will work for me at a lower cost to buy? I would greatly prefer the software to be user friendly ... perhaps with a walk-through wizard that helps me set up the files, etc. It has got to allow the option of inserting 2 CD's

Why not just pre-configure a version of Celestia with all your content in it, and burn it to a DVD, containing versions for all three platforms? You can fit all three versions on a single DVD, and if the extras folder and other tweaks are pre-baked, installation ought to be very simple for the user without an autoinstaller. I understand you only have a CD burner, but obtaining a DVD burner may prove to be cheaper than buying an installer maker program...

I've been told that there is no such thing as an autoinstall feature for MAC or Linux. There, the users have to drag and drop files from the CD's into folders they create on their computers. Is that correct?

You can create installers for OSX (mac). For example, MindVision sells an installer builder for both mac & windows. But on OSX, the .dmg format (disk image) is the preferred distribution method, and there are free software to build DMG files. This format is "click-drag-drop", and any real installation procedure is hardly ever neccecary.

-rthorvald

[Vincent]

Does anyone know of software that will work for me at a lower cost to buy? I would greatly prefer the software to be user friendly ... perhaps with a walk-through wizard that helps me set up the files, etc. It has got to allow the option of inserting 2 CD's.

Frank

For my educational tools, I made a special celestia folder and I used Install Creator pro (The free version) to make a Windows .exe file so that teachers could install it in every school. It worked perfectly. I think that's what you're looking for...You only have to check the option of inserting 2 CD's...

Here's the link for an english version

http://www.clickteam.com/fr/download_se ... Principaux

[fsgregs]

Dear DM Falk: Thanks for the advice. Sadly, I don't know what to do to make the text file or how to implement it. I've never done that and have no idea what to write, what the commands are, where to put the file, etc. Also,

Runar: In about two weeks, I would like to send you a listing of all the files and folders that I will have in my Activities to install. I would be grateful if from that file, you tell me how to structure things for drag-n-drop into a MAC OS X and Linux. I cannot use a DVD because very few schools will have DVD readers on their computers. I'd say less than 5% of teaching computers and zero student computers. We must work only with CD's.

Vincent: Thanks for the tip. I've downloaded the English version of the installer and will check it out tomorrow.

Frank

[d.m.falk]

fsgres,

start with this:

http://autorun.moonvalley.com/autoruninf.htm

You can use Notepad to write it.

However, you CAN use a few freeware editors, if you'd like:

http://www.ashzfall.com/products/autorun/
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptautorun.asp
http://autorun.moonvalley.com/
http://www.autorunwizard.com/

d.m.f.

[rthorvald]

Runar: In about two weeks, I would like to send you a listing of all the files and folders that I will have in my Activities to install

Certainly. I??m happy to help.

-rthorvald