[cap-talk] Installing programs on Windows

[David Hopwood]

Karp, Alan H wrote:
> Here's one argument I got about the installation endowment.
> 
> "If I install a program on Windows so that it runs with administrator
> rights, I don't have to specify anything.  The program automatically has
> access to anything it needs.  Isn't that simpler than having to specify
> what rights it needs?"
> 
> I gave my answer.  What's yours?

Here's a good answer: on Vista, the program *doesn't* automatically have
access to anything it needs, and you don't get a usable installation
process either. Instead, you frequently get obscure failures as a result
of Vista incorrectly guessing what authority the installer processes should
have. For example, from the Scheme-48 mailing list:

Subject "s48 1.5 on Vista"

# Hi...
#
# the installer does not work out -- it complains about lots of 'access
# denied' once the local building runs.
#
# While I see the bat files in build, I'm at a loss how to run them
# manually.
#
# yes -- I'm an Administrator of the machine. Still...

This has to be corrected by putting manifests on each executable saying what
privileges it needs.

-- 
David Hopwood <david.nospam.hopwood at blueyonder.co.uk>