Test Build of the New Win32 Installer Now Available
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Test Build of the New Win32 Installer Now Available
I have finally finished getting the Windows Installer for Thunderbird up and running. I'm putting together this special limited time only version of the Windows Installer for you to download and help test ......
http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/ ... dSetup.exe
The installer was generated from the same bits I built for this week's release build. It includes the new junk control patches as well. For a list of what's new with this build please see and post comments back in:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=61223
Let's put installer specific feedback in this thread and actual Thunderbird issues in the 03-12 release thread listed above.
Some things to note about the new installer:
1) If you select a custom install, you can choose a folder path of your choosing to install the product into. Also, a custom install gives you the option of choosing the Offline extension. You no longer need to download the extension separately. I hope to add more optional packags to the installer such as DOM Inspector in the near future.
2) The installer attempts to register Thunderbird as a Mail and a News client in the windows registry. It also registers itself to handle mailto, news, snews and nntp urls. So hopefully all those settings will just get set in your registry (Thunderbird also sets those values itself the first time you launch it)
3) We create a desktop icon and an icon in the quick launch bar (not sure what you call that) for launching the app.
4) The mozilla branded artwork is temporary.
If the installer checks out ok, I hope to make the Windows nightly build machine start producing installer bits.
-Scott
http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/ ... dSetup.exe
The installer was generated from the same bits I built for this week's release build. It includes the new junk control patches as well. For a list of what's new with this build please see and post comments back in:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=61223
Let's put installer specific feedback in this thread and actual Thunderbird issues in the 03-12 release thread listed above.
Some things to note about the new installer:
1) If you select a custom install, you can choose a folder path of your choosing to install the product into. Also, a custom install gives you the option of choosing the Offline extension. You no longer need to download the extension separately. I hope to add more optional packags to the installer such as DOM Inspector in the near future.
2) The installer attempts to register Thunderbird as a Mail and a News client in the windows registry. It also registers itself to handle mailto, news, snews and nntp urls. So hopefully all those settings will just get set in your registry (Thunderbird also sets those values itself the first time you launch it)
3) We create a desktop icon and an icon in the quick launch bar (not sure what you call that) for launching the app.
4) The mozilla branded artwork is temporary.
If the installer checks out ok, I hope to make the Windows nightly build machine start producing installer bits.
-Scott
Last edited by mscott on March 16th, 2004, 2:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Thunderbirds are Go!
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Re: Test Build of the New Win32 Installer Now Available
mscott wrote:3) We create a desktop icon and an icon in the quick launch bar (not sure what you call that) for launching the app.
Please tell me this is optional. I like control over my desktop. Also, you've not mentioned what happens to the Start Menu - do you let the user pick the Start Menu folder? If I move stuff around afterwards, the uninstaller doesn't know about it.
(All the above gripes about the installer apply to Firefox, too.)
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Re: Test Build of the New Win32 Installer Now Available
mscott wrote:3) We create a desktop icon and an icon in the quick launch bar (not sure what you call that) for launching the app.
Placing a shortcut on the desktop is going against Microsofts Windows XP guidelines of a clean desktop. I *never* have application shortcuts on the desktop, that's what the QuickLaunch and Start menu is for. This applies to the Firefox installer too, but I haven't seen a thread about that so I post it here.
Another issue (that admittedly is debatable) is that you can't specify the install folder unless you go for a custom install. The usual convention is to always allow the user to specify this, but on the other hand, I don't see why a non-techie would want to fiddle with that detail. So on second thought, just ignore this paragraph!
On a more serious note, I couldn't successfully download the installer. It complains about UninstallThunderbird.zip being corrupted. Maybe I have a corrupted connection though.
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Downloaded and installed with no problems on Windows XP Home.
'Mozlla Thunderbird' folder instead of 'thunderbird' folder is coherent with Firefox setting, and at last gives an uppercase T to thunderbird.
An icon on the desktop is easy to delete so those who like Mircosoft's definition of a clean desktop can easily get rid of that icon. I have nothing against it, and anyway would not like anyone to tell me what a clean desktop is.
I agree with John Liebson's remarks about the readme.txt - is needs dusting. Most of it is useless since it tells how to intall software of differnet platforms whereas this is about a Windows Installer, and the text is only available after Thunderbird is installed...
'Mozlla Thunderbird' folder instead of 'thunderbird' folder is coherent with Firefox setting, and at last gives an uppercase T to thunderbird.
An icon on the desktop is easy to delete so those who like Mircosoft's definition of a clean desktop can easily get rid of that icon. I have nothing against it, and anyway would not like anyone to tell me what a clean desktop is.
I agree with John Liebson's remarks about the readme.txt - is needs dusting. Most of it is useless since it tells how to intall software of differnet platforms whereas this is about a Windows Installer, and the text is only available after Thunderbird is installed...
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Re: Test Build of the New Win32 Installer Now Available
is the "get all messages" feature on the list of things to add?mscott wrote:2) The installer attempts to register Thunderbird as a Mail and a News client in the windows registry. It also registers itself to handle mailto, news, snews and nntp urls. So hopefully all those settings will just get set in your registry (Thunderbird also sets those values itself the first time you launch it)
i have like 5-7 email accounts and don't always want to click "get mail" for each of them.
i realize there is more than one extension that does this, so perhaps that is what prevents you from including one by default?
here's the list from texturizer.net
Easy Get Mail Button 2004-03-07
Get All Mail Button 2004-02-20
Get All Messages 2003-06-12
i've personally only used the one that was released first (get all messages) which is equivalent to an OE feature (iirc).
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Mmm, mailto links aren't working and Start->Run.. "mailto:a@b" gives "The specified path does not exist".
Delving into regedit...
HKCR\mailto\shell\open\command
(Default) REG_SZ C:\PROGRA~1\THUNDE~1\THUNDE~1.EXE -compose %1
That's from my previous install, by the look of it. Manually changed to
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Thunderbird\thunderbird.exe" -compose %1
and it works.
HKCR\Protocols\Handler\mailto
CLSID REG_SZ {3050f3DA-98B5-11CF-BB82-00AA00BDCE0B}
Not sure what uses that but it refers on to %SystemRoot%\System32\mshtml.dll. Several bits in the registry point to URL:MailTo handler.
Delving into regedit...
HKCR\mailto\shell\open\command
(Default) REG_SZ C:\PROGRA~1\THUNDE~1\THUNDE~1.EXE -compose %1
That's from my previous install, by the look of it. Manually changed to
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Thunderbird\thunderbird.exe" -compose %1
and it works.
HKCR\Protocols\Handler\mailto
CLSID REG_SZ {3050f3DA-98B5-11CF-BB82-00AA00BDCE0B}
Not sure what uses that but it refers on to %SystemRoot%\System32\mshtml.dll. Several bits in the registry point to URL:MailTo handler.
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mscott wrote:Gee, it's nice to see everyone is enjoying the new installer :)
As far as creating icons & stuff goes, we share the same installer framework as firefox which was built from seamonkey. Shouldn't be any new behaviors here unique to us....
True, but would it be difficult to add what so many other installers have, an option for creating a desktop icon?
Scott, that is a rhetorical question in the sense that I have no idea whatsoever as to whether that would be difficult; if it would not, then I suggest it be added.