redistributable dll's

12VoltMan · 9th June 2006, 19:01

In the NSIS Manual, it says "Warning: when deploying DLLs, always use redistributable files. Never copy files from your system directory."

Why should you not use the files from your system directory? I'm trying to recreate our badly behaving install using NSIS and it would be a lot easier to just grab what's on my system than to try to locate the redistributables. It sounds like that's not a good idea, though.

Thanks

Joel · 9th June 2006, 23:50

Depends on which distributable DLLs we are talking.

Which one are yours?

12VoltMan · 10th June 2006, 00:05

Here's a list of all the things I could find that are going into the system folder (or a couple other Windows folders). I'm trying to reconstruct this install from the existing installer's log file.

amcompat.tlb
asycfilt.dll
CfData2.dll
comcat.dll
comdlg32.ocx
DAO\Dao360.dll
dwusplay.dll
isusweb.dll
mci32.ocx
mfc42.dll
msado15.dll
msadodc.ocx
msador15.dll
msbind.dll
MSCDRUN.DLL
mschrt20.ocx
mscomct2.ocx
mscomctl.ocx
msderun.dll
msmask32.ocx
MSO.DLL
MSOUTL.OLB
msrdo20.dll
msstdfmt.dll
msvbvm60.dll
msvcp60.dll
msxml4.cat
msxml4.dll
msxml4.Manifest
msxml4a.dll
msxml4r.cat
msxml4r.dll
msxml4r.Manifest
richtx32.ocx
Richtx32.ocx
Tabctl32.ocx

Joel · 10th June 2006, 00:12

Well..most of them come with Microsoft Visual 6 Studio Service pack 6, although the installer 60 MB =\

My recommendation is try to use IFileExists instruction and use at the most the installers from Microsoft.

Mr Inches · 10th June 2006, 08:45

The general reason for not doing this is that the versions of the various libraries you have can vary from the standard installs. Not all of the actions the installers does may have been recorded in log you are using either, for example library registration, registry entries etc.

Consider how many applications you have installed since you did the basic operating system install. Do you know exactly which version of each of the libraries you have and how they compare the 'standard' versions originally issues. Do you know what other changes were made when you installed the application that put them on your system?

Consider how happy you would be if someone handed you a copy of (some of) the .NET framework files from their computer, and said 'it works OK for me' rather than an original Microsoft issued installer?

If you have access to a plain vanilla installation to draw from, then you may be able to use files from there, but if you don't, it is probably safest to use the installations provide by MS (or whoever else originally provided the libraries.)

As a general rule, if an original installer for the libraries exists, you are better off running it as part of your installer than trying to collect the various bits and pieces from your development system.

Of course, while troubleshooting you can do whatever you think helps locate the bug, but you should consider the above when it comes to your actual installer.

Duncan

12VoltMan · 12th June 2006, 18:17

Thanks. The "why" was about what I expected but I wanted to make sure there wasn't anything more sinister lurking in the shadows (so to speak).

I guess I'll try to track down the actual redistributables.

9th June 2006, 19:01	#1
12VoltMan Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3	redistributable dll's In the NSIS Manual, it says "Warning: when deploying DLLs, always use redistributable files. Never copy files from your system directory." Why should you not use the files from your system directory? I'm trying to recreate our badly behaving install using NSIS and it would be a lot easier to just grab what's on my system than to try to locate the redistributables. It sounds like that's not a good idea, though. Thanks

9th June 2006, 23:50	#2
Joel Debian user (Forum King) Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Arch land Posts: 4,917	Depends on which distributable DLLs we are talking. Which one are yours? * PC: Intel Core 2 DUO E6550 @ 2.33 GHz with 2 GB RAM: Archlinux-i686 with MATE. * Laptop: Intel Core 2 DUO T6600 @ 2.20 GHz with 4 GB RAM: Archlinux-x86-64 with MATE.

10th June 2006, 00:12	#4
Joel Debian user (Forum King) Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Arch land Posts: 4,917	Well..most of them come with Microsoft Visual 6 Studio Service pack 6, although the installer 60 MB =\ My recommendation is try to use IFileExists instruction and use at the most the installers from Microsoft. * PC: Intel Core 2 DUO E6550 @ 2.33 GHz with 2 GB RAM: Archlinux-i686 with MATE. * Laptop: Intel Core 2 DUO T6600 @ 2.20 GHz with 4 GB RAM: Archlinux-x86-64 with MATE.

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10th June 2006, 00:05	#3
12VoltMan Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3	Here's a list of all the things I could find that are going into the system folder (or a couple other Windows folders). I'm trying to reconstruct this install from the existing installer's log file. amcompat.tlb asycfilt.dll CfData2.dll comcat.dll comdlg32.ocx DAO\Dao360.dll dwusplay.dll isusweb.dll mci32.ocx mfc42.dll msado15.dll msadodc.ocx msador15.dll msbind.dll MSCDRUN.DLL mschrt20.ocx mscomct2.ocx mscomctl.ocx msderun.dll msmask32.ocx MSO.DLL MSOUTL.OLB msrdo20.dll msstdfmt.dll msvbvm60.dll msvcp60.dll msxml4.cat msxml4.dll msxml4.Manifest msxml4a.dll msxml4r.cat msxml4r.dll msxml4r.Manifest richtx32.ocx Richtx32.ocx Tabctl32.ocx

10th June 2006, 08:45	#5
Mr Inches Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Canberra, Australia Posts: 76	The general reason for not doing this is that the versions of the various libraries you have can vary from the standard installs. Not all of the actions the installers does may have been recorded in log you are using either, for example library registration, registry entries etc. Consider how many applications you have installed since you did the basic operating system install. Do you know exactly which version of each of the libraries you have and how they compare the 'standard' versions originally issues. Do you know what other changes were made when you installed the application that put them on your system? Consider how happy you would be if someone handed you a copy of (some of) the .NET framework files from their computer, and said 'it works OK for me' rather than an original Microsoft issued installer? If you have access to a plain vanilla installation to draw from, then you may be able to use files from there, but if you don't, it is probably safest to use the installations provide by MS (or whoever else originally provided the libraries.) As a general rule, if an original installer for the libraries exists, you are better off running it as part of your installer than trying to collect the various bits and pieces from your development system. Of course, while troubleshooting you can do whatever you think helps locate the bug, but you should consider the above when it comes to your actual installer. Duncan

12th June 2006, 18:17	#6
12VoltMan Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3	Thanks. The "why" was about what I expected but I wanted to make sure there wasn't anything more sinister lurking in the shadows (so to speak). I guess I'll try to track down the actual redistributables.