On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 03:40:03 +0900, Curt Hibbs <curt / hibbs.com> wrote:
> Lothar Scholz wrote:

> > I'm not sure if this is a good idea. I like to have many things
> > included in the installer. I install ruby quite often and also on
> > a lot of machines that don't have internet access.
> >
> > So i vote for having at least a good amout of batteries included.
> I think you can have this both ways.

> When you try to install a RubyGem, it first looks for it on your local
> machine and if its not found it then looks at the remote repository.

> You could easily create yourself a CD repository of the stuff you like to
> install and let RubyGems install from there.

> That being said, there will probably always be a certain core that is always
> included (which would all the stuff that you cannot "uncheck" from he
> install dialog).

...except that a lot of things aren't available as Gems (or RPA) and
quite often the compiles don't work out of the box.

I personally think that it's better for the installer to include a
number of things -- possibly gems -- that will be optionally
installed, but they should be included in the download package or as
part of a "sumo" download package. There are times when I definitely
wish there was a "batteries included" Firefox install -- usually when
I'm having to get all the extensions that I liked so much onto a new
or rebuilt machine.

-austin
-- 
Austin Ziegler * halostatue / gmail.com
               * Alternate: austin / halostatue.ca