1. OverviewΒΆ

Creating an installer require the following steps:

  1. Create SubVersion repository containing the files to be installed.

  2. Create an index of the repository by writing an index file, documenting information about the components to be installed and dependencies between them.

  3. Make the SVN repository public on the internet

    OR:

  4. Export the repository as static files via http or by using services such as Amazon S3.

The user of an instl installer will need to:
# Create a file describing what needs to be installed and providing locations for various folders and tools needed for installing. # Run the instl tool providing the file described above as input and creating a file with installation actions as output. # Run the output of the instl command.

These actions need not be done manually be the user, as most users are not comfortable with using command line tools. Typically a GUI application will perform these steps for the user, letting the user choose what and where to install. Such GUI is beyond the scope of instl.