Problem running a deployed app on Win2K

I have installed my Dolphin app on a Win2K machine, and when I try to launch
the .exe, I get the following error in a dialog box:

"The Dolphin smalltalk VM COM component is required to run this application,
but could not created.
The error was: 0x8007007e, The specified module could not be found.
Please ensure that the application is correctly installed and try again."

For what it's worth, I have only gotten this problem on this one machine.

My installation ships the .exe file,  along with DolphinVM004.dll, in the
same directory.

Thanks !

- Ken

Ken,

you need to register the Dolphin VM using regsvr32.

Just execute the following to register:
regsvr32 /s [Your DolphinVM004.dll]

The /s switch is AFAIK for "silent" mode.

To unregister use:
regsvr32 /s /u [Your DolphinVM004.dll]

Further information can be found at
http://www.object-arts.com/wiki/html/Dolphin/DeployingExecutables.htm.


Udo


"Ken Lee" <[hidden email]> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:9t3utf$82te$[hidden email]...
> I have installed my Dolphin app on a Win2K machine, and when I try to
launch
> the .exe, I get the following error in a dialog box:
>
> "The Dolphin smalltalk VM COM component is required to run this
application,

Udo -

> you need to register the Dolphin VM using regsvr32.
>
> Just execute the following to register:
> regsvr32 /s [Your DolphinVM004.dll]
>
> The /s switch is AFAIK for "silent" mode.
>
> To unregister use:
> regsvr32 /s /u [Your DolphinVM004.dll]

Thanks a lot ! It works perfectly.

Now the question is, how to automate this process ?

I wonder whether the handy and inexpensive installation InstallMaker (to
which I was introduced by Ian) allows you to perform this operation.
Apparently, there is an option to install a DLL, and another to install an
ActiveX or OCX component - but I wonder if these do anything more than
merely copy the file to the specified directory.

If anyone has any experience with this tool, I would be most grateful for
any insights - or other suggestions on how to automate the process.

Best wishes,

Ken

Ken,

> I wonder whether the handy and inexpensive installation InstallMaker (to
> which I was introduced by Ian) allows you to perform this operation.

I don't think there is anything built in - hence the inexpensive <g> but ...

> If anyone has any experience with this tool, I would be most grateful for
> any insights - or other suggestions on how to automate the process.

... you can specify a file that is "launched" at the end of the
installation, which is normally used to start up the application. If you
create a batch (*.bat) file and launch that instead then it should do the
initialising for you.

Two (unanswered) thoughts

- I'm assuming you can start regsvr from within a bat file at a dos
prompt??. I've never tried it.
- You'll have to edit in specific location for the Dolphin dll into the
batch file which might be a problem??

Regards
    Ian

Ken, Ian,

> ... you can specify a file that is "launched" at the end of the
> installation, which is normally used to start up the application. If you
> create a batch (*.bat) file and launch that instead then it should do the
> initialising for you.

Are you sure it doesn't have a "self-register DLL/OCX/ActiveX" option?  If
it does, that will probably do the job.


> Two (unanswered) thoughts
>
> - I'm assuming you can start regsvr from within a bat file at a dos
> prompt??. I've never tried it.

I'm pretty sure that's ok.  It's a good idea to install (conditionally on
version/time-stamp of course) regsvr32, because it's not always present.
Use the /s ("silent") switch to avoid having message boxes appear.


> - You'll have to edit in specific location for the Dolphin dll into the
> batch file which might be a problem??

As COMponents, the VM and compiler can be anywhere on the drive.  Unless
you're trying to play be the rules, the only trick is to pick a path that
either exists or you have rights to create (if needed) and to write.  It's
supposed to be possible for either the Windows or System directory (forget
which) to be read-only; I've never seen that happen - network/shared
installations or something???

Have a good one,

Bill

--
Wilhelm K. Schwab, Ph.D.
[hidden email]

Bill,

> Are you sure it doesn't have a "self-register DLL/OCX/ActiveX" option?  If
> it does, that will probably do the job.

It's got a "Register OCX control" option for each file it installs - would
that do it?

> As COMponents, the VM and compiler can be anywhere on the drive.  Unless
> you're trying to play be the rules, the only trick is to pick a path that
> either exists or you have rights to create (if needed) and to write.  It's
> supposed to be possible for either the Windows or System directory (forget
> which) to be read-only; I've never seen that happen - network/shared
> installations or something???

Doh, you're quite right of course.I was thinking that you would have to
locate the existing dll on the disk - but if it was already there then the
original installer would have registered it!!.

Clickteam has options for placing files in the Windows/System folders, but
might there still be a problem locating those folders from within a batch
file?. I've got a feeling they can be accessed as constants (from the dos
command line) but it is such a long time since I used it for anything other
than the basics.

Regards
    Ian

Ken,

an installation tool that works quite well and is not so expensive is
INF-Tool.
You can find a free version at http://www.inner-smile.com/dl_inf.htm.


Udo


"Ken Lee" <[hidden email]> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:9t5g6s$evp4$[hidden email]...

Udo -

Again, thanks so much for your help.

- Ken
an
> > ActiveX or OCX component - but I wonder if these do anything more than
> > merely copy the file to the specified directory.
> >
> > If anyone has any experience with this tool, I would be most grateful
for

Hi Ian,

> > Are you sure it doesn't have a "self-register DLL/OCX/ActiveX" option?
If
> > it does, that will probably do the job.
>
> It's got a "Register OCX control" option for each file it installs - would
> that do it?
>
> > As COMponents, the VM and compiler can be anywhere on the drive.  Unless
> > you're trying to play be the rules, the only trick is to pick a path
that
> > either exists or you have rights to create (if needed) and to write.
It's
> > supposed to be possible for either the Windows or System directory
(forget
> > which) to be read-only; I've never seen that happen - network/shared
> > installations or something???
>
> Doh, you're quite right of course.I was thinking that you would have to
> locate the existing dll on the disk - but if it was already there then the
> original installer would have registered it!!.

Well, don't be too hard on yourself.  One caveat is that installer would
have _tried to register it - it will most likely succeed.  The other (more
significant) caveat is that my installations are a bit on the rogue side;
more on that below.


> Clickteam has options for placing files in the Windows/System folders, but
> might there still be a problem locating those folders from within a batch
> file?. I've got a feeling they can be accessed as constants (from the dos
> command line) but it is such a long time since I used it for anything
other
> than the basics.

First, a quick synopsis of my position: when D4 released, I took a serious
look at the Windows Installer.  After a couple of weeks of learning about
it, I concluded that it was too complicated for me to use, at least w/o
buying very expensive tools that were likely going to require ongoing
upgrade expenses.  My copy of Wise 5.0 still works :)  The final blow to the
Windows Installer was that it apparently (please correct me if I'm wrong)
can't handle the usual "replace this file sometimes/always/never" where
sometimes can be date/time/version based, with different settings for
individual files.

Viewing it that way, I'm willing to take the risk of installing to the
system directory.  What's the problem?  I could interfere with a proper
Dolphin (or Dolphin merge-file based MSI file).  However, I consider my
approach to be far less likely to hurt my users than home-grown MSI files
that I could generate.  If OA can give us an .exe that can be called from
exe installers, I'll gladly run it to get the benefit of a "legal"
installation.

Have a good one,

Bill

--
Wilhelm K. Schwab, Ph.D.
[hidden email]