Hello all, Does anybody know of an adaptable auto-install program that would install fonts when a CD is loaded? I'm looking for something that ideally would be open source, work equally well in most environments (e.g. Win, Mac, Linux). Its main function would be to install a font a project needs and, if possible, start a web-page up in the user's default browser. -dan
First, I am uneasy with the idea of installing anything automatically when a CD is loaded (I am assuming that by "loaded" you mean simply making the CD accessible - ie, just putting it in the drive). At the very least I would want to notify the user and provide the option of not doing it.
Second, the procedure for installing fonts is very different on the various operating systems, and so would require an installer for each target system. For example, on Windows you only need to copy the appropriate files to the Font folder (usually \windows\fonts); on Mac you (I think) use a control panel. I very much doubt that you could have a single installer that would work for all systems.
Third, what happens when a CD is loaded is different on each system; for example, Windows (if enabled to do so) executes a specific file on the CD (usually called AutoRun), which contains instructions on what to do next (which can be most anything - display an option menu, run an installer, load a web page, etc.). I don't know how it works on Mac and Linux, but I doubt it is the same. Once again, you would probably need a separate process for each system.
In short, you would probably need a way to detect the type of system the CD is being loaded on, and react accordingly to install the fonts. I don't know of any such existing facility, and I suspect it would not be easy to do.
David
At 09:53 AM 23/10/2004, you wrote:
Hello all, Does anybody know of an adaptable auto-install program that would install fonts when a CD is loaded? I'm looking for something that ideally would be open source, work equally well in most environments (e.g. Win, Mac, Linux). Its main function would be to install a font a project needs and, if possible, start a web-page up in the user's default browser.
-dan
Daniel Paul O'Donnell, PhD Associate Professor of English University of Lethbridge Lethbridge AB T1K 3M4 Tel. (403) 329-2377 Fax. (403) 382-7191 E-mail daniel.odonnell@uleth.ca Home Page http://people.uleth.ca/~daniel.odonnell/
David Badke
Not difficult to do, but you won't find a product that exists already that will do what you want for all operating systems.
You have a good Computer Science program at Lethbridge. Any undergrad computer science student should be able to do what you want easily, quickly, and for half a case of beer.
You probably want to use OpenType fonts; if you use Postscript fonts you will have to use a PS font shell like Adobe Type Manager on any Windows OS earlier than Win2000 or Mac OS earlier than OSX. If you use truetype, you will have to have Mac and PC (and what ever linux shell you are using) version. The fonts aren't actually different; just different header information. There is freeware out there that will convert between.
You will have to put this all on a hybrid CD so the different OSs will autorun the different installers. You won't really get an auto-execute on CD insert...there will have to be an explicit command from the user ("A click here to continue") sort of thing, but you can get the ball rolling.
Also, you might have to consider the licensing of the font if you are distributing it, unless you created it or own the license.
Travis travis@lacuna.ca http://www.stealingfire.com/middleground
-----Original Message----- From: dm-l-bounces@uleth.ca [mailto:dm-l-bounces@uleth.ca] On Behalf Of David Badke Sent: October 23, 2004 10:25 AM To: daniel.odonnell@uleth.ca; Digital Medievalist Community mailing list Subject: Re: [dm-l] Autoinstall for fonts
First, I am uneasy with the idea of installing anything automatically when a CD is loaded (I am assuming that by "loaded" you mean simply making the CD accessible - ie, just putting it in the drive). At the very least I would want to notify the user and provide the option of not doing it.
Second, the procedure for installing fonts is very different on the various operating systems, and so would require an installer for each target system. For example, on Windows you only need to copy the appropriate files to the Font folder (usually \windows\fonts); on Mac you (I think) use a control panel. I very much doubt that you could have a single installer that would work for all systems.
Third, what happens when a CD is loaded is different on each system; for example, Windows (if enabled to do so) executes a specific file on the CD (usually called AutoRun), which contains instructions on what to do next (which can be most anything - display an option menu, run an installer, load a web page, etc.). I don't know how it works on Mac and Linux, but I doubt it is the same. Once again, you would probably need a separate process for each system.
In short, you would probably need a way to detect the type of system the CD is being loaded on, and react accordingly to install the fonts. I don't know of any such existing facility, and I suspect it would not be easy to do.
David
At 09:53 AM 23/10/2004, you wrote:
Hello all, Does anybody know of an adaptable auto-install program that would install fonts when a CD is loaded? I'm looking for something that ideally would be open source, work equally well in most environments (e.g. Win, Mac, Linux). Its main function would be to install a font a project needs and, if possible, start a web-page up in the user's default browser.
-dan
Daniel Paul O'Donnell, PhD Associate Professor of English University of Lethbridge Lethbridge AB T1K 3M4 Tel. (403) 329-2377 Fax. (403) 382-7191 E-mail daniel.odonnell@uleth.ca Home Page http://people.uleth.ca/~daniel.odonnell/
David Badke
http://badke.ca/david http://bestiary.ca
_______________________________________________ Project web site: http://www.digitalmedievalist.org/ dm-l mailing list dm-l@uleth.ca http://listserv.uleth.ca/mailman/listinfo/dm-l
Travis Brown wrote: You won't really get an auto-execute on CD
insert...there will have to be an explicit command from the user ("A click here to continue") sort of thing, but you can get the ball rolling.
This is just what I was thinking: perhaps linking install batch files to a start HTML page. E.g. "This page will install the necessary fonts for this book. Click the appropriate button for your operating system.
Anybody with anything like that?
-dan
Also, you might have to consider the licensing of the font if you are distributing it, unless you created it or own the license.
That's a separate issue. The font I'd want loaded is Peter Baker's Junicode, which I think is GNU.
Travis travis@lacuna.ca http://www.stealingfire.com/middleground
-----Original Message----- From: dm-l-bounces@uleth.ca [mailto:dm-l-bounces@uleth.ca] On Behalf Of David Badke Sent: October 23, 2004 10:25 AM To: daniel.odonnell@uleth.ca; Digital Medievalist Community mailing list Subject: Re: [dm-l] Autoinstall for fonts
First, I am uneasy with the idea of installing anything automatically when a CD is loaded (I am assuming that by "loaded" you mean simply making the CD accessible - ie, just putting it in the drive). At the very least I would want to notify the user and provide the option of not doing it.
Second, the procedure for installing fonts is very different on the various operating systems, and so would require an installer for each target system. For example, on Windows you only need to copy the appropriate files to the Font folder (usually \windows\fonts); on Mac you (I think) use a control panel. I very much doubt that you could have a single installer that would work for all systems.
Third, what happens when a CD is loaded is different on each system; for example, Windows (if enabled to do so) executes a specific file on the CD (usually called AutoRun), which contains instructions on what to do next (which can be most anything - display an option menu, run an installer, load a web page, etc.). I don't know how it works on Mac and Linux, but I doubt it is the same. Once again, you would probably need a separate process for each system.
In short, you would probably need a way to detect the type of system the CD is being loaded on, and react accordingly to install the fonts. I don't know of any such existing facility, and I suspect it would not be easy to do.
David
At 09:53 AM 23/10/2004, you wrote:
Hello all, Does anybody know of an adaptable auto-install program that would install fonts when a CD is loaded? I'm looking for something that ideally would be open source, work equally well in most environments (e.g. Win, Mac, Linux). Its main function would be to install a font a project needs and, if possible, start a web-page up in the user's default browser.
-dan
Daniel Paul O'Donnell, PhD Associate Professor of English University of Lethbridge Lethbridge AB T1K 3M4 Tel. (403) 329-2377 Fax. (403) 382-7191 E-mail daniel.odonnell@uleth.ca Home Page http://people.uleth.ca/~daniel.odonnell/
David Badke
http://badke.ca/david http://bestiary.ca
Project web site: http://www.digitalmedievalist.org/ dm-l mailing list dm-l@uleth.ca http://listserv.uleth.ca/mailman/listinfo/dm-l
Project web site: http://www.digitalmedievalist.org/ dm-l mailing list dm-l@uleth.ca http://listserv.uleth.ca/mailman/listinfo/dm-l
Dear Dan, I don't know of anything for Macs, Linux, etc., but for Windows, you might look at http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php. I've found that easy to work with. We're using this for the forthcoming editions of Bodleian Library's MS Laud 581 and BL, MS Additional 35287 in the Piers Plowman Electronic Archive.
Best, Dug
At 10:53 AM 10/23/2004 -0600, you wrote:
Hello all, Does anybody know of an adaptable auto-install program that would install fonts when a CD is loaded? I'm looking for something that ideally would be open source, work equally well in most environments (e.g. Win, Mac, Linux). Its main function would be to install a font a project needs and, if possible, start a web-page up in the user's default browser.
-dan
Daniel Paul O'Donnell, PhD Associate Professor of English University of Lethbridge Lethbridge AB T1K 3M4 Tel. (403) 329-2377 Fax. (403) 382-7191 E-mail daniel.odonnell@uleth.ca Home Page http://people.uleth.ca/~daniel.odonnell/
Project web site: http://www.digitalmedievalist.org/ dm-l mailing list dm-l@uleth.ca http://listserv.uleth.ca/mailman/listinfo/dm-l
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Daniel O'Donnell -
David Badke -
Hoyt N. Duggan -
Travis Brown