[Gdal-dev] win32 binary gdal distribution

[Matt Wilkie]

Ben Discoe wrote:

>>> (2) run every time you open a shell on Windows... far better to
>>> simply put the GDAL bin dir on your path, a one-time operation.
>> 
>> 2) If you CALL the batchfile from autoexec.bat you don't need to
>> run it for every shell.
> 
> That's an interesting idea; i hadn't thought of that DOS legacy thing
>  for years.  Can you actually set environment variables there, which
> are then set through the whole OS?
> 
> ..for the purposes of installing any apps (e.g. VTP) which use GDAL,
> it has to be added to the path anyway - a batch file run from a shell
> won't do it, since it can't affect the system path.

just found this utility for setting persistent system variables from the 
commandline:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/tools/existing/setx-o.asp

It's a free download but probably not redistributable (I didn't bother 
my poor befuddled mind with the license agreement). Although the 
download is 600k the actual exe is only 24k.


cheers,

-matt