[osgeo4w-dev] Current filesystem tree sucks!

[Frank Warmerdam]

On Sat, Sep 11, 2010 at 2:21 AM, Mateusz Loskot <mateusz at loskot.net> wrote:
> 2) User configures 1.7.0 as selected for linking/runtime:
>
> update-alternatives.bat --install gdal-1.7.0
>
> 3) update-alternatives.bat performs:
>
> a) disables current version removing all files
> b) enabling gdal-1.7.0 copying all files from local cache
> c) no need to update PATH or any other OSGeo4W environment.
>
>
> Shortly, my message is: please, keep the filesystem tree a) unified
> and b) constant.

Mateusz,

First let me know that any given time there can be
applications within OSGeo4W linked against different
versions of GDAL so it is necessary that the GDAL DLL
for multiple versions exist at once (potentially).  Luckily,
since they are named with the major version they can
coexist in the C:\OSGeo4W\bin directory safely.

Second, there is also a need for the supporting GDAL
data files (.csv files, etc) from each usable version.  These
must be in some non-overlapping location in the file system.

Then we get to more debatable points, like whether it
is helpful to have the developer support materials or
documentation for more than one version at a time.  I
don't have a particularly strong position on whether this
is needed or not, but I don't really understand the
problem that you encounter.   I have made some
(perhaps not complete enough) effort to ensure that
the apps\gdal<version> directories are laid out similarly
to how files would appear in C:\OSGeo4W so that you
can just change a root macro/variable to pull from one
of the non-default versions.

I will add that it is not very easy for us to uninstall
and reinstall packages from bat files without adding
an explicit dependency on the perl based apt interface
to packages.

Lacking an understanding of the need you are trying
to express I am not to keen on taking action.

Best regards,
-- 
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I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam
and watch the world go round - Rush    | Geospatial Programmer for Rent