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Re: [platform-update-dev] Uninstalling features - pros and cons
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As far as I recall there were several problems with the uninstall. I'll
attempt a couple for now more as I think of them
1) First one you already mention about uninstalling code that a native
installer laid down.
- still a bad idea as it can cause errors while installing and
upgrading.
Potential solutions
- tag the files the update manager installed and only let it
uninstall those files it laid down.
- provide a hook a pre-uninstall check (i believe they already exist
in the install handlers) then the install handler can ask the native
installer if a) it is ok to uninstall that feature and maybe b) ask the
native installer to uninstall it which would keep the native install and
eclipse in some sort of sync.
2) Multiple workspaces+multiple site/extensions
-- Eclipse does not have a system wide data area. It has no idea where all
its configuration lies without the user prompting. When you add in
extending products with multiple extensions it becomes a nightmare to
handle.
Scenario
1.user installs eclipse
2. user installs WSAD and extends his eclipse install with it
3. user install XDE and extends his eclipse install with it.
4. He decides he wants 2 workspaces a "heavy weight" one for EJBs, UML etc
and a light weight one for general java coding.
5. In the lightweight workspace he disables all the heavy features and only
keeps Java tools and XML tools.
(leaving point 1) above ignored as we'll assume he used the update manager
to install rather than native installs)
6. in the lightweight workspace he then proceeds to uninstall a piece of
XDE to clean up some space as he had already disabled it. (Remember with a
large products you may not know where the feature comes from .WSAD for
example has over 40 features.
7. His heavy weight workspace is now way broken.
It get really problematic when you get more and more features with
dependencies on other features all of which may not be loaded in the same
workspace. If eclipse had a system wide data area then it could track what
was installed and provide the user guidance on the results of removing a
feature even if the current workspace doesn't has them disabled.
If you can make 1 and 2 work I think you are almost all the way there
Thanks,
-----------------------------------
Peter Manahan
WebSphere Tools
Build/Install and
Product Architecture
------------------------------------
manahan@xxxxxxxxxx
Dejan
Glozic/Toronto/IBM@IBMCA To: platform-update-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx
Sent by: cc:
platform-update-dev-admin@ Subject: [platform-update-dev] Uninstalling features - pros and cons
eclipse.org
09/05/2002 01:02 PM
Please respond to
platform-update-dev
Hello,
During the 2.0 lockdown cycle, the Update team temporary removed the
capability to uninstall previously installed features due to serous
connotations this function has. Most of the concerns were raised from teams
that use native OS installers to lay down the initial product structure.
Naturally, they didn't want Eclipse to remove anything installed that way.
We would like to re-expose this capability and are seeking input.
Specifically, we think that the user's ability to remove unused features in
order to prevent hard disk bloat is very important. For people that
originally install features using Update Manager, it is natural to also
disable, then uninstall them in Update Manager as well. Even for people
that initially install a product using native installers, multiple (stale)
feature versions can accumulate after several incremental updates. If a
user upgraded to version 4.0.4 of the product, he may desire to get rid of
4.03, 4.0.2 and 4.0.1 versions (they were installed using Update's
'one-click update' wizard anyway).
Before replying to this posting, please note that 'Uninstall' button will
normally appear for features that are disabled (only disabled features can
be uninstalled - currently active features must be disabled first).
Uninstalling features will remove feature information itself, as well as
all the referenced plug-ins with the zero reference count (i.e. not
referenced by any other feature). This guarantees that no other feature is
invalidated this way.
Just about the only consequence of uninstalling a feature is that it is not
possible to revert to it when it is gone (clearly :-). For this reason,
users will normally keep the previous version (or the last stable version)
and delete the older ones.
To repeat, the feedback-seeking question is: one we re-enable 'Uninstall'
function, what are the special cases that would preclude a feature to be
uninstalled?
Regards,
Dejan Glozic, Ph.D.
Application Development
D2/MY7/8200/MKM
IBM Canada Ltd.
Tel. 905 413-2745 T/L 969-2745
Fax. 905 413-4854
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