reassigned

*** Issue 62360 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***

I think the easiest way for this problem to be solved is to place Yoshi's
instructions on the devel release webpage until such time as the code is in
place. This will help to eliminate the confusion that results when our users try
testing.

Here are the instructions:

If you want to make more than one version coexist "absolutely", 
it will should test the following way.
You can test a new version without uninstalling the version of the usage.

1. Extract new version (ex. OOo202rc4) by "setup /a" 
　　(This means "Network installaion")
   You should make the extract place for example "d:\OOo202rc4".

2. By the default, user configulation files are made at 
     C:\Document and Settings\<username>\Application Data\OpenOffice.org2
     (Windows XP/2000)
   But,by just as it is, user configulation has conflicted by two versions.

   To prevent confliction, modify in d:\OOo202rc4\program\bootstrap.ini
　　from
    UserInstallation=$SYSUSERCONFIG/OpenOffice.org2  <-- default
   to
    UserInstallation=$SYSUSERCONFIG/OOo202rc4

3. Run "d:\OOo202rc4\program\soffice.exe"
   User configulations of 2.0.2rc4 are made at 
    C:\Document and Settings\<username>\Application Data\OpenOffice.org2
    (Windows XP/2000)


Caution:
1.This way is the outside of the guarantee.
  It should use in "self-responsibility ".

2. Documents aren't related to the version extracted by "setup /a",
  and it isn't registered to the Start menu.
  because "setup /a" is a only extraction, not modifying registries.

Added myself to cc list

I am glad to see this issue, because I think it is essential for people to be
able to have *both* the stable version and the RC installed at the same time if
they wish. Here is why: I often need to compare the two versions when I'm doing
user assistance or writing documentation. I need to check things in the "old"
version to duplicate the user's problem and then check it in the "new" version
to see if it works there for me. At home, I can install the two versions on
different machines, but I don't carry two laptops with me when I travel.

I have tried using Yoshi's instructions and am having problems. First install as
a network install which places the working code in the target directory. Modify
bootstrap.ini per directions in the target. So far so good. However, when
executing <target>\program\soffice.exe the menus end up being pointed to the new
installation but the user files are in the correct place. So the question is how
to fix the start menu to have both?

Hello @all,

we had some comments to this on the German users an dev lists.

Most of them said that the current way (old version is deleted automatic by
setup) is the biggest goal of the new setup!

You ask why?
A 'nomal' (WIN-)user (means no developer or tester) wants a small an easy way
for setup and espect, that an older version on the system will updated (or in
this case will be deleted).

Every question more in the setup will get the user more confusing.

What will happen? The user gets the question 'Existing older version found, will
You delete it or not?' (or something like that). User think: 'Dont know what to
do, perhaps it is better to keep the old version on the disc...'
... and the problems increase higher an higher:
* Most Windows user open docs in the explorer (and so with the as default 
  registered version means last OOo-Version - RC or Snapshot). If a problem 
  occures they will ask You: Why can a do not use my stable version? Why dont my 
  stable version starts klicking OOo-Files in the explorer if I have deinstalled  
  the newer Version (RC/Snapshot).
* With default settings the user profile is the same for the stable an the  
  dev/RC (in case of minor releases).
  User will ask You 'Why effect every change in the testing version to the 
  userprofile of my stable version?'

... an do one!!!

Thats why it is a bad idea to change the current way of setup.
If the user is able to keep the old version, he must be able to keep all
settings of the old version too or he must be able to switch between the
versions. And You have to decribe every step for the user in order to prevent
faults and errors.

Last but not least, I test snapshots on different OS but not on my productiv
machine. At present You dont need an other machine for this because You could do
this with virtal machines in vmwareplayer/server, quemu an so on. So You have a
strict border between the different versions, in my mind the best way to test
and compare between different versions.

Marko Moeller

Marko, if we put the choice somewhere under "Custom Installation", most users
will never see it, and anyone using custom install should not have a problem
with it. Using a virtual machine, as you have suggested, is far too "technical"
a solution, and not one that I would ever contemplate. Why should I have to
change my computer's configuration just to use OOo the way I want to use it?

I am not arguing about how the RELEASE should behave but rather how to
accomodate users, such as jeanweber, who want to run development releases at the
same time as the stable version. I have tried using the method I put in this
issue and it does work but only in part. The part that doesn't work is how to
prevent menu updating when a user first invokes soffice from the parallel
repository. In windows, this does not seem possible to me. Is there a way?

After thinking and trying again I think I have a partial answer to the problem.
executing setup.exe /a is supposed to install without user interface stuff. When
I try under XP Pro the user interface is updated which is not expected. Has
there been a change to setup.exe?

For the record, the problem is not setup.exe at all. It was how I was completing
the procedure. The following should be enough to get any user working with
multiple releases without changing anything with the build or release cycle.

1.Open WINDOWS START MENU -> RUN ...
2.Enter the path and file to the setup OR browse to the location
3.Add at the end (to the right of the setup.exe command) a space and "/a"
(including the quotes) 
Note: When you install the OpenOffice.org with the option “/a†there is NO
system integration. (no start menu entries and no file association)
4.click OK
5.The setup program starts
6.5.select the location where you want to install the testing release of
OpenOffice.org. For example "d:\OOo202rc4".
7.Complete setup procedures.
8.Go to the directory where you have installed the test release of
OpenOffice.org. For example "d:\OOo202rc4"
9.In the "program" directory, do the following:
a)open the bootstrap.ini with a text editor, and change the line
UserInstallation=$SYSUSERCONFIG/OpenOffice.org2
to 
UserInstallation=$SYSUSERCONFIG/OOo202rc4. 
This way, multiple builds, with different GUI languages, can run at the same time.
10. While in this directory, locate the modules you wish to test, say
swriter.exe, and create a shortcut. Copy this to your desktop and rename it to
anything you like that distinguishes it from the stable version.

Thanks to Andre Schnabel <Andre.Schnabel@gmx.net> for his help in correcting me.

Hi Jean, Roderick,

I have tested the solution discribed by Roderick and it works fine for me on
WinXP and Win200 too.

We should change the setupguide like Roderick suggested.

@Jean: I dont have any problems if someone wants to install RC/Snapshots at the
same time and machine :-)

But I had a problem with the suggested change of the setup-procedure.

Thats why I think the described way with setup "/a" ist the best solution
because no change of the setup in needed and the 'secure' way for the default
installation an the possibility to install RC/Snapshots by testers and
developers exist in peace side by side :-)

BTW: If someone is interessted in, I will write a short guide how to use virtual
machines for testing/QA.

Regards Marko

Hi all,

I'm a new contributor and G.R Singleton suggested I help out with this issue. 

From my understanding the steps given here to allow newer releases to be
installed without replacing the older release need to be added the setup guide.

1. I'll add the steps and any pictures needed to the setupguide source files.
2. Attach the files to this issue for everyone to review.
3. Then revise it with the recommendations.

If any of this sounds wrong please point me in the right direction.

Chris Hoang

Mr wong, 

I think you will find that this issue is more or less closed from the
perspective of the documentation project, in that the setup guide already has
the procedure included and is up for review.  Please see
http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=37513 for the finished copy.

A good review is important.

For the RFE, we of the doc project must leave it for the developers to resolve
in a suitable manner.  Thanks for your interest.

Hello, in comment to the text of Marko from March 2nd:

Yes, I think it's a good way that the standard behaviour of OOo's setup (at
least under Windows) updates a previous installation after automatically
deinstalling it. That's a lot more comfortable than older versions of Mozilla &
Co., where it was recommended to manually uninstall them before updating - not
to mention a manual backup of plugins... So, fine!

Additionally, I would greatly like to have a simple (?) thing: The information
that the old version *is* updated during the installation process!
I just have installed 2.0.2, replacing 2.0.1. There was some short message about
searching related applications ("verwandte Anwendungen" in German), but nothing
else meaning anything to me.
During the Complete-Setup-option, I didn't get any hint that the old version
would be replaced. Neither did I see the installation directory. If I wouldn't
have been told before, I only could have guessed what would happen during
installation of 2.0.2.

I completely agree that many user don't want to bother with details and should
be spared from the complicated details. But I would feel a little umcomfortable
*not* knowing what the setup will do. Okay, there's the documentation, that's a
good thing. Nevertheless: How many "typical" users will read them *before*
double-clicking on the .exe-file?

So, concluding: What I really would like to have is to be shown a small
information text saying "The previous version of OpenOffice.org will be updated." 
You don't need to say "replaced" - that indeed may cause concerns of losing
something... ;-)
What do you think?

Bye

Dirk