[cvsnt] Whacky behaviour of the CVSNT server MSI installer

[Bo Berglund]

I just downloaded the new CVSNT 2.5.04 (Zen) Build 2442 MSI installer.
My previous installation was done using the build 2402 MSI installer.

There are at least 3 issues with this installer:
1) It does not respect the previous install location
2) It does not allow browsing to a custom install location
3) It disables existing audit plugin and does not allow it to be
re-enabled

1) PREVIOUS INSTALL LOCATION NOT RESPECTED
------------------------------------------
Now, when I run the installer as always I selected "Custom" to see
what is going on and I noted that even though my previous install was
to C:\Programs\CVSNT this time it suggested to install to "C:\Program
Files\CVSNT"!!!

Why the h-ll does the MSI installer not handle the already installed
version such that it does an upgrade *to the same folder* as it was
installed to before????
Goes contrary to to what an installer should do.

This is just another reason you should have stayed with the InnosSetup
installer, cause it *never* does things like this. If you install a
product once and then you run a later installer file for the same
product it *always* will do an update on the *existing* folder and not
try to create a completely new install location!

2) DOES NOT ALLOW BROWSING TO CUSTOM INSTALL LOCATION
-----------------------------------------------------
And another thing (already mentioned in an earlier post but not fixed
yet):
In order to install to a folder like C:\Programs\CVSNT (without
embedded spaces!) I have to use the "Browse" button in the Custom page
of the installer. But here I could not enter the wanted location
C:\Programs\CVSNT because then it would install to
C:\Programs\CVSNT\CVSNT, instead I have to browse or enter C:\Programs
in order to get it installed to C:\Programs\CVSNT!

But if one does not touch the suggested path "C:\Program Files\CVSNT"
then it installs *without* the extra subfolder CVSNT!
Where is the logic behind this really strange behaviour????
And please, please, fix it!

3) DISABLES AUDITING AND FAILS WHEN USER TRIES TO RE-ENABLE
-----------------------------------------------------------
Finally concerning the CVSNT auditing:
I had auditing switched on before but now when I check the audit
plug-in it is deselected!
Why should the MSI installer switch off auditing, really?
Sounds a very strange proposition indeed, since auditing is probably
enabled for a reason.....
OK, so I went in and enabled the plugin. I had to again select the
database type (MSSql) and now the old setting of database appeared, so
it was remembered anyway.
I used the Test connection function and it showed all to be OK.

Next I tried the "Upgrade" button, but this caused an exception error!
First an error dialogue showed up with the title "Upgrade" and the
text "Script could not be opened".
After I clicked OK another system message box titled "RUNDLL"
displayed the message:
"An exception occurred while trying to run
"C:\WINDOWS\system32\shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL
"C:\Programs\CVSNT\cvsnt.cpl",CVSNT Server""

And this exception caused the CVSNT control panel to totally disappear
from the screen (unhandled exceptions should never happen in well
designed software!).

HTH

/Bo
(Bo Berglund, developer in Sweden)