Black_End
31st July 2002 18:19 UTC

Debugging Installations
Hi,
I would like to add some features to NSIS and in order to-do that I need to debug the Installation the actual exehead. Does someone found a way todo so?

-BlackEnd

kichik
31st July 2002 18:32 UTC

Debug version of NSIS never compiled right. You have two options, first is to make the debug version compile, second is to just use message boxes.

Black_End
1st August 2002 08:24 UTC

What's the Debug Version The Project compiled in Debug Mode? it compiles well for me. I think that the best way to debug will be warp all exehead in a DLL, so that the Installation will only load the dll and pass the data to it. That way it will be easy to debug the actual installation. Has some one done it?, how the hell Justin debug it?

kichik
1st August 2002 08:26 UTC

By debug version I mean that the project is compiled in debug mode, yes.

Personally, I just use MessageBoxes... No need for fancy shmensy debuging tools. I have no idea how Justin does it.

Sunjammer
1st August 2002 08:36 UTC

You could use the OutputDebugString command and capture the output using the DebugView tool.

Black_End
1st August 2002 08:39 UTC

MessageBox, OutputDebugString, I'm going to implement the DLL debugging. Not having the ability to proper debug the installation engine will not get it too far...

Sunjammer
1st August 2002 08:41 UTC

However remember that OutputDebugString has many advantages in some situations over actually using the debugger. It doesn't screw up timing, threads still run while you see what's going on, and many others. All I'm saying is don't dismiss OutputDebugString so easily :D

Black_End
1st August 2002 09:52 UTC

OutputDebugString does a context switch, those "Screwing" your thread timing...

Sunjammer
1st August 2002 09:56 UTC

Sorry I was meaning large scale (i.e. human terms like seconds) level timing is screwed by halting in a debugger when u can just watch OutputDebugString info, and secondly the only way I can see what is going on with multiple threads of execution running (that aren't highly sensitive to small timing issues like a context switch) is using logged output rather than a debugger.

Anyway nuff said, it was just a suggestion :p