Distributing Runtime Applications on Removable Media

The runtime distribution you create using MAKE_RT can be distributed on removable media such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or flash drive. The application will, in most cases, run directly from the removable media without any need to install files on the end-user’s system. (See Installation Issues: Windows for additional details.)

To distribute the runtime distribution on removable media, copy the entire directory hierarchy created by the MAKE_RT routine to the removable media. Users can then execute your launch scripts directly from the media.

For better performance, you may want to instruct your end-users to copy the runtime distribution to a local hard drive. Again, copying the entire directory hierarchy from the removable media to the hard drive is sufficient. Similarly, if you distribute the runtime application without physical media (using a downloadable archive file, for example), unpacking the archive file on a local hard drive should suffice to install your application.

Note: Copying a runtime distribution onto the user’s hard disk does not “install” IDL in the usual sense. No file associations or symbolic links are created.

Installation Issues: Windows

The IDL installation for Windows ensures that all Microsoft Windows system libraries required by IDL are installed. If you are distributing a runtime application that will run on a Windows system that does not have an installed version of IDL, it is possible (though unlikely) that the required system libraries will not be present on your end user’s computer.

If your application does not run correctly on the end user’s computer, the missing system libraries may be the problem. To correct this, have the end user run systemdlls.exe, located in IDL_DIR/bin/make_rt. This installation program ensures that the required system libraries are present. It will install only the required libraries if the correct versions (or later versions) are not already present. It will not overwrite later versions of the libraries.