Re: [tor-talk] which 3.0a4 package is for Windows

["Sebastian G. <bastik.tor>" <bastik.tor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

09.10.2013 06:24, Joe Btfsplk:
> On 10/8/2013 6:13 PM, Moritz Bartl wrote:
>>> Is there a reason even stable Win versions never reference the OS in
>>> file names?
>> .exe is a Windows(-only) extension. I agree that the OS could be added
>> to the file name to avoid confusion.
>>
> Thanks, but a question / comment.
> Except in this case, the file / package isn't an executable - it's a
> compressed archive.

It's kind of both. You can "install" the bundle. The .exe can be
executed and asks for where to extract to and can optionally start the
bundle after extracting it.

It's also possible to extract the "installer" using 7zip (or another
extractor) and access it that way. (This applies to the relay bundle and
bridge bundle, too. They are installers and can be extracted using 7zip
or something else.)

> The "exe" may be used here to indicate a Windows
> build, but it's just a zipped (.7z) file.  I'm sure lots of new users
> are confused by the .exe, in spite of instructions.

Apparently users are confused all the time. They were confused about
simple archives one had to extract. They extracted it and did not know
what to do. Now it is an executable that unpacks the bundle and can
launch it.

This should be a lot easier to handle for most people.

> Technically, shouldn't the Windows packages have a compressed archive
> extension, like the other platforms?

They had, but users seemed confused.

> Besides, emailing a Windows TBB package w/ .exe extension can create
> problems.  Why not call it what it is?

Indeed, some security mechanism filer attachments based on extension.

I would get confused if something that can't be executed would have the
extension .exe and if that would be the case with TBB releases I would
also prefer to have a .zip file as it doesn't require third-party
software on modern windows, which as far as I can tell still does not
know how to handle .7z

I also would include the OS name in the bundle name if there would be
just archives or version for 64bit Windows, maybe one can do that anyway
to avoid confusion.

Regards,
Sebastian G.
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