Downloading and Installing DXLab Applications

Getting Started with DXLab DXLab applications run on Windows NT, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, and 8 in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors.  Some DXLab applications can be individually run on Windows 95, 98, and 98SE.  Using virtual machines, DXLab applications can also be run on Linux and Macintosh: DXLab on Linux DXLab on Macintosh

 

Before installing your first DXLab application, install the Launcher The DXLab Launcher automates the installation of new DXLab applications and the upgrading of already-installed DXLab applications. If you're an aspiring DXLab user who has not installed any DXLab applications on your PC, or if you're a long-time DXLab user who has never installed the Launcher, then installing the Launcher will make it easy to install new DXLab applications and keep them up to date as upgrades are released. Clicking the Install Launcher button below will download and install the DXLab Launcher on your PC. Step-by-step guides to installing the Launcher are available in HTML for browsing and in PDF for printing.  Do not click the Install Launcher button if the Launcher is already installed on your PC. If you're not sure, here's how to check. If the Launcher is already installed on your PC, you should determine if a newer version is available and, if so, upgrade it. By default, each DXLab application will be installed in a subfolder of c:\dxlab but you can specify an alternate location if desired. The Launcher will ensure that each DXLab application is installed in a separate folder, e.g. c:\dxlab\dxkeeper c:\dxlab\winwarbler c:\dxlab\pathfinder If you decide to install DXLab within c:\program files\ or c:\program files (x86)then If your PC is running Windows 7 or 8, login to an account with Administrator privileges to install or run DXLab applications If your PC is running Vista, login to the account named Administrator  to install or run DXLab applications

Installing a new DXLab Application

With the latest version of the DXLab Launcher installed on your PC, you can install an uninstalled DXLab application by following these steps:

1. start the Launcher

2. click the Launcher's  Config button to open its Configuration window

3. click the Configuration window's New ? button to update the installation status and release availability of all DXLab applications

4. click the appropriate Install button on the DXLab Apps tab 

The Launcher will confirm your intention to install the application, and display the pathname of the folder into which the application will be installed so you can confirm or correct it. The Launcher will then initiate a Setup program that registers the application and its components, prompting you for additional installation decisions such as the creation of start menu entries, desktop shortcuts, and the installation of optional files like country maps or audio announcements. A step-by-step guide is available.

 

Upgrading an Installed DXLab Application

With the latest version of the DXLab Launcher installed on your PC, you can upgrade an installed DXLab application to its latest release by following these steps:

1. start the Launcher

2. click the Launcher's  Config button to open its Configuration window

3. click the Configuration window's New ? button to update the installation status and release availability of all DXLab applications

4. click the appropriate Upgrade button on the DXLab Apps tab 

The Launcher will inform you when the upgrade is complete. A step-by-step guide is available.

If you installed a DXLab application at some time in the past but haven't been installing its upgrades, you can obtain all subsequent defect repairs and enhancements by upgrading to the latest release, as described above.

 

Full releases and incremental releases

All DXLab applications are produced using a software engineering process known as iterative development, characterized by frequent releases. To facilitate this process, two kinds of releases are provided: a full release containing all software and documentation components, and an incremental release that contains only those components that have changed since the most recent full release. A full release is installed once; from then on, only lighter-weight incremental releases need be installed. It is not necessary to install every incremental release of an application; installing the most recent incremental release is sufficient to bring an application up-to-date, no matter how many incremental releases may have previously been skipped.

When the DXLab Launcher installs a new DXLab application, it first installs the application's most recent full release; if a later incremental release is available, the Launcher automatically performs the upgrade. Subsequently, the Launcher can report the availability of new incremental releases and, at your direction, download and install them.

If you installed a DXLab application at some time in the past but haven't kept up with subsequent releases, directing the Launcher to upgrade that application will obtain all subsequent defect repairs and enhancements.

Availability announcements and Release Notes

You can configure the Launcher to automatically check for new application releases at startup and daily thereafter; if releases are available that are newer than what you have installed, a "new app upgrades" message will appear on the Launcher's Main window, as shown above. On the Launcher's Configuration window, available DXLab application releases that are newer than what's installed on your PC are highlighted in red font. Double-clicking any version number will display the Release Notes for that version.

New releases of DXLab applications are also announced on the DXLab Reflector, an open forum that you are encouraged to join. This reflector plays a major role in driving the development of DXLab -- suggestions are refined, alternatives are considered, and releases are critiqued; the result is a powerful flow of ideas whose implementation benefits all participants. At your option, messages posted to the reflector can be delivered via email -- either individually, or in a daily digest.

See http://www.dxlabsuite.com/dxlabwiki/InstallingDXLabApplications for step-by-step guides to installing and upgrading DXLab applications.