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Installation

Digital Mars has a different view of installation than most software products. It doesn't need registry entries, environment variable settings, nor does it need to install anything in the \windows\system directory.

Consequently, the compiler can be run directly off of the CD without any need for an install. Just run the programs in \dm\bin. This is most convenient for cases where a particular version of the compiler is needed, or to just try it out.

But of course, running off the CD can be a little slow. The solution is to xcopy the entire disk to the hard disk, as in:

	xcopy g:\*.*/s c:
to duplicate it on drive C. (Do not install into a subdirectory with spaces, tabs, + signs, commas, or # characters in the subdirectory or path names.) Then, append:
	c:\dm\bin
to the PATH environment setting.

Copying the files to the hard disk in this manner from the CD can result in them all being marked as read-only. Therefore, in order for the IDDE to be able to change its settings, the following files must have the read-only attribute turned off. The \dm\bin\chmod.exe program will do the trick:

	\dm\bin\chmod -R \dm\bin\brow32.ini
	\dm\bin\chmod -R \dm\bin\scw.ini
	\dm\bin\chmod -R \dm\bin\scw32.cfg
	

Creating a Shortcut

To put a shortcut to Digital Mars C++ on the desktop for Windows XP:
  1. Right click on the desktop to bring up the menu.
  2. Select [New].
  3. Select [Shortcut].
  4. Enter:
    c:\dm\bin\scw32.exe
    in the [Type the location of the item:] entry box.
  5. Select [Next]
  6. Enter:
    Digital Mars C++
    in the [Type a name for this shortcut:] entry box.
  7. Select [Finish]
Double-clicking on the shortcut will then bring up the Digital Mars IDDE.

Backup

We recommend that your project directories be separate from the \dm directory. That way, the project is easilly distinguishable from the compiler, and can be backed up separately.

We recommend backing up the Digital Mars CD on the hard disk, or duplicating it onto another CD with a CDROM burner. This is for backup purposes only, however!

Uninstalling Digital Mars

Uninstalling is as simple as erasing the \dm directory and all its subdirectories. If \dm\bin is in the PATH, edit your setup to remove it.