Increase verbosity of Windows installer initalize message.

[verm]

The Windows installer can be very unhelpful in it's error message in [source:trunk/win32/pyx.x-foo.iss.template@23264#L53 trunk/win32/pyx.x-foo.iss.template -> InitalizeSetup]

"Python does not appear to be installed"
"Please install Python before attempting to install Twisted."

The actual Error was Python2.5 amd64 was installed when the 32bit version is required. It would be nice to have a few extra checks here for such cases as situations like these when there is no way to debug the actual error can result in many hours of wasted time.

[kleist]

I get the same error message with "Twisted_NoDocs-8.2.0.win32-py2.6.exe" on 64 bit Windows 7 with Python 2.6/amd64.

It would be very helpful if the download page clearly stated that a 32 bit Python installation is required. Or mentioned at ​http://twistedmatrix.com/trac/wiki/FrequentlyAskedQuestions#Installation

[Thijs Triemstra]

Replying to kleist:

It would be very helpful if the download page clearly stated that a 32 bit Python installation is required. Or mentioned at ​http://twistedmatrix.com/trac/wiki/FrequentlyAskedQuestions#Installation

I've added a new entry on FrequentlyAskedQuestions, putting it up for review.

[jesstess]

Thanks for working on this, thijs. The FAQ answer looks fine.

The ticket asks for a better installer message, though. Is checking the bit-edness of a Python installation on Windows hard enough that an FAQ entry is the best we'll likely do?

[Thijs Triemstra]

I'm not sure, but that sounds like a good plan, reassigning it to therve that creates the win installers afaik.

[therve]

We're not using the installer anymore?

[Jean-Paul Calderone]

Right. We're generating them with bdist_wininst and bdist_msi. So someone should request this additional checking in distutils (upstream), if it's still a problem.

[Thijs Triemstra]

Looks like we need to generate separate installers for 32-bit and 64-bit windows as described in the ​distutils documentation. This is only supported for Python 2.6 and newer though.

[Jean-Paul Calderone]

So one of the Windows slave needs a 64-bit Python install.

[verm]

Well, at the very least could the error message be changed to note that a 32bit python is required? "Please install a 32bit Python..." or something similar? That would go a long way until a proper fix is found.

[therve]

Replying to verm:

Well, at the very least could the error message be changed to note that a 32bit python is required? "Please install a 32bit Python..." or something similar? That would go a long way until a proper fix is found.

Are you talking about something happening with the MSI installers? The ISS template is not used anymore, so we can't change the message you're seeing.

[verm]

Replying to therve:

Replying to verm:

Well, at the very least could the error message be changed to note that a 32bit python is required? "Please install a 32bit Python..." or something similar? That would go a long way until a proper fix is found.

Are you talking about something happening with the MSI installers? The ISS template is not used anymore, so we can't change the message you're seeing.

Well, I haven't tested this issue since then however it's been 19 months. If the specific issue I was discussing about a less-than-useful error message when encountering a 32/64bit jabber between required versions if this has been fixed the ticket can be closed.

[therve]

OK, thanks.