[GemStone-Smalltalk] Is the Gemstone Install overly complicated?

[Gareth Cox]

Hi All

I've installed many different database systems of various types on 
various operating systems and platforms.
I'm just wondering if I'm being unreasonable when I say that Gemstone is 
the most complex install I've ever encountered, not just as a database 
system, but as software in general.
Reading the install documentation I have to read until around page 17 
before I get actual install instructions. Everything else is about 
environment setup (Critical if you want Gemstone to work).
I also feel that a lot of the commands required for setting variables 
and such could be done with an install script (I don't mind answering 
questions to an install script).
Even things like netldi install could be an install script with 
questions about what port, do you want to reload the systems database, 
do you want to start netldi after install.
Its just incredibly manual and when something doesn't work (like the 
aformentioned netldi), you're basically stuck until you can ask an 
expert on the mailing lists.

A hobbist might relish the time spent doing all of these things and 
trying to get it working on their custom linux distribution but a full 
time employee who has been asked by their company to asses the system 
for use in a furture product, I don't really have the time to spend 
trying to get the system up and running, leaving me no time to actually 
asses the system. A concern here is having to repeat his process for 
each of our clients should the company choose gemstone.

Am I being unreasonable?

-- 
Gareth Cox

inspired!
078 374 9035
gareth at inspired.org
www.inspired.org