Update Windows Setup documentation

This commit is contained in:
Veronica K. B. Olsen
2021-02-05 17:28:16 +01:00
parent be080b1463
commit ab21a9238d
+31 -16
View File
@@ -7,10 +7,11 @@ Setup on Windows
This is a brief guide to how you can get novelWriter running on a Windows computer.
Unlike other operating systems, Windows does not come prepared with an environment to run Python
applications, so you must first install Python. After that, running novelWriter is straightfoeward.
applications, so you must first install Python. After that, running novelWriter is straightforward.
If you have any problems, you can always open a question on the project's discussions_ page. This
requires a GitHub account.
.. tip::
If you have any problems, you can always open a question on the project's discussions_ page.
This requires a GitHub account.
.. _discussions: https://github.com/vkbo/novelWriter/discussions
@@ -20,11 +21,15 @@ requires a GitHub account.
Using the Installer
===================
The installer for Windows is no longer provided. You can still create it yourself if you want to.
It can be generated with the provided ``setup.py`` script. use the script's ``help`` command to get
further instructions.
The installer for Windows is no longer provided. See the `installer issue`_ for more info on why.
You can still create the installer yourself if you want to. It can be generated with the provided
``setup.py`` script. use the script's ``help`` command to get further instructions.
Please use the "Running from Source" option below instead.
Please use the "Running from Source" option below instead. It has been improved and a script has
been added that does nearly the same thing.
.. _installer issue: https://github.com/vkbo/novelWriter/issues/640
.. _a_setup_win_source:
@@ -33,12 +38,18 @@ Running from Source
===================
To run novelWriter from source, download the latest source zip file from the release page on
GitHub_ or the `main website`_. The file named ``novelWriter-x.y.z-minimal.zip``, where ``x.y.z``
is the version number, is ideal for this. You can also download the full source.
GitHub_, or from the `main website`_. You can download the "Minimal Windows" zip file. It is a
minimal version of the source that contains only the files needed for running on Windows. You can
also download the full source if you wish.
In order to make novelWriter run on your system, you must first have Python installed (Step 1).
Thereafter, a script will do the rest of the job (Step 2). or you can do it yourself manually if
you wish to.
Thereafter, a script will do the rest of the job (Step 2). Alternatively, you can run this step
manually from the command prompt if you wish to.
.. tip::
If your system already has all the dependencies installed, you can run novelWriter directly from
the extracted folder by double-clicking the ``novelWriter.pyw`` file. However, running the
script also adds start icons.
.. _GitHub: https://github.com/vkbo/novelWriter/releases
.. _main website: https://novelwriter.io
@@ -66,13 +77,17 @@ Step 2: Dependencies and Icons
**Alternative A: By Script**
Open the folder where you extracted the novelWriter source, and double-click the file named
``setup_windows`` or ``setup_windows.bat``. This should open a command line window and run the
setup script to install dependencies, and add desktop and start menu icons. It will also check that
it can find Python from Step 1.
``setup_windows.bat``. This should open a command line window and run the setup script to install
dependencies, and add desktop and start menu icons.
The script will also check that it can find Python on your system and alert you if it cannot run
it. If you are sure you have installed it, but the script cannot find it, you probably didn't
install it with the "Add Python to PATH" option mentioned in Step 1.
.. note::
If you upgrade Python to a newer version and the path to ``pythonw.exe`` changes, you may need
to run this script again.
If you upgrade Python to a newer version and the path to ``pythonw.exe`` has therefore changed,
you may need to run this script again. You can also run it to upgrade dependencies to the latest
version.
**Alternative B: Manual Installation**