Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system,comp.sys.mac.misc
Distribution: world
From: bgrubb@dante.nmsu.edu (GRUBB)
Organization: Odyssey Ultraware, Inc
Date: Fri, 01 Jan 1993 14:40:25 CDT
Subject: **IMPORTANT** System 7.1 Installer bug

When I upgraded from 7.0.1 to 7.1 I discovered something interesting.
If you just use the installer to move up to 7.1 (as opposed to a 'clean' 
install) the installer duplicates the system fonts in both the system FILE and

the fonts folder.  It also seems to stomp the purgable bit for the fonts 
duplicated.  As a result these fonts are loaded in twice and are not purged 
from memory, RAM like crazy.  When I removed the fonts from the system file 
and rebooted I gained almost 100K of RAM back and 200MB of Hard disk space 
from what 7.0.dot had used.  When I reinstalled the fonts that had been 
duplicated the system heap stopped bumping into the application heaps and 
causing 'There is insufficent memory to keep folder X open.' problem in the
finder I had.
When I called Apple system 7.1 technical support the represenitive I talked to 
stated "We [Apple] are telling people to remove ALL the fonts from the system 
file in system 7.1 as they are are not supposed to ANY [fonts] in that 
file...[and] ...when upgrading from a older system the installer leaves the 
old system fonts in the system file.  We recommend booting from the installer 
disk to avoid this problem."  
Though I could not get him to admit this is a bug in the installer, from the
evidence it is QED (Progression of logic) that there is a bug.
A QED progression is a general true statement followed by a specific true
statement and then a conclusion from the the two statements example:
All men are mortal                     
Charles Darwin was a man            
Therefore Charles Darwin was mortal
                                                       
The QED in the case of the System 7.1 installer is as follows 
1) Bug: a programing error; error in syntax or logic; the program does not
do what it is supposed to do (Dictionary of Computer Terms 3rd ed.)
2) System 7.1 installer can leave fonts in the system file which should not
be there. (From the Apple represenitive)
3) Therefore there is a bug in the System 7.1 installer.
 
I suppect that this bug in the installer is the reason that for some people
7.1 seems bigger in RAM and disk space then 7.0.dot.  I also suppect that
this is the reason that some people have had printing problems.
This in not only personal experience with the 'direct from Apple 7.0.X to 7.1 

upgrade US version' but a know problem at Apple with the System 7.1 Installer.
I don't know if other countries upgrades might have this problem or not.   
                                             
In any case if you have upgraded to 7.1 and NOT used a 'clean' install CHECK 
YOUR SYSTEM FILE FOR FONTS.  If you find any there note which ones they are 
and remove them.  In the fonts folder replace the fonts that had been 
duplicated in the system file with the ones from your System 7.1 font disk.
(Otherwise they will not be 'purged' from memory like they should be and 
cause system heap problems.)
It could save you grief in the long run.

"Eliminate the impossible and what ever remains, no matter how improbable,
is the truth" -- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle through Sherlock Holmes in The 
Adventure of the Beryl Coronet, The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier, Sign 
of Four and The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans.
"A rose by any other name smells a sweet"--Shakespeare
"The Computer is your friend"--Parinoia RPG


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