INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE

Depending on the needs of the users, the software will vary from command to command. But one thing is for sure, your system will have a disk operating system to make the whole thing work. Beyond that, you may have users who run only wordprocessing, or only database management applications. Maybe they use graphics and do desktop publishing. Maybe all their applications are accounting, and they rely primarily on spreadsheet programs and specialized accounting type programs. Some may even be writing their own programs in languages such as PASCAL, BASIC, or COBOL. It may be your job to help users install, learn, and effectively use one or more software packages or programs. It may be your job to develop specialized programs or routines for your installation or for users in their own work spaces. In the following sections, we will discuss installation and use of a few of the general types of software we commonly associate with microcomputers.

Operating System

The operating system will be the first program you will need to know about because you must install it before other programs. It manages the operation of the system.

If the system has a hard (fixed) disk, you will install the operating system onto it. The first step will be to partition the hard disk; that is, identify the hard disk to the operating system and create a partition for the operating system. Partitioning is the process of dividing the hard disk into smaller drives, which will allow you to use different operating systems, such as DOS or UNIX. Next, you will format the hard disk, prepare it so it can be used. The operating system will ask a question similar to, "Are you sure you want to format the hard drive?" before it proceeds with the format. Then, copy the operating system files from the distribution disks onto the disk. You must follow the steps in the owner/user manual. It may tell you to use a setup command that will lead you through the process from the display screen. Once it is installed, everytime you turn on the system, the operating system will load from this partition.

If the system has only floppy disk drives, you will make copies of the distribution disks onto new diskettes. If the new diskettes are not formatted, you can use a command (such as DISKCOPY) that will format and copy. Again, follow the instructions from the startup or getting started section of the owner/user manual. If there is a setup command, use it to lead you through the process. Be sure to prepare external labels with the name of the operating system. Write the serial number if there is one, and write WORKING COPY. Be

3-4 sure you use a felt tip pen if you are writing on a label already attached to the diskette.

Once you have the operating system copied and installed, put the original distribution disks in a safe place. Now, you are ready to use the computer; or are you? Chances are you will need more than the operating system. The operating system is great. It has many useful commands like COPY, DELETE, FORMAT, BACKUP, and soon. It will even have an editor, usually a line editor, that allows you to create files and edit them line byline. However, its primary jobs are to manage the system and its resources (disks, printers, and soon), and to help you communicate with the computer to use other programs (applications software).

User/Applications Software

When you install a user/application software package on a system, you need to provide the software with information about your microcomputer configuration. Because there are so many different software packages and programs available and each one has different requirements, we will not go into a lot of detail. Remember, refer to the documentation, it should provide what you need to know. Many of the manuals lead you through step-by-step. The following example should give you a good idea of what is involved. We have selected a wordprocessing program for our example because most installations will have a wordprocessing package.

BACK UP DISTRIBUTION (ORIGINAL/ MASTER) DISKETTES.\ The first thing you should do is copy the files from the distribution diskettes. Each software package may have several diskettes. If you have a hard drive system, you may copy the files from the distribution diskettes to the hard drive using the copy command in the operating system. First, setup the name of the directory in which you want to store the files. Then, copy them to the hard disk. If your system has no hard drive, copy the files to other diskettes. Most operating systems have a copy command that allows you to copy all files on a diskette with a single command. This is called a wild card copy. The copies will become your working copies. Prepare external labels for the working copies. Store the distribution diskettes in a safe place away from the microcomputer in case you need them in the future.

SET UP/INSTALL THE SOFTWARE.\ Place the user manual with installation instructions next to the microcomputer and follow the step-by-step procedures.

Make sure you complete each task successfully before going onto the next.

The first step will probably be to execute the

program from a setup disk or in a setup mode. You will probably execute a command that will lead you through a series of prompts and menus on the display screen. This will allow you to tell the program about your system and make initial settings. These settings will

define your system and set the defaults. This means that everytime you execute the program, the settings will be what you specified. You will not have to reset them each time. For example, you might be asked whether you want the software to automatically backup your data. If you enter yes(y), it will ask you how often, every so many minutes. You enter the number. It may give you a choice of whether you want a beeper set to alert you to a given condition. For example, the system can be told to beep when certain error conditions occur. If the software is a wordprocessing program, you will want to specify the margin settings you normally want; for example, left margin at position 10 and right margin at position 75. You might want to tell it to automatically right justify print and to format date as mm/dd/yy. You can tell it whether the default setting for paper type should be continuous-form or single sheet; and so on. Once you have established the defaults, you will not have to change them unless you want something different.

You may also need to tell the software what type of printer you will be using. This will enable the program to send the proper signals to your particular printer. You may be able to define several printers and select the appropriate one when you use the software. Some software packages come with definitions for many printers, and it is a simple matter to tell it which you have by selecting the make and model number from a menu.

Occasionally, you will need to upgrade the software that you have loaded onto the computer. To do this, you will follow the same procedures that you did when the software was originally loaded. That is, read and follow the instructions included with the upgrade. Virus software is upgraded most frequently, with the discovery of new viruses that are out there.