At 03:02 PM 9/01/2009, you wrote:

>Hi,
>
>> The same files; but in XP and above you must *install* them, as you have
>> discovered. This is documented in the Installation and Migration notes,
>> which are included in all the kits.
>
>Well, the MSI package it is not included on the embedded pack, also there
>aren't any hints at the install doc (README_embedded.txt). IMHO it would be
>very usefull some hints about it inside this doc
>
>Most people download only the embedded zip package, and read the
>README_embedded.txt which is suposed to be an install guide. The readme
>guides one over every installation detail... BUT the need to install de MSI.

This isn't correct, since it isn't possible to just "install and use" embedded. You have to read the documentation. The readme documents are included as a supplement to the released notes (release notes + Installation notes + bug fix notes) and are not subject to review. AFAIU, the released notes (PDF files) *are* included in the Win Embedded kits; if not, you should post a Tracker entry to ask for them.

That said, regardless of how it is actually used, embedded isn't intended to be a "newbie's way in". It is a deployment option that won't work unless it is part of an application. That is also amply documented.

>At the other hand, the package comes with the msvc* files but not with the
>MSI install, so, one must download another firebird package (server install)
>to get the all the files needed to get embedded running.

Not necessarily; anyone can download the entire CRT assembly as a package from the Microsoft site - as is documented in the official notes and has been repeated ad infinitum here.

>MHO is that this confuses people, and than it could be improved. Not the
>OP's fault.

I consider it more confusing to give newbie users the impression that the embedded kit is some kind of "install-and-go" package, as the server kits are. The embedded kits provide the software components that are needed for the developer to create his own embedded application kit. It's considerably less straightforward than it was under Win98 and Win2K. Under the MSVC8 model one has to take care to construct the assembly appropriately on the newer platforms: a generic "install kit" cannot predict either the platform version or the local configuration.

./heLen