[Openal] Linux deployment and OpenAL-Soft

[Daniel PEACOCK]

Hi,

>If you using an executable installer for Windows, I think it's
>typical to package with Creative's OpenAL redistributable,
>and to run it with the /s (silent) switch as part of the app's
>installation.

Yes, that's correct (and the preferred way of distributing OpenAL).

>AFAIK, even with OpenAL32.dll in your apps directory, it'll
>still search the system directories for extra OpenAL drivers,

True too - the OpenAL32.dll will search several different folders for
OpenAL components (current directory, system directory, openal32.dll
directory, and application directory).   Of course, sometimes these will
refer to the same directories.

>and I'm not too sure what'll happen if it finds two
>wrap_oal.dll's (or two uniquely named DLLs that provide the
>same drivers).

There is a defined search order for the directories ...

1) The directory containing the OpenAL32.dll (unless it is the Windows
System directory)
2) Current directory
3) Application's directory
4) System directory

For each OpenAL device found it is added to the list unless there is
already a device in the list of the same name.  e.g. If you have a
wrap_oal.dll in the application's directory and a wrap_oal.dll in the
Windows System directory (a likely scenario) the "Generic Hardware" and
"Generic Software" devices from the application local wrap_oal.dll will be
used in preference to the ones from the System's wrap_oal.dll.

>The app-local one will always win out, even if there's a newer
>wrap_oal.dll installed in the system directory.

Exactly!

Dan
Creative Labs, Inc.

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openal-bounces at opensource.creative.com wrote on 04/18/2008 02:47:10 PM:

> Chris Robinson wrote:
> > AFAIK, even with OpenAL32.dll in your apps directory, it'll still
> search the
> > system directories for extra OpenAL drivers, and I'm not too sure
what'll
> > happen if it finds two wrap_oal.dll's (or two uniquely named DLLs that
> > provide the same drivers).
> >
>
> On Windows, the current working directory is always searched first.  The
> biggest drawback to an app-local OpenAL is that the end-user can't
> easily upgrade his/her OpenAL installation by simply running the latest
> Creative installer.  The app-local one will always win out, even if
> there's a newer wrap_oal.dll installed in the system directory.
>
> --
>
> --"J"
>
> "I'm a castaway stranded in a desolate land,
>  I can see the footprints in the virtual sand."
>    --Neil Peart
>
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