Elixir 1.15 Install on Windows -- no start folder

richs

I installed Elixir 1.15.5 on Windows, previously having been at 1.14.5. The install completed without error, but I no longer see a Windows start folder for Elixir, and it no longer shows in the list of installed programs (in Settings or in Control Panel). In addition, there is not longer a GUI window for iex and there is not Elixir icon (admittedly, minor annoyances)

What happened to these features, and will these features be added back to the Elixir install?

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#microsoft-windows #troubleshooting

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2023-09-12 23:54:25 UTC

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josevalim

Creator of Elixir

We have a brand new installer which works offline, in contrast to the previous online installer (which download Elixir from the internet).

We will be glad to add features back, provided they do offer value! For example, we will be glad to add the Elixir icon back. If adding Elixir to the Control Panel is also useful, then that’s welcome too. The installer code is here: elixir/lib/elixir/scripts/windows_installer at main · elixir-lang/elixir · GitHub

However, notice that the GUI IEx is effectively gone on Erlang/OTP 26 (and you should instead start IEx from your terminal).

Paging @wojtekmach who will be able to confirm if those features are indeed valuable.

Post #1

wojtekmach

Hex Core Team

As @josevalim mentioned, start menu additions are probably less useful on OTP 26. My idea was that we have the “Add X to %PATH%” so that instead you’d start your Terminal program of choice with Elixir & Erlang already in system path.

Regarding adding Elixir to Control Panel, I believe it would be a good addition because Elixir (due to permissions) is installed in somewhat nonstandard path so if someone looks for uninstalling for whatever reason, they’d most likely look into Control Panel first. A quick google search shows some options:

We’d love a PR for this.

Post #2

richs

Thank you for your responses @josevalim and @wojtekmach.

In Windows, it’s standard for applications to create a Start folder and put themselves into the Control Panel / Setting application list, as this is the place we look to run and to uninstall or repair. That is something I would like to see the new Elixir install do. It would be especially helpful to new Elixir users on Windows.

Including the Elixir icon would also be good, since it helps identify Elixir in the task bar vs. being just a blank rectangle with no identification. Plus, that’s good branding.

I discovered an issue with the Add to Path as well – it added it to the Administrator user path, and not to the path that is used for my login, so Elixir is not in my path and it can’t find the executables (like IEx) without the fully qualified folder path as part of the run command. (I run as a non-privileged user, as is best practice, so software installations prompt for the administrator credentials and run the installation as the administrator.) Most Windows applications add to the System Path, where it is available to everyone.

Running IEx in a terminal window is not a problem.

I would be happy to submit a PR. Can you point me to where / how I can do that?

Post #3

wojtekmach

Hex Core Team

Thanks! The installer code is here: elixir/lib/elixir/scripts/windows_installer at main · elixir-lang/elixir · GitHub

We build it with ELIXIR_ZIP=path/to/elixir.zip ./build.sh

Post #4

richs

Sorry, @wojtekmach, I though a PR was an enhancement request, not an actual code update. Not being a professional developer, I don’t know the ins and outs of GitHub and the development process, so have no idea what to do.
Is there a place to register my enhancement requests?

Post #5

wojtekmach

Hex Core Team

If you’d like to send a patch, you can find information about opening up a PR here: Creating a pull request - GitHub Docs. There are tons of similar help resources elsewhere.

No need to register your feature request, I’m keeping it in mind.

Post #6

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