well deserved lambaste for changed installation tape formats

Hi Family. Some weeks ago, as I was going through a complete, from-scratch installation at my client site, I was happily "tar"ing my Informix tapes into $INFORMIXDIR and running the install scripts. Finally, I got up to the OnLine install and the tar command failed. Huh? In a moment of despeate madness, tech support (as mystified as I was) I tried the alternate (documented) cpio command, the one with about 14 options tacked on. It almost worked - it came back with the suggestion add on the -c option, and this finally worked. OK, annoying but I got past that one. Next I came to install the cli and Informix-Connect tapes that came with the OnLine tape. I tried the same cpio that worked previously. Uh-uh! This one failed but suggested I omit the the -c option. Yes, this worked. THIS IS INSANE! I told the tech that IMO Informix deserved a public roast so here it is, in the sprit of a roast but refelecting my thought process at the time: Informix recently hired the well known (if you read lots of comics in the 60's) prankster Mr. Mxyzptlk to the post of Chief Operations Officer. We note that the acronym for the title is COO - half of a coocoo. The completion of the remainder of the word is embodied in the frustrated admin trying to install the products. Future changes include the delivery of punch card installation binaries for more conservative clientelle (the Pentagon, the Motor Vehicles Bureau of your state, etc) as well as microdot on a microfiche fiche for those who had planned to exercise thier scanners anyway. The production department plans to award frustration points for the engineer who comes up with the most surprising and frustrating installation procedure; any idea that has the client flying out to "punch out someone's lights" will be declared an automaic winner. -- -- Jake (Still looking for a local light to punch out ;) +------------------------------------------------------------+ | The expedient performance of a task with excessive concern | | regarding its duration-to-completion engenders a virtual | | certainty of diminished benefit therefrom. | | -- Benjamin Franklin (but he said it in 3 words) | +------------------------------------------------------------+