C++ All-in-One For Dummies (2009)
Appendix B: About the CD
In This Appendix
System requirements
Using the CD with Windows, Linux, and Mac
What you’ll find on the CD
Troubleshooting
Everyone likes free stuff. Well, that’s what the CD is all about. All that code you thought you were going to have to type is included on the CD, so now you don’t have to type it. Likewise, you get the CodeBlocks compiler. Just install it and start reading. Of course, you do need to know a bit more about the CD before you use it. The following sections tell you all about the CD to ensure that you have the most pleasant computing experience possible.
System Requirements
Make sure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements shown in the following list. If your computer doesn’t match up to most of these requirements, you may have problems using the software and files on the CD. For the latest and greatest information, please refer to the ReadMe file located at the root of the CD-ROM.
♦ A PC running Microsoft Windows or Linux with kernel 2.4 or later or a Macintosh running Apple OS X or later (the screen shots in the book show the Microsoft Windows version of CodeBlocks).
♦ At least 512MB of RAM.
♦ The disk space you need depends on packages you install. The configuration used in this book requires 538MB, not including the source code. The fully compiled source code uses an additional 430MB of hard drive space.
♦ An Internet connection.
♦ A CD-ROM drive.
If you need more information on the basics, check out these books published by Wiley Publishing, Inc.: PCs For Dummies, 11th Edition by Dan Gookin; Macs For Dummies, 9th Edition by Edward C. Baig; iMacs For Dummies, 5th Edition by Mark L. Chambers; Windows XP For Dummies, 2nd Edition and Windows Vista For Dummies, both by Andy Rathbone.
Using the CD
To install the items from the CD to your hard drive, follow these steps.
1. Insert the CD into your computer’s CD-ROM drive.
The license agreement appears.
Note to Windows users: The interface won’t launch if you have autorun disabled. In that case, choose Start⇒Run. (For Windows Vista, choose Start⇒All Programs⇒Accessories⇒Run.) In the dialog box that appears, type D:\Start.exe. (Replace D with the proper letter if your CD drive uses a different letter. If you don’t know the letter, see how your CD drive is listed under My Computer.) Click OK.
Note for Mac users: When the CD icon appears on your desktop, double-click the icon to open the CD and double-click the Start icon.
Note for Linux users: The specifics of mounting and using CDs vary greatly between different versions of Linux. Please see the manual or help information for your specific system if you experience trouble using this CD.
2. Read through the license agreement and then click the Accept button if you want to use the CD.
The CD interface appears. The interface allows you to browse the contents and install the programs with just a click of a button (or two).
What You’ll Find on the CD
The following sections are arranged by category and provide a summary of the software and other goodies you’ll find on the CD. If you need help with installing the items provided on the CD, refer to the installation instructions in the preceding section.
This CD includes the source code found in the book, plus the CodeBlocks compiler. The source code works fine with Windows, Linux, and the Macintosh. You must have a special version of CodeBlocks for your platform of choice.
The programs fall into one of the following categories:
♦ Shareware programs are fully functional, free, trial versions of copyrighted programs. If you like particular programs, register with their authors for a nominal fee and receive licenses, enhanced versions, and technical support.
♦ Freeware programs are free, copyrighted games, applications, and utilities. You can copy them to as many computers as you like — for free — but they offer no technical support.
♦ GNU software is governed by its own license, which is included inside the folder of the GNU software. There are no restrictions on distribution of GNU software. See the GNU license at the root of the CD for more details.
♦ Trial, demo, or evaluation versions of software are usually limited either by time or functionality (such as not letting you save a project after you create it).
CodeBlocks Compiler
Freeware version.
For Windows, Linux, and Mac. CodeBlocks is a free compiler you can download at http://www.codeblocks.org/downloads/5. (You can send a donation for CodeBlocks if you desire, but you are under no obligation to do so.) This CD includes the 8.02 version of CodeBlocks, which was used to create the examples in this book. CodeBlocks is distributed under the GPL v3.0 license, which you can read about at http://www.codeblocks.org/license/3.
Author-created material
For Windows, Linux, and Mac. All the examples provided in this book are located in the Author directory on the CD and work with Windows, Linux, and Macintosh computers. These files contain all the sample code from the book.
During the writing of this book, a few of our beta readers reported some odd behavior from their anti-virus programs. It seems that some anti-virus programs don’t like a few of the source-code files. Just what the anti-virus programs dislike about the source-code files is unclear, but we assure you that the source-code files are clean. In fact, you can view the content of most of these files using a simple text editor and see that there isn’t anything to warrant concern.
The structure of the directory that holds the examples is Author/BookX/ChapterYY, where X is the book or chapter number.
Troubleshooting
We tried our best to compile programs that work on most computers with the minimum system requirements. Alas, your computer may differ, and some programs may not work properly for some reason.
The two likeliest problems are that your system doesn’t have enough memory (RAM) for the programs you want to use, or you have other programs running that are affecting installation or running of a program. If you get an error message such as Not enough memory or Setup cannot continue, try one or more of the following suggestions and then try using the software again:
♦ Turn off any anti-virus software running on your computer. Installation programs sometimes mimic virus activity and may make your computer incorrectly believe that it’s being infected by a virus.
♦ Close all running programs. The more programs you have running, the less memory is available to other programs. Installation programs typically update files and programs; so if you keep other programs running, installation may not work properly.
♦ Have your local computer store add more RAM to your computer. This is, admittedly, a drastic and somewhat expensive step. However, adding more memory can really help the speed of your computer and allow more programs to run at the same time.
Customer Care
If you have trouble with the CD-ROM, please call Wiley Product Technical Support at 800-762-2974. Outside the United States, call 317-572-3993. You can contact Wiley Product Technical Support also at http://support.wiley.com. Wiley Publishing will provide technical support only for installation and other general quality-control items. For technical support on the applications themselves, consult the program’s vendor or author.
To place additional orders or to request information about other Wiley products, please call 877-762-2974.