Uwe Raabe

I just installed successfully a fresh Delphi 12 from the ISO with a Network Named License inside a VM. Then I downloaded the *General Packages* and installed all of them using the multi package option in one go without problems. All downloads (ISO and packages) from *my.embarcadero.com*. So it is still possible to install a paid Delphi version and at least some packages from GetIt (Radiant Shapes, Konopka Controls, BeaconFence, Bookmarks, Navigator). To make the GetIt manager dialog show up faster, I removed the values from the ServiceURL entry under CatalogRepository in HKCU and HKLM. Note that the list of packages displayed then is not usable. You may get away with a standard workstation license already available on the target system. Sorry, but this approach will not work for the Community Edition.

It is controlled by the json configuration file for that feature. For local packages one can modify that, but for online packages probably not. Embarcadero provides some packages to be downloaded for offline installation from my.embarcadero.com, but I could not find one containing FastReport.

The online and offline installer are basically the same thing. The exe contained in the ISO is binary identical to the Online Installer. If the exe finds a similar named .gof file next to it, the installation is done offline. Given that, the options during installation are actually the same in both scenarios.

I don't know what caused it, and due to the outage cannot retry, but I have a D12 installation with Konopka Controls installed via GetIt and it ended in the public CatalogRepository. Just speculation, but it may be related how Delphi was installed (see UseSharedFiles in he BDS\23.0 registry) and the fact that I used Delphi with an admin account when installing the controls.

Probably not, but it allows you to get an "offline" installation. Even packages from GetIt can be installed once, copied and uninstalled to get rid of the GetIt server dependence. Also some GetIt packages are stripped versions where full versions are available. As I mentioned somewhere else in this forum, I use GetIt only to retrieve the required files, but avoid creating a dependency on it. That includes using paid versions when necessary (f.i. FastReport, CodeSite). Independence is not for free.

Probably less than your current problem...

Delphi usually checks its license more often than that. I cannot say for sure, but I expect the same 30 days for that, too. If anyone without ELC was able to run Delphi without internet for more than 30 days, please comment here.

Depends on the point of view. Delphi occasionally checks its license - either at Embarcadero servers or at the ELC server in your local network. That is the same in a VM as with a bare metal system. Of course if can, but there simply is no need for it. If anyone is that keen to inspect the hidden connections of ELC: Test it yourself - it can be installed for free. Anyway, if someone always suspects bad intentions in things from Embarcadero it may be better to move to something else.

Well, I didn't invest the time to check if everything works even when there is no internet connection for years. Also I don't know about some shady stuff - at least not for anything above a CE license. I can only tell about my own experiences and that they are pretty good. If you are after a detailed security investigation, I am not the right person to ask. BTW, you can even use Delphi when there is no connection to the ELC server for up to 30 days.

You cannot. I just explained what can be done to be independent when that happens next.

Most of that is covered in the link. Basically you set up ELC somewhere on your local network. I suggest using a dedicated VM, even if that resides on your one and only Computer. Then download the license files from ELC and use the named<xxx>.slip for each Delphi installation. You can run the same Delphi version on up to three computers. Converting to a Network Named License is usually best done when renewing your subscription. Otherwise they may charge a small fee.

Not that I am aware of - unless you initiate it to update your license (f.i. for a new major release). I don't know that, but I also have never searched for it. What I can confirm due to own experience is, that working with the IDE as well as installing Delphi works even with no internet connection. I also suggest to strip the Welcome Page from everything requiring a working internet connection. Mine has just the Create New and Recent Files/Favorites. It also feels quite a bit faster.

See part two of my answer. The ELC Server provides a slip file to be used for that.

What prohibits you to take the files installed in CatalogRepository? Even a standalone installer would not make a difference when you are using a dedicated repository. Let me explain my workflow with 3rd party libraries: install as usual (Setup or GetIt) and remove any unwanted references (mostly search paths) in Delphi inserted during the installation if not done before, create a new repository at a convenient place and create a vendor branch switch the repository to vendor branch copy the files from the installation to the repository and commit to vendor branch merge vendor branch into main branch. Depending on your situation you may get away with global library repositories used for all projects, but I prefer local sub-repositories for each project. I also remove any 3rd party library folders in the IDE and have the local libraries added to the project search path.

You still can install from ISO. I suggest converting any Workstation License into a Named Network License and setting up your own ELC server. (see Software Licensing and Management) IMHO, all professional developers, especially companies, using Delphi should already have done this.

Don't use GetIt to handle your library sources. Although I may use GetIt to install some of its libraries, I always put those into my own repository where they can be accessed from the build server.

FireDAC has no problems with multiple connections. There must be something wrong on your side.

I guess that is just a coincidence. Given the number of outages before, it probably is that piece of hardware dying since months.

Neat: https://www.idera.com/ppc/uptime-infrastructure-monitor/it-performance-monitoring

Just in case: you can enlarge the plugin, too.

That is the same with all warnings and hints. If you want to avoid the complete build you can use a Syntax Check.

During the upgrade process the unknown resources are moved to the .otares file and the dpk gets a reference for that. The recommended process in such a case is to use decent resources for the unknown ones and get rid of the .otares and the corresponding entry in the dpk. In the majority of cases the otares only contains a resource named PLATFORMTARGETS, which references targets no longer supported by the newer Delphi version. A typical otares file in that case has 96 bytes and can just be removed completely. Unfortunately some library vendors and open source libraries didn't grasp this and deliver these otares files. The warning you are referring to may be caused by something else. Perhaps one or more of those unknown resources were later added as regular resources to the project, which leads to the duplicate warning. The linker just detects resources with the same name, which cannot be resolved into one module.

I know, most likely I'm biased, but I'm not aware of any other working dataset enumerator than this one: https://github.com/UweRaabe/DataSetEnumerator. First described a couple of years ago on my blog: Dataset Enumerator Reloaded and now part of CmonLib.

It basically one of the rare cases when documentation was updated, but the underlying feature was dropped just before the release for several reasons. So it boils down to just fix the docs.

Did you actually try that? Even in Delphi 12 this report is still valid: https://quality.embarcadero.com/browse/RSP-39614