Installing AntInstaller
The first step is downloading the AntInstaller package from the AntInstaller website. Just go to the download page. As with many of the SourceForge.net projects, there is a direct download link available on the download page. The AntInstaller package itself comes as a self-extracting zip file, and at just over 18MB you’ll need a broadband link for the download.
To install AntInstaller, just double-click the zip file icon or install it from the command line. You’ll notice that the installer uses AntInstaller technology. This is sometimes described using a rather colorful expression: "Eating your own dogfood!"
The installer then presents a page describing the Apache License. You’re asked for the main installation options: destination folder, manuals, and so on. This page is followed by an attractive status window displaying the installation of the required components.
Notice that a new file called ant.install.log has appeared in the original installation folder. This file describes the installation as it occurred—you get one of these each time you run an AntInstaller package.
Let’s now run an actual installer and then look at how to build one.