
n.
- The act of installing.
- The state of being installed. Also called installment.
- A system of machinery or other apparatus set up for use.
- A permanent military base.
On this page
American Heritage Dictionary:
in·stal·la·tion |

|
Featured Videos:
|
Roget's Thesaurus:
installation |
noun
Oxford Dictionary of the US Military:
installation |
n. a grouping of facilities, located in the same vicinity, that support particular functions. Installations may be elements of a base.
See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.
US Defense Department Military Dictionary:
installation |
(DOD) A grouping of facilities, located in the same vicinity, which support particular functions. Installations may be elements of a base. See also base; base complex.
Word Tutor:
installation |
But their determination to banish fools foundered ultimately in the installation of absolute idiots.
— Basil Bunting (1900-1985), British poet.
LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!
Random House Word Menu:
categories related to 'installation' |

Wikipedia on Answers.com:
Installation (computer programs) |
|
|
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page.
|
Installation (or setup) of a program (including drivers, plugins, etc.) is the act of putting the program onto a computer system so that it can be executed.
Because the requisite process varies for each program and each computer, many programs (including operating systems) come with a general-purpose or dedicated installation program called an installer–a specialized program which automates most of the work required for their installation.
|
Contents
|
Some software can be executed by simply copying it to a computer and executing it with no further ado; no installation procedure as such is required. Other programs are supplied in a form not suitable for immediate execution, and require an installation procedure. Installation may include unpacking of files supplied in a compressed form, copying them to suitable locations, tailoring the software to suit the hardware and the user's preferences, providing information about the program to the operating system, and so on. The installer may test for system suitability and available mass storage space.
Some software is designed to be installed simply by copying their files to the desired location, and there is no formal installation process. This was once usual for many programs running under MS-DOS, Mac OS, Atari TOS, and AmigaOS. This is the de facto standard in Mac OS X applications and is also used for many Windows applications. Windows applications that do not require installation are oftentimes called "portable," as they do not require an installation to run, and may be run for many different computers with only the executable. There are versions of some operating systems which do not require installation and can be run directly from a bootable CD, DVD, or USB drive. This allows one to test out the operating system without altering the existing setup. Examples are AmigaOS 4.0, different Linux distribution, MorphOS AmigaOS clone, or Mac OS 1-9.
Installation usually implies that once installed, the program can be executed again and again, without the need to reinstall before each execution. Some software does not need installation at all. There is server-based software that mimics locally-installed software, and can be run inside of a web browser, using only the local system's cache. This allows portability among computers with access to the server. This technique is often referred to as cloud computing.
Common operations performed during software installations include creation or modification of:
An installation program or installer is a computer program that installs files, such as applications, drivers, or other software, onto a computer. Some installers are specifically made to install the files they contain; other installers are general-purpose and work by reading the contents of the software package to be installed.
The differences between a package management system and an installer are:
| Package Management System | Installer |
|---|---|
| Typically part of the operating system. | Each product comes bundled with its own installer. |
| Uses a single installation database. | Performs its own installation, sometimes recording information about that installation in a registry. |
| Can verify and manage all packages on the system. | Only works with its bundled product. |
| Single package management system vendor. | Multiple installer vendors. |
| Single package format. | Multiple installation formats. |
During the installation of computer programs it is sometimes necessary to update the installer or package manager itself. To make this possible, a technique called bootstrapping is used. The common pattern for this is to use a small executable file (e.g. setup.exe) which updates the installer and starts the real installation after the update. This small executable is called bootstrapper. Sometimes the bootstrapper installs other prerequisites for the software during the bootstrapping process too.
Cross platform installer builders that produce installers for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux include InstallAnywhere (Flexera Software), JExpress (DeNova),[1] and InstallBuilder (BitRock Inc.).
Installers for Microsoft Windows include Windows Installer, a software installation component. Additional third party commercial tools for creating installers for Windows include InstallShield (Flexera Software), Advanced Installer (Caphyon Ltd),[2] InstallAware (InstallAware Software),[3] Wise Installation Studio (Wise Solutions, Inc.), SetupBuilder (Lindersoft, Inc.),[4] Installer VISE (MindVision Software), MSI Studio (ScriptLogic Corporation), Actual Installer (Softeza Development),[5] Smart Install Maker (InstallBuilders Company),[6] MSI Factory and Setup Factory (Indigo Rose Software), Centurion Setup (Gammadyne Corporation).[7] Free installer-authoring tools include NSIS, IzPack, Clickteam, InnoSetup, InstallSimple and WiX.
Mac OS X includes Installer, a native Package Manager software. Mac OS X also includes a separate software updating application, Software Update but only supports Apple and system software. Included in the dock as of 10.6.6, the Mac App Store shares many attributes with the successful App Store for iOS devices, such as a similar app approval process, the use of Apple ID for purchases, and automatic installation and updating. Although this is Apple's preferred delivery method for Mac OS X,[8] previously purchased licenses can not be transferred to the Mac App Store for downloading or automatic updating. Commercial applications for Mac OS X may also use a third-party installer, such as Mac version of Installer VISE (MindVision Software) or InstallerMaker (StuffIt).
| Look up installer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Translations:
Installation |
Dansk (Danish)
n. - installation, anlæg, indsættelse, anbringelse, montering
Nederlands (Dutch)
installatie, installering, legerkamp, toestel, aanbrenging
Français (French)
n. - installation, montage, mise en place
Deutsch (German)
n. - Einbau, Montage, Anlage, technische Ausrüstung, Installation, Amtseinführung
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - εγκατάσταση, τοποθέτηση
Italiano (Italian)
impianto, installazione
Português (Portuguese)
n. - instalação (f)
Русский (Russian)
размещение, установка, официальное введение в должность
Español (Spanish)
n. - instalación, equipo, sistema, toma de posesión de un cargo
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - installation, tillträdande, invigning (i ämbete)
中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
安装, 就职, 装置
中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 安裝, 就職, 裝置
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 취임, 장치, 군사시설
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 就任, 任命, 取り付け, 設備
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) تنصيب, تقلد منصب, تركيب
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - הכנסה לתפקיד, התקנה, מיתקן, תערוכה בגלריה, מיתקן תעשייתי או צבאי
If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.
To select your translation preferences click here.
| removal | |
| gravity station (engineering) | |
| bored latch |
Copyrights:
![]() |
![]() | American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
![]() |
![]() | Roget's Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 byHoughton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
![]() | Oxford Dictionary of the US Military. The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. Copyright © 2001, 2002 by Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() |
![]() | US Defense Department Military Dictionary. US Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Words, 2003. Read more |
![]() |
![]() | Word Tutor. Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved. eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; sign up free. Read more |
![]() |
![]() | Random House Word Menu. © 2010 Write Brothers Inc. Word Menu is a registered trademark of the Estate of Stephen Glazier. Write Brothers Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
![]() |
![]() | Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Installation (computer programs). Read more |
![]() | Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more |
Mentioned in