Application Package Woes

[Hans-Joerg Frieden]

@chris
I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't use the Lisp-based installer because it's another (and quite strange!) language to learn, and I'd rather use that time for programming. I guess if I make enough things that need an installer, then I might be able to justify learning it...

Installing using Python would not help in this case, since I don't know it either! I guess it would be nice if there was some installer system based upon C. If it was done using an AmigaOS library, then it could be exposed to any programming language you wanted (including interpreted languages with some extra effort). Just a thought anyway.

Actually, if I ever get to the installer finalized to the point I wanted it, installing a typical software package would be a single line of Python code. I don't think that this would a serious issue

[djrikki]

Hi Hans-Joerg,

I managed to adapt Jack for auto-starting packages that contain a python install process with surprising ease.

I used Timberwolf as a basis for this as is the only package on OS4Depot that I can find that uses the Installation Utility (!)

The detection is simple every python package should be set out like this as a bare minimum -  tbh basic stuff:

Install YourApp/ (outer drawer)
Install YourApp/Install YourApp.info (project icon that calls SYS:Utilities/Installation Utility)
Install YourApp/install.py (your working python script)
Install YourApp/installer-logo.png (your logo as referenced in the project icon's tooltypes, 640x86 pixels)

Additionally the name attribute of the AddPackage command set in install.py must match the filename.

Eg.

Code: Select all

noarchPack = AddPackage (FILEPACKAGE,
	name = "YourApp", /* AND YES ON THE LINE BELOW THE ADDPACKAGE COMMAND */
	description = "YourApp Installation Files",
	files = ["YourApp_files/"],
	optional = False
	)

I hope I have correctly assumed that every python installation script requires that the AppPackage command is used?

And that's it really, no heavy requirements.

[Hans-Joerg Frieden]

Code: Select all

noarchPack = AddPackage (FILEPACKAGE,
	name = "YourApp", /* AND YES ON THE LINE BELOW THE ADDPACKAGE COMMAND */
	description = "YourApp Installation Files",
	files = ["YourApp_files/"],
	optional = False
	)

I hope I have correctly assumed that every python installation script requires that the AppPackage command is used?

And that's it really, no heavy requirements.

Note that right now it can only deal with files. I want to be able to work out of archives as well, but I just didn't get around to do that yet.