Processing 1.0 - Processing Discourse - Lack of Installers (would you like some?)

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Lack of Installers (would you like some?) (Read 2513 times)

Alec Taylor

Lack of Installers (would you like some?)
Feb 1^st, 2010, 4:51am

Topic moved to:http://processing.org/discourse/yabb2/num_1266843929.html

Top of the morning to you,

Finally got around to downloading Processing, when I noticed no installer located inside either [Windows] ZIP file!

Shocked

Time to change that.

So I've created 3 different installers for Windows.

An InnoSetup based Installer, an NSIS based installer & a Windows Installer (MSI) based installer [MakeMSI].

I'll post the scripts later today (just doing some final checks).

Would you like anything special with them, with the NSIS based one I can do some fancy work, eg;

With the others, presenting a license is quite simple to do, but the JDK check will take some research Roll Eyes

.

In the next week or so I'd also be happy to create a couple of Installers for other platforms.

Just trying to help the Processing language as much as I can before/whilst learning it Wink

If there are any critiques/suggestions, please don't hesitate to advise.

Cheers,

Alec Taylor

« Last Edit: Feb 26^th, 2010, 11:47pm by Alec Taylor »

PhiLho

Re: Lack of Installers (would you like some?)
Reply #1 - Feb 1^st, 2010, 7:32am

Nice effort, although I am not totally convinced of the usefulness of installers for Processing...
I mean, even if you are not computer-savvy, it isn't that hard to download a zip file (preferably the full one for newbies) and to uncompress it somewhere on the hard disk, is it?
It works then out of the box and the PDE even associates itself of .pde files.
But well, I know some people will frantically search an installer, so perhaps this project might be useful. Don't let my words discourage you!

Alec Taylor

Re: Lack of Installers (would you like some?)
Reply #2 - Feb 1^st, 2010, 4:45pm

^Thanks, I have noticed however (at least with NSIS) that the outputted installer is less than the size of the ZIP file.
{62.5MB vs 42.1MB}

I would need to read deep into the Windows Installer documentation to work out how to make it polyglot.

Not sure if Processing is multi-lingual, but would be happy to make the Installers UNICODE?

Did you want installer's for other operating systems as well?

What are your thoughts on the Java check, include it, or not?

(could make two versions like there currently is)

If there's an SVN or whatever, could I have access to it?

Also, how would you like me to post it?

I can provide the scripts, or the binaries (or both!)

Here's an example of a script (NSIS, zlib is the best compressor);
http://pastebin.com/f38dba00d

Tongue

Also, here's The completed InnoSetup script: http://pastebin.com/f647e3f2f

Only think missing is a license Grin

I'll post the MSI one soon.

« Last Edit: Feb 1^st, 2010, 6:22pm by Alec Taylor »

Alec Taylor YaBB Newbies Offline Posts: 14	Re: Lack of Installers (would you like some?) Reply #3 - Feb 10^th, 2010, 3:55am BUG Reported: http://dev.processing.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=1459 Please cast your votes... BTW: Would you like me to keep posting the source code of the installers here, or would just the binaries suffice? [my Internet is fast now, so I'll be able to upload more than just the script]

blindfish

Re: Lack of Installers (would you like some?)
Reply #4 - Feb 10^th, 2010, 8:10am

So this explains the cryptic PM you sent me the other day...

I actually prefer not to use installers unless absolutely necessary. To me something that runs direct from the download is better in lots of ways: e.g. I can run it direct from a USB drive and I know it's not adding loads of unnecessary crud to the Windoze registry, or worse still installing additional spyware etc.

The lack of an installer certainly isn't a bug, so I'm not surprised by the response.

Where is the what if the what is in why?

PhiLho

Re: Lack of Installers (would you like some?)
Reply #5 - Feb 10^th, 2010, 8:46am

blindfish wrote on Feb 10^th, 2010, 8:10am:

So this explains the cryptic PM you sent me the other day...

Had a similar PM...

Quote:

The lack of an installer certainly isn't a bug, so I'm not surprised by the response.

Bug trackers are also used to track change requests, and this one have been correctly tagged as "enhancement".
But, well, as I said above, I agree with the answer...

Alec Taylor

Re: Lack of Installers (would you like some?)
Reply #6 - Feb 11^th, 2010, 1:22am

Quote:

Some comments on this feature (well, design choice);

"A significant portion of our users are in
academic environments where they often do not have administrator access to
the machine that they are using, and are not allowed to install software."

The .MSI Installer I've created will partly solve this issue for
Universities which use Windows. For those Universities where you're unable
to convince the 'IT People' to install Processing, I will create a
PortableApps installer. These installers were specifically designed to
install onto Portable devices, whether you have admin access on the host
computer or not.

From what I've gathered, PortableApps is a module of NSIS, so I should have
no difficulty in creating an installer. I may even manage to make it
official... (DL on the PortableApps website)

If however you're speaking about proxy issues, this can easily be overcome by;
• Changing the extension from .exe to something else
• Zipping the Installer

Inherent issues in the current method of 'getting' Processing;
• A non-self-extracting interface is used (less user-friendly)
• No licenses need to be accepted
• Compression isn't as good as what's offered in NSIS, InnoSetup & MakeMSI
• Isn't as professional as using a full-fledged Installer

Other problems with using Installers;
• YOU need to install the compilers (alternatively, I'd be happy to
maintain all the Installers, thus when a new version is released, either
post the link live, and I'll create the installers ASAP, or drop me an
email & I'll create the Installers for you ASAP, then add them to the
website [or send them to you to post])
• Perhaps before you were also referring to Linux, in which case there's
relatively no problem to maintain the .tgz

Here's a working example of the Windows Installer (.msi) for Processing 1.0.9;
http://www.mediafire.com/?y55aml1oitn

(Obviously icons & all text can be changed, the purple colouring was just
an added zest ;]! Also, I was unable to add it under the 'attachment'
section, so I've hosted it with a free host, if you'd prefer it with the
SVN give me access, otherwise I'm happy to put them on different free hosts?)

Please reconsider creating Installers for each release (& OS).

Thank you,

Alec Taylor

BTW: I'll use this topic to quote important info, and post my Installers & Installer Scripts (even if both are made official)

Alec Taylor

Re: Lack of Installers (would you like some?)
Reply #7 - Feb 21^st, 2010, 5:43am

Looks like the initial binaries for the Linux's will be more complicated then I initially thought.

For starters, I'll need to go over the Copyright file...

System libraries need to be ported, (perhaps I'll work with upstream to fix the awkward bits which need adjustment.)

I'll setup ant to build all the source into a small [known] number of jars. Then all I need to do is list those jars in the install file.

This'll take a week or two, maybe longer (as Uni begins tomorrow).

I'll keep you updated.

Alec Taylor

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