Packaging Application Metadata

[Mark Fortner]

Deployment in the enterprise tends to be a little different than deployment
to a consumer. You have a more controlled environment, and the less you
have to deploy the better. You don't want to push a new JRE each time and
you don't want to constantly push dependencies. You can usually find a
target box to test on, but you don't want to have to configure and install
a series of VMs to build on all those platforms.

Also you tend to do a rapid update cycle. New deployments every couple of
weeks. You don't want your users having to run installers that frequently.
Updates should be as automated and as invisible as possible.

Mark
On Apr 11, 2013 8:13 AM, "Danno Ferrin" <danno.ferrin at shemnon.com> wrote:

> Hare to be a WORA basher, but you shouldn't be building and deploying
> packages on platforms you don't have one to test on.  So I don't see the
> requirement of packaging on the platform you are testing on to be an
> impediment.  As it stands, you must build iOS apps on a Mac and there are
> some deeply embedded code signing reasons why that won't ever be (legally)
> overcome.  Mac apps a little less so, unless you want to put it on the Mac
> App Store.  (Same with Win 8, Ubuntu and RasPi seem to be the outliers,
> although making a deb on a non Unix platform is a trip).   The vendor lock
> in is not in the packaging but the store.
>
> Coloring my view is the fact that I have also become a huge advocate of
> bring your own runtime, because the update releases are not all bug
> compatible.  And to bring your own runtime cross-compilation is often more
> difficult than firing up the build script on three different (virtual)
> machines.
>
> On Thu, Apr 11, 2013 at 8:40 AM, Mark Fortner <phidias51 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Creating installers is not really the issue. Izpack will let you do that
>> as
>> part of a maven build. The real issue is creating an artifact that is
>> runnable regardless of the platform. Either a native artifact, or a
>> universal artifact. If it's a native artifact we need to be able to build
>> it even though we don't have the target platform installed. Something
>> which
>> currently seems to be beyond our reach.
>>
>> Mark
>> On Apr 11, 2013 4:51 AM, "Pedro Duque Vieira" <
>> pedro.duquevieira at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Yeah.. I forgot to mention. I can generate all this installers (Mac OS,
>> > Windows and Linux) from my windows machine.
>> >
>> > Cheers,
>> >  On Apr 11, 2013 6:07 AM, "Mark Howe" <mark.howe at oracle.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > > Thanks for the info, just curious does it matter which platform you
>> are
>> > > on, i.e. can you do all 3 from any of the 3 platforms?
>> > >
>> > > On Apr 10, 2013, at 2:30 PM, Pedro Duque Vieira wrote:
>> > >
>> > > > Hi Daniel,
>> > > >
>> > > > It generates dmg for Mac OS, ".sh" for unix and exe installers for
>> > > windows.
>> > > > In this tool you can generate Mac OS and windows installers that are
>> > self
>> > > > contained regarding the jre, i.e. no explicit installation of java
>> is
>> > > > required by the user, it is packaged with the installation file and
>> > > > installed automatically. Only the Linux installers are incapable of
>> > being
>> > > > self contained.
>> > > >
>> > > > I don't know how they do it, all I can say is that it works.
>> > > > They've been kind enough to offer me a free license for my free
>> > software.
>> > > > It's available for download in the download section of the site:
>> > > > http://modellus.co/ if you want to check them out.
>> > > >
>> > > > The mac version seems to be a little buggy (have to see if I can get
>> > more
>> > > > time to fix it) but I guess that is related to problems with the
>> Mac OS
>> > > JRE
>> > > > rather than with the install4j tool.
>> > > >
>> > > > Cheers,
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > > > On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 at 1:18 AM, Daniel Zwolenski <zonski at gmail.com
>> >
>> > > wrote:
>> > > >
>> > > >> How do they legally manage to do this and if they are doing it, why
>> > > won't
>> > > >> Oracle?
>> > > >>
>> > > >>
>> > > >>
>> > >
>> >
>> http://resources.ej-technologies.com/install4j/help/doc/indexRedirect.html?http&&&resources.ej-technologies.com/install4j/help/doc/jreDownload.html
>> > > >>
>> > > >> (this note is suspicious: Note: JRE bundles are not supported on
>> Mac
>> > OS
>> > > X
>> > > >> for both technical and legal reasons.)
>> > > >>
>> > > >>
>> > > >>
>> > > >>
>> > > >> On Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 8:09 PM, Daniel Zwolenski <zonski at gmail.com
>> >
>> > > wrote:
>> > > >>
>> > > >>> Using install4j you are able to produce all the deployment bundles
>> > > (msi,
>> > > >>> rpgs, etc) for all the various platforms (windows, mac, etc) on
>> one
>> > > >>> development platform (e.g. on windows or on mac)?
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>> If so I'd be keen to look at what they are doing and how they are
>> > doing
>> > > >>> it.
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>> On Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 5:23 PM, Pedro Duque Vieira <
>> > > >>> pedro.duquevieira at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>>> I use install4j to great effect for deploying to Linux, Mac and
>> > > Windows.
>> > > >>>>
>> > > >>>> I find it is a nice tool to use with a GUI to select through the
>> > > several
>> > > >>>> options you want like icons, jar dependencies, jre, download jre
>> on
>> > > >>>> demand
>> > > >>>> or having the jre inside the instalation file, splash screen,
>> etc..
>> > > >>>>
>> > > >>>> The only issue is that it is a proprietary payed tool, perhaps
>> > Oracle
>> > > >>>> could
>> > > >>>> create something like this.
>> > > >>>>
>> > > >>>> My 2 cents, cheers,
>> > > >>>>
>> > > >>>>
>> > > >>>>
>> > > >>>> --
>> > > >>>> Pedro Duque Vieira
>> > > >>>>
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > > > --
>> > > > Pedro Duque Vieira
>> > >
>> > >
>> >
>>
>
>
>
> --
> There is nothing that will hold me back.  I know who I am....
> I remember wher I came from, and I feel stronger for knowing.
> Zane, Ninja of Ice.  Ninjago S01E07
>