Packaging Application Metadata

[Mark Fortner]

Are MSIs buildable on Linux boxes?  I know there's a maven plugin to build
RPMs and debs and dmgs. And I know that Zonskis maven plugin made most of
that a lot easier to do. Danno, what platforms were you targeting with your
gradle plugin?

Mark
On Apr 11, 2013 8:35 AM, "Danno Ferrin" <danno.ferrin at shemnon.com> wrote:

> A properly configured MSI fits the automatic and invisible standard. I
> don't know if we have the hooks in the current deployment code to properly
> configure it (there is some GUID magic I am not familiar enough with).  But
> to get truly automatic and invisible I would expec that we would have to
> play by the platform's rules.  (DEBs and RPMs also if put in a proper repo
> are fairly quiet and automatic).
>
> On Thu, Apr 11, 2013 at 9:30 AM, Mark Fortner <phidias51 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> 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
>>>
>>
>
>
> --
> 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
>