Packaging Application Metadata

[Mark Howe]

I totally agree with this, even if you could build runnable a artifact for all platforms from one you would still need all platforms to test on before releasing anyway. 

On Apr 11, 2013, at 8:13 AM, Danno Ferrin 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