How do I start a new release?

Submitted by lwc on June 19, 2008 - 7:30pm

You say how to submit a release to you but not how to start it from scratch.

Let's say there's an open source program that I know exactly which files it copies over and which registry changes it makes. How do I take this program and put it under your "portable enforcer" launcher?

Also, do I have a choice whether I want to undo the program's registry changes or to simply block them in the first place?

Thanks!


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Wow, I'm definetly making a post about this.

Nobody (except John and some others) starts from scratch. I mean, why invent the wheel?
You can use one of John's launchers (because it's OSS ;)) It's not really a 'portable enforcer', most of the launchers are basically scripts that copy files and reg entries. Some make program var redirects, the only exception to the previous sentence.
Registry hooks (blocking would disable settings ;)) are not yet supported in NSIS yet, so therefore we cannot.
I'll make a post about this.
Seeing you've been here for two years, you aren't exactly eligible for a 'Welcome to PortableApps.com' :P, but good luck!

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>You can use one of John's

>You can use one of John's launchers
That's exactly what I meant. Where do I find the "official" launcher as well as paf installer (an extractor really)?

They are included with all

They are included with all releases in the Other/source folder.

Session

As source code they do. How

As source code they do. How do I edit and compile them?

They are

NSIS scripts so you need the NSIS compiler for that. Search the forums for NSIS portable and you'll find a portable one in the beta forums.

"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate

So the program that is the

So the program that is the basis for every portable program in this site does not have its own official portable version? That's quite an irony, isn't it?

Anyway, once I prepare AProgramPortable.exe, how do I make a PAF exe out of everything? Does NSIS create both EXE files?

No

So the program that is the basis for every portable program in this site does not have its own official portable version? That's quite an irony, isn't it?
Not really. NSIS Portable will eventually become official, it is just in development right now and is not yet ready for official release.

You need to configure PortableApps.comInstaller.nsi to get the installer, which is your .paf.exe file.

"I don't read the script, the script reads me!"

Yup

NSIS (aka Nullsoft Scriptable Install System) is used for launchers & installers. You can edit the scripts with MS Notepad, or, if you would prefer a beefed up editor, use Notepad++. (You can use Notepad++ Portable, an official app here.)
Use the existing launcher code for examples:
7-Zip Portable is the best example for HKCU keys, while Eraser Portable is the best example for HKLM keys. There are other examples likewise for other tasks required by your base application.
See http://portableapps.com/development for some more pointers. There is a wiki here: http://cubegames.net/development/start , It can be helpful for new developers.
Most importantly, the first thing to do if you need to know something is use the Search Function. If you have a problem, chances are your question has been answered before.

Thanks, If you have any more questions about developing launchers, just post here.

"I don't read the script, the script reads me!"