GPL Redistribution Clarification

Use either http://pastie.org/ or http://pastebin.com/ to upload the regshot and then put a link here.

On that point, the field guide is incorrect. In general I think you'll find the PortableApps.com Launcher manual is more accurate, mainly because in it I haven't had to try to squeeze everything into one or two screenfuls - so relevant content can be expanded easily.

HKU is HKEY_USERS, and the hive loaded at HKEY_USERS\S-... is what is then aliased as HKEY_CURRENT_USER (the S-... is the user account ID). If there's ever anything else in HKEY_USERS, in a different user hive, that indicates either that the app is doing scary stuff involving logging on other users or changing things it shouldn't, or if it's .DEFAULT that it's changing some things for when no-one's logged in - changing the colour and background in the logon screen, for example. I've never seen an app change anything but the current user's HKU\S-... thing.

The reason Regshot reports it that way, I think, is that it's the only "real" way of accessing it. HKEY_CURRENT_USER is purely an alias, and already covered by the HKU entry, so if it did that too it'd duplicate it.

Your RegistryKeys is correct. Make sure you set [Activate]:Registry=true if you do any registry stuff.

However, try it without it first: in all probability it's just the installer that did that and you won't need to do it for MediaInfo itself.

The old version of MediaInfo will have its launcher in Other\Source\MediaInfoPortable.nsi (or possibly Other\MediaInfoPortableSource\MediaInfoPortable.nsi). Skim through that, ignoring most of it, and you may get the general gist of what it does.

I'll deal with PAC later, as I need to go to Uni now. Sorry.

Now, to deal with your question about Portable App Creator versus the PortableApps.com Launcher.

On the negative side, Portable App Creator:

• doesn't create apps in PortableApps.com Format (though it can be made to do so approximately);
• takes control enough that it gives the impression it does everything with making a portable app, when it certainly doesn't;
• is too simple in my opinion - making it so that anyone can "make a portable app" - of unknown and probably doubtful quality;
• lacks any real level of configurability (if it doesn't quite work, you're completely sunk, I believe);
• uses AutoIt (false positives, etc.);
• is a dead project and so isn't supported any more.

However, it could be useful for making portable apps for private use when you don't really care whether it's strictly portable.

On the other hand, the PortableApps.com Launcher:

• produces PortableApps.com Format apps (it forces you to in anything it touches);
• gives the developer control to configure it as they wish;
• makes understanding what's happening easy;
• is extremely powerful;
• is actively supported and developed.

However, it does require more work on the part of the developer, and doesn't guide you through the entire process (leaving other documents and its manual to do that).

One way I would summarise it is that PAC is for personal use by people who probably don't know what they're doing, PAL is more for general use, and in particular people who know what they're doing well and so can use its power. In particular for development at PortableApps.com, a tool like PAC just doesn't work in its current shape. (It could have portions of it rewritten to work with the PortableApps.com Launcher, probably fairly easily. Possibly worth some consideration as an option.)

For myself, as an experienced developer (we'll ignore the fact that I developed PAL), I think using the PortableApps.com Launcher is simple enough and powerful enough that I would use it rather than PAC. I would never redistribute anything done by a tool like PAC for the reasons stated earlier. And in general if I want to make a portable app of something, once I'm done I distribute it.

Some time ago I started work (currently busy with other things though) on a helper utility which will have some of the features of the Portable App Creator wizard, but it will be more geared towards our development process - the Format, Installer, etc.