Portable apps work so well, it makes me wonder why you would install the full version on your main PC instead of the portable. What are the pro/cons?
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Recently I re-formated and only used portable apps. However, I did install Frontpage, MS Access, MS Activesync, and that was about it. Everything else was made portable, so I just made shortcuts to them.
Next step will be to ghost the perfect setup, and won't have to install windows again until the next version comes out.
PS, I tried everything to make those MS appz portable, and couldn't do it. Obviously I don't care about registry entries, since they are min. compared to installing the full appz.
I also had to make a few reg entries to register some appz, like nero... but importing them is easy.
So can anyone make those MS appz portable? I would fully be gratefull.
But other than that my computer is running smoothly, with no bog down.
The main thing I find useful about actually installing the applications are the file associations that are created. Other then that, I mostly use portable applications.
Another thing is speed. For example, it takes a while to compile applications through a USB key where as if the compiler resides on the harddrive, it's almost blazingly fast.
Rob Loach [Website] [Projects]
Once I'm done, I'll export the registry that applies to the file associations, so my appz can be installed quickly.
Actually, we have been doing that for quite a while and have had great results for the reasons you mentioned. With our last release we adopted John's naming conventions and integrated his apps with ours. PortableApps really run well on older boxes. We send the CD's to places that don't have access to high speed for downloading.
Add the PStart shortcut to your startup folder and the menu will launch in your tray.
You might look at our file structure for some ideas (in overview). We have also incorporated a full Apache server structure for development as well as an intranet. It is all drag and drop.
I suspect that at the rate this community is innovating it won't be too long before there is a wrapper that will eliminate the registry problem for inter-operability too!
Ridgewood Foundation Open Source Project
Site: http://zedfiles.com Blog: http://blog.zedfiles.com
Just backup the reg associations, I only use 2 software that are not portable on my pc.
345 portable applications:
http://standalone.atspace.org/index.html
Portability is great, and I probably couldn't survive without my Portable Apps Suite, but there's no point to go portable on your home computer. I have a laptop and all my applications are fully installed -- so my file associations and such remain intact -- and I can run things ordinarily. Personally, I find using portable apps as ordinary, installed ones is a hassle.
~nm35 {blog} {standalone apps}
From your recent Blog entry on the meltdown of your system, it seems like you spent a lot of time "reinstalling"...wouldn't it have been easier just to plug in a USB drive and copy it all over
I do understand about the file associations...but that seems to be in the works.
Ridgewood Foundation Open Source Project
Site: http://zedfiles.com Blog: http://blog.zedfiles.com
Yes, it does seem to contradict what I just said, but I spent that time hunting up CDs for nonportable programs, and backups of data. I have a 120GB hard drive, so I filled it up with a lot of data, which fortunately was recoverable. The CDs were scattered all over my house, and they were for programs like Acrobat Prof. Edition 7, Microsoft Visual C++, Adobe GoLive CS, and so on...
It makes more sense to just make an ISO image of the hard drive and restore that image if necessary (can anyone say Norton Ghost?). Maybe a "snapshot" would work as well without portability too -- it does get the Registry, right?
~nm35 {blog} {standalone apps}
Just pulling your leg a bit
An image makes a lot of sense!
Ridgewood Foundation Open Source Project
Site: http://zedfiles.com Blog: http://blog.zedfiles.com
Dude learn about computers before saying something stupid.
I belive he is talking about compiling software from a programmers perspective. Basically if the compiler was on the hard drive then it would be faster to compile sourcecode than if it had to pull from a usb drive. It all depends on what you are doing.
Please do not insult someone before you find out what they mean by a statement. This forum is a community forum to bring ideas for portable applications together, not a forum to insult or harass people. as you did.
Deuce
"Portable Software: Just the beginning..."
Deuce
Portable Software: Just the beginning.
This community has a great potential, your response was put in a respectful way. Great example of leadership in pursuing an objective of neat PortableApps. I learned a lot reading it. We not only need to program but we need to let people come here and find their way, to understand that "opps ok...I can come back...no flame...no blame!"
Sometimes we need to be reminded that Open Source is "open", it teaches good lessons...like putting the toilet seat down no matter where you are... It will keep you out of trouble
Ready,fire and aim is ok, but I get the sense that we are beginning to get the idea of what the target is and having some fun along the way. There will always be contributors and commentators...nice to have an Ambassador of good-will, I would nominate you if you would run?
All this was done (including spell check) on PortableApps.
Ridgewood Foundation Open Source Project
Site: http://zedfiles.com Blog: http://blog.zedfiles.com
It didn't read that way at first. It still looks fuzzy but I guess you could say he was talking about running a compiler installed on a USB drive, however/whyever you would do that.
And for the record, I don't harass people; I point out odd mistakes. Don't you get chair-throwingly annoyed when someone calls a computer system a "CPU" (referencing, of course, the system and not the processor); or calls a program like Firefox "Linux" (yes some people call any open source software "Linux"); or calls your mom a wh*re? I mean seriously when people make statements which are clearly blatantly incorrect or fail to use proper terminology, they create a large amount of confounding in both their statements and in the statements of people who repeat said mistakes.
The differences between that and harassment are first I'm not really targeting anyone; and second if you stop saying dumb stuff I'll stop correcting you.
At any rate, you're right, this is all off topic. Enough of this.
:?: :?: :?:
Dude, my English teacher was psycho about correctness, but you don't see her on these forums.
Take a chill pill, homey.
You would have a compiler on your USB for NSIS.
----
R McCue
"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate."
...people who do not know the difference between a cpu and a computer tower, however, for me I do not get mad I politely point out the differences. When you come to a forum and make a statement such "Dude learn about computers before saying something stupid." as you sais, then that is not in any way trying to stop the mistakes you pointed out. This just breeds anger toward you. Calling people stupid over what you percieve as wrong is not the way you make friends or try to help. I wonder if you ever worked desktop support before. I have, and if I had the same attitude you do for every time I got: "My cpu is broken" I would have been fired very fast and you probably would to.
I work different then you do, and I believe trying to make you understand my way of thinking would be a waste of time, so I will not even try. However I do again push my point that if you are going to sit in this forum and make statements such as the above, because being ignorant is the way you are, then we do not need or want you to be around in this forum. As you will bring nothing to it of value. so please leave if you can not grow up.
Also, even in comparison, the staetment about my mother was not a necessary thing to say, and I take opffense at it! And I believe everyone here does for the statement alone.
Deuce
"Portable Software: Just the beginning..."
Deuce
Portable Software: Just the beginning.
Hi,
I have been using portable apps on my PC for a while. Of course there are some installed applications but I usually run the portable app off the hard drive whenever I can. Here's how I do it and why:
I have a folder on my PC that contains the TrueCrypt encryption program in both a working and archive (installer) format. TrueCrypt is also a installed application on my PC. I created a 690mb TrueCrypt container file that resides in the same folder. When the container is opened and my password is typed in I can use the files inside at virtually full hard disk speed. Then I use a menu system (Qsel) that runs whenever I double-click on the shortcut and I can then run the application I want to use.
FirefoxPortable, PortableThunderbird, OpenOffice, EssentialPIMPortable, XInkscape are all portable apps of course but I also have AceMoney, AnyPassword and plenty of games and puzzles for entertainment. If I am not sure if a app is portable I also keep a copy of the installer as well. With plenty of room for my documents, spreadsheets, databases (CSVed flatfile), and emails.
This means that when I do not have the 690mb container file open for use I can use a CD burner program to back the whole thing up to a 700mb CD. I make it a practice to backup every weekend and throw the CD on the stack. Each CD is a complete encrypted copy of my applications (already configured the way I want them) and data.
I can take the CD to practically any Windows PC with 700mb of free space and copy it over, reset the read only attributes (super easy in 2000 and XP) and have access to all my important stuff within minutes. Have you ever been without email or Quicken because your PC crashed and it's taken days to troubleshoot the problem, fix it, reload the operating system and applications? I have. I've even had two PCs running at the same time. One for email and the web while the other is on the workbench being resetup and tweaked (Video drivers, Soundcard drivers, Mouse drivers (you know the drill).
This system may not be for you but it works quite well for me. It has given me the reassurance that my data (all my hard work) is well within reach should my laptop get lost or stolen.
File associations can be done but I usually prefer to use the application to open the file. This is just the way I like to work. Start OpenOffice then open the spreadsheet and start working.
Al
I have found it useful to put portable apps on my shared drive at work, so that I can take my apps with me to what ever computer I log on to. I also keep my USB with me in case my drive is inaccessable.
For file associations, the apps here and even others (some designed to be portable) have the option to associate file types. And if the files are on the hard drive, speed isn't an issue. I see no cons.
I actually use PFx on a home computer (which, sadly, has USB1.1 ports) because I've been using it for quite a while and my entire customization of Fx is there (including 61 extensions).
Vintage!