Hello,
I was curious to find out if there is documentation on how to create/re-create existing portable apps, in order to update them ourselves. There are some programs that have been updated, and
* I would like to update my USB drive
* I would like to learn how to create my own packages.
Here are some existing portable apps that I would like to update
I figure if you teach me to fish, I won't ask later on.
Thank you for the wonderful apps and keep up the good work.
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If you are very lucky, you can copy the new version on top of the old one.
WinMerge Portable or another directory syncing program might help.
Steps to complete:
1) back up the Portable directories (in case you are unlucky and end up with something that doesn't work).
2) install the "regular" version of the software.
3) compare the "Portable" directory ./app/[appname] with the directory into which you installed the "regular" version.
4) copy changed files
5) uninstall the "regular" version of the software (to help with testing)
6) test (including checking for changes in the host filesystem and registry)
7) when it fails, restore your backup.
The main issue is whether the software's upgrade changed things so much that either it doesn't work at all, or something that used to be portable is now writing to the APPDATA or other host directory or the registry, or something was added which wasn't in the old version and thus wasn't portablized there.
The source code is under ./Other, so you can see what was done on the release version. If you can figure out what is not working properly in the new version you are playing with, you may be able to add a few lines to it, recompile, and have the new version working.
If you do succeed in making the new version work, your research may help the original developer release an "official" update, or it may lead you to doing it yourself.
If you get it working, you don't necessarily need to create a PAF file. But if you want to, the installer source should be there too.
(To recompile the launcher or installer, you need NSIS, for which you can Google. There are a couple of plugin libraries that you might need too; if NSIS complains about not finding something, search the NSIS web site for it, install the plugin to the default location, and try again.)
That is it, in fairly broad strokes. If you have trouble fleshing it out, jump on the IRC channel or write back, being sure to say what you tried, how it failed, and what help you need.
MC
Kompozer is an alpha. We don't do alphas and you shouldn't use them (they'll lose your data and break your files).
Eraser 5.86a doesn't support working portably due to relying on specific system files.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
You see it in the top menu, na?
It's here, too:
https://portableapps.com/development
Also, read the Guerrilla Field Guide
https://portableapps.com/node/14868
I'm excited about Kompozer 0.8, too, but I DL'd it, and it's definitely alpha!
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.
I'm not really interested in redistribution, per se, but rather the personal use; I'd like to use the latest Audacity beta with Portable Audacity as offered. Do I simply need to install Portable Audacity and then copy Audacity beta's files over to the 'app' directory? Or would that not work?
Of course, I have the latest Audacity beta and I've got it loaded up in the menu, I just think it would be neat to have the splash screen, to make it more uniform.
Or are certain changes made to the files themselves? Since the thing is portable (mostly portable?) by nature.
I know you guys don't do alpha and beta software, but the latest Audacity betas are perfectly stable, on two computers I've used them on. I don't know why they put the beta tag on it, they run fine. Besides, a lot of free and/or open-source software stays in beta, or uses version numbers below 1.0. I don't hold either against it, figure it's just a different numbering scheme (e.g. independent developers use small numbers, big companies like Adobe and Microsoft use big(ger) numbers) and if the program works, great. But then again, IANAP so maybe I'm missing something.
But until it gets picked up here, your best bet is to get the WinPenPack version.
They usually keep up with the scabby edge (not quite the bleeding edge, but close!)
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.
Well, if they don't keep up with the latest version, why is theirs better than the standalone one from the official site?
Is WinPenPack as thorough (or does it try to be as thorough) as PortableApps.com as far as making apps portable and/or stealthy? Because they have a LOT of stuff up there.
Winpenpack has a standardized process for portablizing SW, using their own X-launcher. Also, they are specific in their mission to make SW portable for use on USB drives, but I don't know how stealthy they try to be.
As for their thoroughness, I can't imagine with the number of apps there that they do as much beta testing as is done here - but maybe they have a lot more people with time on their hands :-).
And they DO keep up with the latest versions. In that regard, they are FAR ahead of this site (sorry, guys!)
http://www.winpenpack.com/main/download.php?view.37
The Audacity site provides a zipped copy, but they only say that it's for use where you can't run an installer. They make no claims for portability or steath.
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.
See the above (text and links). The answers are there. Short answer is "try it and see". You can't break your computer by trying something, and if you can restore from a backup, all you've lost is your time.
The issue is this: the way the released Portable version was created is embodied in the source code. It shows how the developer adapted to the idiosyncrasies of the released version. Nine times out of ten, the next version will have the same file structure and idiosyncrasies, and just copying the corresponding files over will give you what you want.
If the product is radically different, with different file structure or gui library or database backend, then copying the new files over the old ones might not be ideal. But you won't know until you try, just as the developer won't know until he tries.
If the developer copies the files and discovers that it doesn't work, the next step is to use various tools to figure out what is not working properly. There is a very good chance you won't have to worry about that, but if so, the tools are not that hard to obtain or use, and many people become developers because they enjoy solving the puzzle.
The only difference between you and the developer is that the developer spent time figuring out what the program was doing.
MC