Basically, I've found some applications here that has helped me bypass my school's PC restrictions(obsolete software, web filters, etc).
I want to recommend these applications and Portable apps platform to my friends. I don't want them to download each package and install them by themselves, as they will think the steps are hard. So, I want to make a easy-to-install package, just like what the Portableapps team has did with the Suite.
But my only portable storage is my external HDD, and I don't want to overwrite the installation there.
So how do I install it to a folder to the desktop?
Firstly, we don't condone using Portable Apps to bypass corporate or institutional firewalls. Doing so can get you into very serious trouble, and you should only use the apps from here within the guidelines and rules laid out for the computers you use them on.
Secondly, if you want to repackage the apps from here, you need to be aware that even just giving them to a friend counts as redistribution, so if you were to include Firefox, Thunderbird, or some of the Freeware (non open-source) apps, then what you propose would actually be illegal.
Thirdly, when you run the installer directly (not from the menu) it will prompt you for what folder to install to, so you can choose the desktop, or just some other folder on your external drive, such as :\bundle\PortableApps\
Sorry Jimbo, but firefox and thunderbird are open source. However, Jimbo is right in saying you need to be careful about what you re-distribute.
Also, be careful how you ue portableapps.com software.
It is not up to us to moderate the apps usage, but to provide it. If you screw up, you could affect 100's if not thousands of people.
Please think before you use these.
Shane Thompson
Shane Thompson
shanet[at]people[dot]net[dot]au
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Firefox and Thunderbird require permission to redistribute in modified form. To otherwise do so with their trademarks intact (Mozilla, Firefox and Thunderbird are registered trademarks) isn't allowed. We have a special licensing agreement with Mozilla allowing us to repackage Thunderbird and Firefox for portable use and within our suite. That right does not extend to third parties.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
By simply changing the path in the installer when it asks for.
But remember, most apps won't work when you change the path they run from if more than the drive letter changes.
So if you install to C:\Users\\Desktop\PAc\ it will only work from [X]:\Users\\Desktop\PAc\ where [X] might be any drive letter. Things like [X]:\Users\\Desktop\PAc\ or [X]:\someotherFolder\PAc\ won't work.
So you might want to install it the root of a drive.
"Der Klügere gibt nach, deshalb regieren Dumme die Welt."
Since day 1, Ive been using my portable apps installed to a folder like this:
C:\PortableAppsSuite\
Never had any problems with any apps paths, unless the app itself had a bug.
For the record, I always use the built-in Options>Install a New App from the menu to install my official apps.
I prefer not to install it to the root (c:) for a number of reasons, including the fact that the autorun.inf renames the drive and changes the icon.
As for giving it to your friends, install the PortableApps to whatever folder you want, and then you can burn them to a CD to give to your friends. Just remember that when then copy the installation to their own drives, they need to re-set all the files and folders attributes to remove the Read-only flag that CDs always put on.
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.
I think he just wanted to say: Dont use long paths as some apps like OOO will break if you do.
"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate
I didn't even think of OOo, what I wanted to say is, that if he installs to desktop, the path name would be different for each user (he said he wants to share his collection of apps with some friends, so I think they use different user accounts).
The advice with the root of the drive wasn't really that well-thought, something like solanus does would probably be better.
"Der Klügere gibt nach, deshalb regieren Dumme die Welt."