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Merging Multiple PortableApps Directories

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rhapdog
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Merging Multiple PortableApps Directories

I have an issue that I haven't seen posted anywhere else.

My wife and I both use PortableApps.com platform applications. We use several applications that are specifically configured for our own use (for example, Thunderbird), and we like to keep these separate.

We also both want to use the same software on our home computer, so we use it from our C: drive primarily, and sync the folders to USB drives when we travel out of town, which is very, very often.

Our setup, to prevent having the same applications installed more than once, thereby preventing wasted space, is to have her applications installed to her specific "My Documents" directory, where there is a "My Documents\PortableApps" folder there. I do the same in My Documents for me. Then for shared applications that we both use, we use "Shared Documents\PortableApps". Currently, we are having to use a 3rd party menu launcher to handle this setup, because the PortableApps.com platform won't handle it properly. We use the My Documents and Shared Documents so that only MY applications or HER applications are available depending on the login. Also, by installing it into My Documents, it allows us to use the PortableApps on our local drive even with the strict security settings on the machine. Installing it to C:\ had initially raised some issues with some of the programs we ran, so we keep it in My Documents.

Now that the set up is explained, let me explain my complaint/issue. The platform will not allow me to use applications from 2 separate application directories. That is a serious problem for me, and will keep me from using the platform. Also, the platform INSISTS on putting a "Documents" directory at it's own root, which means I end up with a "My Documents\Documents", with "Music" and "Pictures" added below that. I insist that these folders should be configurable, not set in stone. It has never been where I want or how I want it configured. That's the second deal breaker for me to be able to use this platform.

When we synchronize to our portable drives, we each synchronize our "My Documents" and "Shared Documents" folders, so that we have not only our applications, but all our files as well.

When we take trips together, we put it all on one drive, which means we need to launch 2 menus from one login, each residing in the system tray. We are able to each have our own color system tray icon with the 3rd party menu we are using, so we aren't confused about who's menu belongs to whom. I would like to see all the above functionality to be a part of PortableApps.com Platform. If not, I'll just continue to use another product for the menu.

depp.jones
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John could give more

John could give more information about the roadmap of the menu, but I suppose, the ability to handle diffenet install locations is not on his list. The main guideline has alwasy been to keep things simple more or less.
The ability to customize the location of the document folders seems to be planned for some later release, but I don't know when or if it will be implemented the next time.

If size does not matter, a workaround for the shared app set might be to keep two different sets and synchronize the settings of the two on a regular (daily?) basis. This should not take too long as only the data folders need to be synchronized.

But I think all your needs can only be satisfied with a 3rd party menu for now.

btw. I hope, someday a customizable tray icon will be included in the theming engine as I have the same problem with running two or more platforms sometimes.

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