Feature Addition: Scanning multiple directories for apps, opinions sought

Is there a way we could automagically move apps from PortableAppsUnofficial to PortableApps upon release? That way when we do support apps, users don't need to manually move files themselves, or reinstall new.

Something along the logic lines of {When scanning PortableAppsUnofficial: "If app is found that is in App Store list, move app from PortableAppsUnofficial to PortableApps"}

PotableAppsNonPAF gets my vote.

Are you planning on initial setup to move the Unofficial and NonPaf apps out of the PortableApps folder into their respective folders?

Looking forward to this btw.

I think it is more explicit, besides it was the name that intuitively came to my mind - even before I had read the last sentence of your posting

BTW: Your, and your fellow developers hard work is very much appreciated. Thanks!

OFF TOPIC, and JFYI: Insecure password warning in Firefox (when logging in at PA.c).
Please see: https://support.mozilla.org/t5/Protect-your-privacy/Insecure-password-wa...

I think it would be a good idea, but only if as a configurable option. Maybe a list of directories that can be whitelisted or blacklisted for subdirectory scanning, as well as a simple checkbox for enabling disabling in the platform's options.
I think if implemented, it should be off by default, as many users who have many apps in platform like me will most likely have a long wait for apps to be loaded. It might confuse some of the less informed expecting automatic updates if enabled by default.

Also, this could help some advanced users who keep multiple official portable apps to not have to wait to load apps they do not use often by keeping them in separate directories that can be enabled or disabled at a whim, instead of moving them back and forth.

I am in the process (at last) of transitioning from ASuite to PAM.

Knowing that the Platform doesn't mind if a non-released-app's root folder name is changed:

I prepended all my Non-PAF apps' root folders with _NonPAF-

and prepended my Dev-Tests' root folders with _DevTest-

Prepended so they are grouped together, the underscore keeps them grouped away from the released apps. DevTest preferred to Unofficial as all mine are DevTests and it's shorter. I am aware that I have to correct the destination folder when installing a Dev test.

PortableApps\_NonPAF-Appname
PortableApps\_DevTest-Appname
PortableApps\Appname

I don't think I will move these to separate folders - it's quite convenient to have them like this all in one folder.

I like "Unofficial" and "Other" folders.

I really need this, please provide test build

Hello,

Is your idea with scanning multiple directiories alive? If yes did you think about possibilty to scan two folders e.g X:\PortableApps1 and X:\PortableApps2 (PortableAppsUnofficial and PortableAppsOther are also demanded )? I have a lot of apps installed and all of them including platform I keep in my cloud drive to sync between different computers, but depends on computer sometimes I need only few apps. So it will be great for me to divide apps to two groups, let we say Essential and Extra and keep them in two folders. Than I will only tick (or not) Portableapps2 and my sync will do the rest

thanks

I really need this feature, for separate official from unofficial Pac format.
Thanks a lot for your work.

Hello,
I think it would be better to support custom directory path and have an option to tell PortableApps.com if the content should be updated, in this way it will be more flexible and simple for users with their own directory.

The Feature Addition would be completed by:

X:\PortableAppsManaged - Apps in PA.c Format that are managed exclusively using the PortableApps Platform, i.e. don't need to be scanned on startup of the platform, but are remembered by the platform to exist. Benefit: drastically speed up the startup time. Apps in this folder will be stored in the platform's menu. If they got lost because of malicious user behavior, but the user tries to use them while they are missing, the user is asked to remove them from the platform or to reinstall them. Apps in this folder will be checked for updates by the PA.c Update. If they got lost because of malicious user behavior they will (anyway optionally) be restored on the next update of the respective app.

X:\PortableAppsManageOnUse - Apps in PA.c Format that are handled like Apps within the folder PortableAppsManaged, but will not be checked for updates by the PA.c Updater until they are used the first time during a session. Benefit: no updating of apps that are never used. For comfort an additional option to the Apps menu Prepare for Offline Use below Check for Updates would also check all Apps in the folder PortableAppsManageOnUse. Benefit: offline use is prepared easily.

I like the idea of "choosing" folders for the platform. First off, I'm a computer tech. I run MULTIPLE operating systems on MULTIPLE computers, tablets, and phones. My client base range from Apple Macintosh to Palm OS. I don't "know" all of my (their) OSes, so, I make multi-boots. With this in mind, I keep some "must-haves" on almost all systems. Some OSes (OS's ?) don't like lots of root folders. Some don't like long names. I keep an external USB drive with my "master set" of apps and programs. My folder structure is as simple as possible; Windows, Linux, Android, etc. Second level is Utils, Portables, etc. You get the idea. Would it be possible to suggest (request) that I could choose my root folder for PortableApps? I'd like to use something like X:\Windows\Repo\PAPS\Installs, X:\Windows\Repo\PAPS\Betas, X:\Windows\Repo\PAPS\Stable. (PAPS=PortableApps Platforms, Repo=Repository) I have to keep different versions of quite a few programs, as my customers don't always update. This is necessary to properly attempt to duplicate a reported issue they may be having. Sometimes, I make specific flash drives for my small business clients I have on maintenance contracts. They have their own set of apps that make up a "standard install" workstation. I know, a bit long for a comment, but I felt my reasoning was necessary for my request.

Simple version:
Can I choose my PAPS root install folder? Can I rename my subs? (installs, betas, stable, lite, full, etc.)

I like the idea of a separate "Others" folder. Unofficial does not sound good to me.

I think this idea is great, I have the need to manage both official and unofficial applications separately.

I like the idea for separating manually installed portable apps from officially supported ones, but some portable apps require administrator credentials to work. I know you can right-click and launch apps as an Administrator, but it would super helpful to be able to set that up once and than have the freedom to always launch apps using left-click.
I ask for this feature here since, in my mind, it's related to launching unofficial/other apps. If you would rather I posted this request on a different thread than you have permission to move it or let me know what's best.
To be clear, I'm requesting the ability to allow users to permanently set apps that require Administrative rights to always launch that way.

Has anything come of this? Perhaps the tool could recursively scan its main PortableApps folder rather than requiring flatness? It would make organization so much easier, for all the same reasons as every hierarchy simplifies organization

additional thoughts:

perhaps the subdirectory structure could precisely mirror the category names the user assigns on the platform, if this would simplify implementation.

perhaps an option switch for each discovered app which specifies if this app is to be auto-updated or hand managed by the user? this would seem no more complex that the already existing "Hide" setting. Might be more elegant than the idea of a manages and unmanaged root for portable apps. one can place all his portable apps in the single logical directory hierarchy and simply set whether that app should be auto-updated by the platform or not, so that it wont overwrite versions of apps which the user would prefer to hand-manage

That is, expect a configuration file in the same location and with the same name, but with the "ini" extension. In which the user will be able to explicitly indicate the directories he needs for all three types of PAF, and even several for each type.

Also want to suggest in this configuration file to allow the user to specify the location of the "TempForPortableApps" directory. And, if possible, then dirs "Documents", "Music", "Pictures", "Videos", of course, relative to the start file.

And for example, specify additional variables from it for this process, which, accordingly, will be passed to all launched PAFs.

And since we're talking about names, would like to be able to rename "Start.exe" into a more suitable name, albeit a template one from a list of possible names prepared in advance, for example "Portable.exe". Yes, I can just rename it, but the next platform update will ignore the new file.

I found this article was posted in 2017, but I don't see the option for the multiple directories option. Is it still under development?

If similar opinion posted before i am sorry i cant see, my opinion for installing page, i think we can add a small real time log page and %xyz text, we can see program progress running succesful and with no problem, because i am think program get stopped or get bugged or get issue because i cant see any signal for progress running succesful.

It's great to emphasize as a bonus value of the PortableApps-Platform, or let's say, the PortableApps App Store to keep the portable Apps proactively up to date -- neither utilizing a wild bunch of autostart-crap and phoning home connections, nor having an out of date App when needing it in a situation that not allows an update.

I had quite some portable apps integrated into the :\PortableApps tree, so they showed up in the PortableApp-Platform's launcher menu.

This had a sigificiant impact onto the laucher's start-up time.

I don't think that the start-up time was so bad because of update requests, but simply because of searching through the directories.

So I sorted them out into a directory PortableApps.Unmanaged. Since that time most of my PortableApps.Unmanaged-Stuff became obsolete, anyway. The prime father of a portable app is a standalone command to be run from a command shell, by the way An example for a portable app of this kind gives a systernals.lnk with the target «%CMD% /S /D /K cd /D P:\PortableApps.Unmanaged\systernals && dir *.exe /W/D && path=%cd%;%path%».

Hi,
I have been using Portable applications for 15 years without installing a PA platform. The advantage is to use applications from 2 disks (unencrypted + encrypted through Veracrypt) using WIN links (eg as logical disks "k:" and "x:" ) and that I need only a few applications on the encrypted disk (eg Thunderbird)...

I tried to install a PA platform, where the great advantage is automatic updating and the possibility of integrating third applications (such as Total Commander) and that I do not need WIN links (unfortunately Windows does not know variable mapping in .lnk files located on removable disks) for fast access. Start.exe can do all this.

However, if I have most portable applications on an unencrypted disk (eg "k:" ) and some on an encrypted disk (eg "x:" ), I have to go through a complex procedure through a double installation of the PA platform. First run start.exe on disk k: and run Veracrypt and open the encrypted disk "x:" (container-file on the same portable disk k:) and run the second installation of start.exe on it (on "x:" ), which knows only its applications there, installed on the encrypted disk "x:" ...

It would suit me if the PA platform could dynamically mount a second logical portable disk, on which there would be only the installation of several portable applications (but without the second installation of the PA). And ideally, if she could update them as well...

Bro can you support me please ?

The 3 separate paths in OP is a great idea and if the official path could also support us renaming directories for apps which are installed multiple times it would be great (versus "_Copy_2, _Copy_3, etc...) and supports auto updating them, since it will be scanning for an "App\AppInfo" sub directory and reading the app ini file existence it shouldn't matter what the top-level app directory name is. Thx for your consideration.

Hi John,

I read this thread and I want to ask you to finally implement the feature. So that anyone will be free to use it or not. Below I am writing some argument in favor of this idea and a few suggestions.

The Platform app will just give the option of adding custom folder paths, and the option to use them to organize the apps. I will explain what I mean below.

This will be helpful in many cases, as when you have hundreds of apps already grouped by folders, and are looking to quickly categorize them in the Platform app, or to easily find them when say you need to copy single apps into a second PC. Of course there are other use cases already mentioned in the thread.
If you put the idea in this perspective, it would be very useful.

Since there is no "drag and drop to categorize", we can use these "custom folders" as addidional category names.

So basically you create an "add/remove custom folders" functionality. These folders will be scanned, along with the standard path.

Now, also provide an option to use these folder names as categories. So when the platform loads each app's link from each custom folder, it automatically puts it in the category defined by the folder name. If this category is already existent and defined by the standard way, just show these additional apps into the same category. Otherwise create the category.

As for the manual categorization (already existent), you can keep it working as before. It will work normally even for these apps, if the user need it.

So basically the default behaviour of the platform is not altered in any way. These additional functionalities can be added without creating any issue.

I hope you wil take this idea into consideration.

I've been using PortableApps since 2018, downloading and using a variety of software. These applications, however, don't come with a .pac file format; instead, they provide a compressed package for users to extract and use. I need to distinguish which software can update automatically and which ones require manual updates. From 2019 to the upcoming year 2025, I'm really looking forward to it and couldn't wait, so I'm here to urge for updates.