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"Package management" (i.e., APT-like) system for Portable Apps

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May 7, 2007 - 1:48pm
#1
paladin225
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"Package management" (i.e., APT-like) system for Portable Apps

Please see this thread for information about the Application Manager Portable project. This posting is no longer relevant.

Hello all,

A friend just told me about the Portable Apps Suite, so I downloaded it and gave it a try. It's an interesting system, but I'd like to suggest the addition of a "package management" system such as Debian's APT to facilitate application installs, removals, and upgrades.

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of using Linux, you can have a look at Cygwin; its setup.exe tool is, while admittedly far too complex, a reasonable model for such a system.

These are the benefits such a system might provide:

  • At the touch of a button, gain easy access to a list of Portable Apps, and quickly install new applications
  • Automatically upgrade launchers and applications
  • Quickly uninstall applications

The .paf.exe system is a first step in this direction; a central repository of sorts could be created, with the ability to add others as needed. Considering the tremendous amount of bandwidth required, SourceForge could serve as a repository, with automatic load-balancing based on geographic location (the current download system already works this way).

Separation of executables and data might be required by this system so that upgrades don't overwrite current settings; if this is the case, something similar to *nix's /usr/bin and /home folders could be implemented.

Just a thought.

Rick Smith // Paladin225

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May 7, 2007 - 3:37pm
Simeon
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Next version

I heared some rumors about a "manage Apps" button for the next version.

"There is a computer disease that anybody who works with computers knows about. It's a very serious disease and it interferes completely with the work. The trouble with computers is that you 'play' with them!" - Richard Feynman

"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate

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May 7, 2007 - 8:58pm
(Reply to #2)
paladin225
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How would this work?

How would this work? Would it be PortableApps.com apps only, or could the equivalent of third-party repositories be added?

Rick Smith // Paladin225

Rick Smith // Paladin225

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May 8, 2007 - 2:19am
(Reply to #3)
Simeon
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I have

no idea.
And I dont think any one has (Except for John).

"There is a computer disease that anybody who works with computers knows about. It's a very serious disease and it interferes completely with the work. The trouble with computers is that you 'play' with them!" - Richard Feynman

"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate

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May 8, 2007 - 2:57am
(Reply to #4)
Ryan McCue
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Neither

AFAIR, it's just for adding, renaming and deleting them from the menu. It's also expected that it will contain an auto-updater and update checker. However, I'm not sure if it will have a manager, but it's (as the magic 8 ball says) Highly Doubtful.
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So all that Airbus-delay trouble over here in Europe is because of YOU!
Simeon.

"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate."

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May 8, 2007 - 1:12pm
(Reply to #5)
paladin225
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Any interest in my idea?

Since an auto-updater/update-checker isn't much use if it only works for official PortableApps.com applications... Smile

Rick Smith // Paladin225

Rick Smith // Paladin225

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May 9, 2007 - 3:51am
(Reply to #6)
Ryan McCue
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Well,

if John doesn't do it, I'll have a crack at it. Should be fairly easy, but John has to release the next PAM (technically not the next version's name) and finalise the next version of the installer.
----
Ryan McCue.
Blog.
So all that Airbus-delay trouble over here in Europe is because of YOU!
Simeon.

"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate."

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May 9, 2007 - 1:47am
Master Imrahil
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Woah....

Shock I don't know HOW you could do it, but if you pulled it off, it would be amazing! This would be the ultimate friend to the Open Source Developer. Do it.

Master Imrahil

"Enough had been thought, and said, and felt, and imagined.
It was about time that something should be done."
- C. S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy

Master Imrahil

"I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I wish to be. I am not even what I hope to be.
But by the cross of Christ, I am not what I was. "
– John Newton

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May 9, 2007 - 1:05pm
(Reply to #8)
paladin225
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I'd love to...

But I'd need some sort of webhosting access. I used to run my own server, but I can't keep it up and running at the moment, and in any case my wimpy 1.5Mbps DSL is way too slow for any decent upload speed.

If someone can get me file storage somewhere (REAL storage, not rapidshare-type-crap--and plenty of space is needed), I can get started. I think I'll follow Debian's model, so if I do this, developers who want their apps included in the repositories will have to let me know, preferably by emailing me.

So... Anybody interested in:

  • Co-authoring the app
  • Providing web storage
  • Including their app in the repository

should email me at paladin225+portableapps@gmail.com.

If anybody has a recommended language, let me know. I think I'll try NSIS, since it's the language of choice; since it has support for downloading stuff (see the Pidgin installer if you choose spell-checking support as an example) it should do fine.

Thoughts?

Rick Smith // Paladin225

Rick Smith // Paladin225

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May 10, 2007 - 2:49am
(Reply to #9)
Ryan McCue
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.

Send me an email at cubegames[at]gmail.com and we can work something out. Note: no files bigger than 1GB, since it makes me go over my bandwidth limit quick.
Also, I can help you as much as you want with the NSIS coding or any other issues.
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Ryan McCue.
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So all that Airbus-delay trouble over here in Europe is because of YOU!
Simeon.

"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate."

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May 10, 2007 - 12:55pm
(Reply to #10)
paladin225
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Sent.

Check your mail... Smile

Rick Smith // Paladin225

Rick Smith // Paladin225

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May 9, 2007 - 1:52am
junglecat
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Options?

if u click options in PAM, you can add remove apps.

Do you mean a system where you can bring up a list, and ok download THAT!

if you do, if you go to the beta forum (where you find loads of great stuff not for download outside the forum on this site, such as the beta of the next version where you can theme PAM) there is something called PortaInstall or something like that. i havnt tried it, but give it a glance over

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May 10, 2007 - 12:59pm
(Reply to #12)
paladin225
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Do you mean a system where

Do you mean a system where you can bring up a list, and ok download THAT!

That's what I mean. See this page [Wikipedia] for an example of what I'm referring to.

Rick Smith // Paladin225

Rick Smith // Paladin225

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May 10, 2007 - 1:03pm
(Reply to #13)
paladin225
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PortaInstall

Hmm. I just had a look at PortaInstall, which is sort of what I'm doing; I'm thinking more of a "Portable Apps Manager" (hmm, maybe I'll use that name) that would do the following:

  • Detect applications currently on the drive
  • Upgrade said portable applications (launchers and actual apps)
  • Install new applications, arranged by category (see Ubuntu's Add/Remove for an example)

The benefit to using an APT-like system is this: you don't need to upgrade the app-manager executable to add new programs to the install list. It's much more flexible this way.

Difficulty is finding somebody who's got lots of webspace and bandwidth available... Smile Both will be needed if and when this project takes off...

Rick Smith // Paladin225

Rick Smith // Paladin225

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May 10, 2007 - 3:10pm
(Reply to #14)
Deuce
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Why don't...

you and MISIIM get together and workout a good packaging system? I believe you both are going in the same direction, yes there are parts missing from his that you would like and maybe he has those ideas, and just hasn't implemented them yet.

Having two systems, that do basically the same thing makes no sense to me. Two heads are always better than one when trying to get something working.

@MISIIM - Talk with paladin, he might be able to help you out.

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Deuce {The Core}{Dev Blog}
Portable Software: Just the beginning.

Deuce
Portable Software: Just the beginning.

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May 10, 2007 - 4:06pm
(Reply to #15)
paladin225
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Just sent him an email.

Anybody else working on something similar?

Rick Smith // Paladin225

Rick Smith // Paladin225

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May 15, 2007 - 5:03am
dergringo
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Have a look at Miranda Updater

Hi.

Miranda IM has a open sourced plugin, that is very amazing! The plugin automatically updates all the installed plugins (including itself). You may want to have a look at it? http://addons.miranda-im.org/details.php?action=viewfile&id=2254

Regards

Philipp

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