OXP manager

Lestradae · Post by **Lestradae** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:06 pm

wackyman465 wrote:
I don't actually know how the distribution folder looks for the PC or linux version, I'll look at it to see what's included.

Simple. Do it as oxp'ers do it, make a zip file of the whole AddOns folder with all oxps in existence in, then put that up for download. Voila. AddOns folder is unzipped, dropped into a fresh Oolite install and there you go.

wackyman465 · Post by **wackyman465** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:10 pm

The way I'm making OUE is it also has extra documentation and stuff, and I'd really like to make it EASY to use; that's the entire point here: Open it and play it. Or, for you windoze users out there, run the installer, reboot the computer, log back in, move the addons, then play it... Because the addons folder isn't actually in the .zip file, right? It's produced by the installer, right?

Lestradae · Post by **Lestradae** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:15 pm

wackyman465 wrote:
The way I'm making OUE is it also has extra documentation and stuff, and I'd really like to make it EASY to use; that's the entire point here: Open it and play it. Or, for you windoze users out there, run the installer, reboot the computer, log back in, move the addons, then play it... Because the addons folder isn't actually in the .zip file, right? It's produced by the installer, right?

Yeah, but.

If the AddOns folder is being prepared by the installer on Macs - it isn't on Windows - then it is empty. So that if you simply zip an AddOns folder with all oxps in, and copy & paste that unzip'ped over the original AddOns folder and say "overwrite everything", you have a full AddOns folder, transferable.

To deinstall something you would have to go the inverted oxp route, instead of pick & mix it would be unpick & delete what you don't like and/or isn't compatible with each other.

If you want to include documentations etc., make an even bigger folder into which you put your ultimate AddOns folder termed, say, "OUE", and zip that one. That way, the documentation is there, the AddOns folder too.

Players could then download and unzip the "OUE" folder, take the AddOns folder out and install that, read the documentation (I know, Ahruman, if you are reading this, most people won't) and then delete etc., see above. Voila, ultimate edition installed, info read.

Or so methinks.

Cheers

L

wackyman465 · Post by **wackyman465** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:21 pm

Well actually us Mac users dont USE an installer, we see a zip file that contains an Oolite folder, with a pregenerated Addons folder and Oolite.app.

And the documentation included is stuff like the manuals on the wiki, mr. gimlet, such and so on.. the shiplist you include with RS is placed more prominently... I might include a pretty Oolite screenie with some PS stuff added as a folder background.

zevans · Post by **zevans** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 12:22 am

This whole discussion is begining to make me think OXPs should be kept under SVN...

wackyman465 · Post by **wackyman465** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 2:57 am

That might be a little hard to maintain, and I personally think it's pretty easy just to pick up the newest oxp from the wiki.

Wiki pages · Post by **Thargoid** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:01 am

Why does it need an installer at all, given a (targetted) zip file would do perfectly well. If you really must have an installer, then just use a self-extracting zip file.

And also I don't see any need for 'doze rebooting, as you're not actually adding any programs or changing the running environment of the OS. It's just need an Oolite restart, but then you shouldn't really be adding OXPs to a running install anyway strictly (not that it will do anything bad if you do, just won't see 'em).

wackyman465 · Post by **wackyman465** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 12:51 pm

Well I was talking about the full install of the application, which requires a reboot on Windoze but is included with OSE on mac.

Post by **another_commander** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 12:56 pm

Wacky, what makes you think that a full install of the application requires a reboot on "Windoze"?

Wiki pages · Post by **Thargoid** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 1:15 pm

It doesn't even need an "install" per-se. My normal operation works quite happily running off an SD card, and was put there by just copying the folder tree from another machine onto which it was installed normally onto the HD.

As A_C says, I don't recall ever having to reboot due to any set-up or changes made related to Oolite.

Post by **Cmdr James** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 1:15 pm

Thargoid wrote:
Why does it need an installer at all, given a (targetted) zip file would do perfectly well. If you really must have an installer, then just use a self-extracting zip file.

I dont know for sure, but I expect its because windows users expect to have an installer. Many small apps dont seem to have any real need for an install package, but it just seems to be the windows way.

Wiki pages · Post by **Thargoid** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 1:17 pm

Cmdr James wrote:
I dont know for sure, but I expect its because windows users expect to have an installer. Many small apps dont seem to have any real need for an install package, but it just seems to be the windows way.

Could the average Windows user tell an installer from a Winzip self-extractor anyway?

Lestradae · Post by **Lestradae** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 5:49 pm

Thargoid wrote:
Could the average Windows user tell an installer from a Winzip self-extractor anyway?

Yep. Installer ends in exe and does everything themselves, extractor needs a program and a right-click and a "unpack this here".

Post by **another_commander** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:29 pm

Lestradae wrote:
Thargoid wrote:
Could the average Windows user tell an installer from a Winzip self-extractor anyway?

Yep. Installer ends in exe and does everything themselves, extractor needs a program and a right-click and a "unpack this here".

I think Thargoid's point has just been proven

wackyman465 · Post by **wackyman465** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:37 pm

Would it be possible to have the installer for Oolite make a self extracting zip file that extracted itself into the addons folder once you had finished the intall?
I thought most windows installers had to reboot after, thats the experience I've had with PC's installing stuff... Guess i was wrong.

It doesn't even need an "install" per-se. My normal operation works quite happily running off an SD card, and was put there by just copying the folder tree from another machine onto which it was installed normally onto the HD.

Would it be viable to use this as a way to distribute OUE? And why do you run off an SD card? Superior latency performance?

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