[squeak-dev] Re: need help building one-click squeak app for Windows

Torsten Bergmann astares at gmx.de
Tue Jun 16 07:54:49 UTC 2009


Andreas wrote:
>Personally, I prefer Advanced Installer[1] since it creates MSIs and has 
>both a nice interactive environment as well as a scriptable form 

Yes, there are many good installers out there. But I prefer InstallShield
(after switching from Wise) these days which is nice to work with...
 
But to have a reproducable and completely free build for a community project) NSIS is a viable alternative. Not as comfortable but free as 
Squeak itself. And there are many add on packages and tools out there.

>I haven't looked at your install but one thing that I never quite got is 
>how the whole Smalltalk image model plays into this.

As you know like most Smalltalks it does not integrate very
well with the underlying platform - and so not very well with the 
startup menu. But you can associate the *.image file with the VM, the 
downside is that you have to navigate the image folder first.

The setup was intended as a simple "starter" to wet the appetite
if someone just want to plays with the system first.

>From time to time newbees have problems with this whole "you need 
this VM, unzip this source and changes and this image".

People first want to easily try and later learn and read if they 
get interested.

The setup was also intended as a "howto" create and deploy
custom end-user applications (where you typically dont save images).
It included a description how to build a custom VM and distribution.
Thats often a question on the squeak and pharo lists as you may know...

>Considering that the installation location for an application is >generally read-only 

I guess you mean on Vista the program folder is (depending on rights) 
not writeable by the application after installation.

Thats why the application folder in the users directory is the 
predefined (but changable) install folder. Thats easy in NSIS:

  !define TARGET_DIR "$LOCALAPPDATA\${PRODUCT}"

>Or do Pharo users not save their images?

No - Pharo users use Squeak images and always do a fresh
 bootstrap ;)

Just kidding, I think most Pharo users are Squeak users and
vice versa. At least I'am. So I will save images in both :)

We should make Squeak and Pharo easily accessible even when it 
is different than what others expects. We just have to make it
more familar. Typically have only one chance to get people into 
something...

Bye
T.

















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