[Qt-interest] Politically Correct way to release an Open Source QtProject

[Ross Bencina]

Hi Paul

A pollitically correct open source app that only runs on Windows and Mac! that's unpossible ;-)


On Mac there are two common options:

1. A DMG with the app bundle in it and a shortcut to the Applications folder with a background screen suggesting the user drag the app bundle to their applications folder. A variant is to have a folder containing the app bundle and related stuff (which is what we do, you can check out our dmg at http://www.audiomulch.com/download.htm). There are graphical apps to generate installer DMGs like this. We developed an in-house script, but it was not easy to automate everything.

2. A package installer made with Apple's tool as Thiago suggested or some 3rd party tool (I think there are more reliable options than Apple's, someone else can probably recommend one).

I think the current Apple "recommended" way is option (2) an installer, but I'm not sure.


On Windows I recommend making an installer exe with inno setup, it's free:
http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php
and it will give your users a start menu item and an uninstall option. You can easily run it from the command line, which is handy for automated builds.


By the way, you'll also need to look into bundling Qt dlls or frameworks. On Mac Qt bundles a script for this, see:
http://doc.trolltech.com/4.6/deployment-mac.html

On Windows you have to decide how to ship/bundle Qt dlls (or not).


HTH

Ross

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Paul England 
  To: qt-interest at trolltech.com 
  Sent: Monday, August 02, 2010 1:59 AM
  Subject: [Qt-interest] Politically Correct way to release an Open Source QtProject


  Okay, this is semi-OT, but I think this is the best place to ask it.

  I've got an open-source project that is near the first release, and am about to upload it to sourceforge.  It will really only be run on a Mac or Windows machine, as it's an "assistant" type of application for an app that only runs on those two platforms. My project  run on Linux, but I doubt anyone other than me will really care.

  So, the source all tar'ed up is a given, but for the Mac binary, what's the standard practice?  After I compile it can I just zip the myapplication.app file upload that?  This is actually the first time I've compiled/ran a Qt app on the Mac so I'm a bit lost.  I have an old XP box lying around here and have the latest Qt on it.  I assume compiling a Win32 executable will suffice for all Win users?

  Cheers 




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