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

[André Fillipe]

On 2 August 2010 00:03, Ross Bencina <rossb-lists at audiomulch.com> wrote:
> 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).

On the Mac there is a third option that is becoming more common
nowadays: just zip the application bundle. The zip is much simpler to
operate and understand than a disk image. It's even nicer if you use a
library such as Let's Move (http://github.com/potionfactory/LetsMove/)
to automatically move the app to the Applications folder if the user
so desires.

Avoid the installer: it gives the user a sensation that getting rid of
the application will be a chore and fail-prone. Only drivers should
need it.

On Windows, uTorrent is a great example too: the download is a small
.exe file that moves itself to Program Files on the first run. An MSI
package is not bad, either. MSI is a solid technology and installs and
uninstalls are very clean and easy (I'm talking from the user's PoV
here).

Some great posts about this topic (Mac-related):

http://daringfireball.net/2009/09/how_should_mac_apps_be_distributed
http://www.potionfactory.com/blog/2009/09/17/move-applications-folder

--
André Fillipe

PS. Why is it that hitting "Reply" works on the qt-creator list, but
are messed up on qt-interest?