21 replies to this topic

[freyk]

Some few months now I love(d), as a mac os x user, your mod (until 1.08..), but i noticed that it is for beginners difficult to install the mod on Mac os x and Linux.

To make it easier for these people, i'm working, just to learn and for fun, on a cross-platform graphical installer with Izpack, for the mac os x and linux. (see the screenshots)

It automatically installs the executable, the updater and the documentation, set the right permissions, creates shortcuts and a uninstaller. And can automaticly start the updater (if needed).

Benefits:

• Graphical Installation.
  
• More advanced than the standard software installer for mac os x
  
• It is possible to change the installation folder.
  
• Install selections.
  
• Automatically set the accurate file permissions
  
• Easy to program (like nsis for windows) (no xcode needed)
  
• Skinnable
  
• Free and open source
  
• And Cross platform

Disadvantage:

• Java isn't standard installed on new Mac os X systems (lion and higher).

I would like to hear from you what you think of it.
Maybe as an easy alternative for the manual extraction, file permissions and execution of the files on mac and linux?

Screenshots of an early version of the installer:
 done.jpg   50.31K   1 downloads
 done.jpg   50.31K   1 downloads
 finished.jpg   58.35K   0 downloads
 info.jpg   53.1K   0 downloads
 intro.jpg   53.45K   0 downloads
 licence.jpg   81.14K   0 downloads
 packselection.jpg   56.77K   1 downloads
 targetpath.jpg   51.38K   1 downloads

Edited by freyk, 25 November 2012 - 09:38 PM.

[Tels]

Java isn't in the default install for Linux (usually, I think), so this might complicate things on Linux.

A graphical installed makes things better for users, that's right, but then, TDM isn' something that needs much installed. (it is basically just "download the updater and run it").

However, what would be neat would be menu interation (not so much desktop shortcuts but setting up a menu shortcut and icon etc) and you are right, the uninstaller. So, cool project. If you need someone testing, PM me please.

[freyk]

Tels, on 25 November 2012 - 05:11 PM, said:

A graphical installed makes things better for users, that's right, but then, TDM isn' something that needs much installed. (it is basically just "download the updater and run run it"

If you read the installationguide for the mac on the site, you and the writer missed something: extract the files in the right folder and give it the execute permission and then run it.
Beginners dont know that, so this installer will do it for them.
It can give the user also the choice to download the full package (2gb), give it a nice icon, etc.

[Tels]

freyk, on 26 November 2012 - 01:53 AM, said:

If you read the installationguide for the mac on the site, you and the writer missed something: extract the files in the right folder and give it the execute permission and then run it.
Beginners dont know that, so this installer will do it for them.
It can give the user also the choice to download the full package (2gb), give it a nice icon, etc.

Yeah that is cool, esp. for beginners. Sorry didn't read the site (heh, you expected me to do so

So, want me to test it a bit on linux and give feedback?

[freyk]

Tels, on 25 November 2012 - 05:11 PM, said:

Java isn't in the default install for Linux (usually, I think), so this might complicate things on Linux.

True, its modular and, for me now as a graphical packager, annoying.
But people can create a deb/rpm/etc.

I test my installer on virtual machines (ubuntu & opensuse),
but tests on other linux os'ses and feedback are always welcome.
(I will post the link to the binary and source soon)

My intention is to make an installationpackage that mac-users are accustomed to (and learn trough experience):

• A more advanced installer (to create and prepare a darkmod folder for an online installation)
  
• Darkmod icons
  
• And the objects above in a nice DMG package (like the graphical DMG's from firefox or adium)

And offcourse, publish the source to the Darkmod team and forum.

Edited by freyk, 05 December 2012 - 08:54 AM.

[freyk]

For the ones who want to run a testversion of the graphical installer (on your own risk), get it from here.
Remeber its an just an prealpha version, it doesnt create shortcuts, a nice skin, etc.
Tested in Java runtime 1.6 (mac) and openjdk.
If you want to run it, install java runtime or openjdk, download the jar and click on it.
(or run: java -jar darkmodinstaller.jar)

And i dont have the time to work a long time on the installer. I will update the jar and topic periodicly.

Edited by freyk, 02 December 2012 - 02:42 PM.

[Tels]

A short test showed that the GUI basically works, but it didn't detect that I'm running Linux, so it installed (or tried to) into a mac-os path, and it installed the mac-os installer, which I can't use on Linux.

[nbohr1more]

This installs TDM 1.08 on Mac OSX? I thought that build wasn't working yet (though I think it was mostly an issue with the deployer
so this might be the fix)?

[Baddcog]

Cool to see someone working on making it easier for new users to get it running.

In my attempts at Linux I found many things hard to instal because of lack of frontends like this. So I can only imagine it is a good thing. Never had much luck getting a dual boot to work nicely though so I can't test.

[freyk]

I posted the prealpha to let you see how this graphical installer will work in the future, but testing is at this moment not necessary.

Tels, on 03 December 2012 - 02:43 PM, said:

A short test showed that the GUI basically works, but it didn't detect that I'm running Linux, ..

I know that other os'ses can run my installer, but at this time the graphical installer is targeted only to mac os-users.

nbohr1more, on 03 December 2012 - 03:32 PM, said:

This installs TDM 1.08 on Mac OSX? I thought that build wasn't working yet (though I think it was mostly an issue with the deployer so this might be the fix)?

This installer has the updater from 1.07.
And i I know that build 1.08 doesn't work for me (or us).
I tried several sollutions to run 1.08 and that doesnt work.
(my status now: mac os x snowleopard, start darkmod 1.08 in terminal, get the darkmod loadscreen and crash with some errors)
My solution for this, is to have two versions of the darkmod inside the doom3 folder:
an folder with 1.07 to play the mod and a folder with 1.08 folder where i update periodicly and check if it runs. And if it finnaly runs, switch over.

And if i want to install 1.07, i download first the full version of 1.06, run the updater and stop it dirrectly between the 1.07 and 1.08 update.
One of my wishes is to put an feature in my installer, that give the user the choice with version the user want to download.
(@devs: please add also this feature to your updater)

Baddcog, on 03 December 2012 - 03:39 PM, said:

Never had much luck getting a dual boot to work nicely though so I can't test.

you can also use a virtual machine (like virtualbox, vmware, etc).

Edited by freyk, 05 December 2012 - 08:58 AM.

[Tels]

The MacOS is unfortunate, but w/o some mac developer it is unlikely to get fixed. We don't have anyone with a Mac to work on that AFAIK.

As for installing older versions: Well, these cannot be supported (the team is even overloaded supporting the current version on all 3 OS, plus developing the next one). And supporting older versions is even harder.

The first problem arises that you need a way to download older releases, which is not really possible unless someone hosts them still. I'm not aware it would even be possible to go back before v1.06. I know I have the differential updates on my mirror, but not the full versions (one would need at least v1.1 plus the diff updates). It also adds more workload to the team.

[malex984]

Does anybody want to try an experimental OSX (arch: x86_32, OSX >= 10.6) build of the latest TDM?

[nbohr1more]

I'll get a tester recruitment article up at moddb... That should widen the coverage. I'll also post at a couple of Mac user forums.

[Midnight]

I can test this if you like, just pm me the details. I'm on 10.8.

[malex984]

Midnight, on 18 December 2012 - 02:36 PM, said:

I can test this if you like, just pm me the details. I'm on 10.8.

thanks! I will prepare builds together with some instructions on assumed layout and post everything in the initial thread http://forums.thedar...-under-mac-os-x, ok?

ps: i'll build using 10.6 frameworks hoping that OSX 10.8 is backward compatible with 10.6...

besides, do you think that you might consider running debug build of TDM under GNU debugger (gdb) in order to provide its backtrace output as feedback for any occurred faults? (this will simply amount to running a shell script instead of opening an application)

[Midnight]

malex984, on 18 December 2012 - 08:43 PM, said:

besides, do you think that you might consider running debug build of TDM under GNU debugger (gdb) in order to provide its backtrace output as feedback for any occurred faults? (this will simply amount to running a shell script instead of opening an application)

I shouldn't have any problem giving this a go, but I warn you that I'm not really a dev (my experience is mainly with PHP, which should tell you something of my skills, or lack thereof ).

[Bikerdude]

I might be getting my hands on a 1st generation macbook air, so I should be able to do some end user testing..

[malex984]

ok, i posted it here: http://forums.thedar...post__p__302111

note that it is just a proof of concept (quite unstable).

[freyk]

I added a new feature to my graphical installer, to create a shortcut (symlinks) to applications folder in the homefolder of the user (~/Applications).
Also i uploaded for the ones who would like to compile/ patches test it.
(If you want to send me a patch for this installer, please pm me.)

@all people: Please keep your posts to this subject. Or post this in another topic.

Edited by freyk, 23 December 2012 - 03:25 PM.

[Bikerdude]

Hey Freyk

How goes this..?

:-)

[texmex]

@freyk You know you may as well symlink the other way around?

I did as such:

#!/bin/sh
TDMPATH=$(echo `dirname "$0"`); #| sed -E 's/([ ])/\\&/g');
APPDATA="$HOME/Library/Application Support/Doom 3"
FM=$(cat "$TDMPATH/darkmod/currentfm.txt")
mkdir "$APPDATA";
cp "$TDMPATH/darkmod/Darkmod.cfg" "$APPDATA/$FM/DoomConfig.cfg"
cd "$APPDATA";
rm "$APPDATA/Doom 3.app"
rm "$APPDATA/base"
rm "$APPDATA/darkmod"
ln -s "$TDMPATH/Doom 3.app" "$APPDATA/Doom 3.app"
ln -s "$TDMPATH/base" "$APPDATA/base"
ln -s "$TDMPATH/darkmod" "$APPDATA/darkmod"
exec "$TDMPATH/darkmod/TDM.app/Contents/MacOS/Doom 3" +set fs_game_base darkmod +set fs_game $FM

[freyk]

Hello,

i'm sorry i have posted any sooner, because the lack of my interest for my project.
For me is very difficult to make the darkmodinstaller for mac, and stucked a to make an dmg out of the all.

But for the developers who pickup my project, get the source from my site.

Edited by freyk, 17 April 2013 - 06:28 AM.