6 replies to this topic

[sanbarrow]

Thanks Nuno for this new section.
Maybe it is useful to answer the question "what is a portable app" first as it maybe different on PE and legacy Windows.

On regular Windows a portable app may be defined as following the same standards as set by portableapps.com :
an app does not write to registry or user-profiles and keeps all its configuration-files inside its own directory.
This way it can be stored on an external USB-disk and can be used on different systems. Plugin the USB-disk - browse to the directory and launch it.

In PE it doesn't matter that much if an app writes to the registry or the user profile so maybe we can keep the definition of "portable" wider than with regular Windows.
In PE we can also call apps "portable" when they copy files to X:\i386 or install drivers - maybe the only requirements are that
the app can be stored where-ever and does not need any special preparations during building of the PE.

In MOA I use the term "load on demand" - if an app can be loaded on demand after boot of the PE it is portable - if not - it requires a plugin or .script.
Obviously we also have to keep various dependancies in mind: an app maybe loaded on demand in MOA but may not work in a very naked native_XP.

Anyway - it would be useful for this section if we agree on some basics first - otherwise users maybe frustrated if a so called "portable apps" will not work on their build as dependancies are missing



Ulli

[rawr]

intresting new section/topic

for me the 'portable' in 'portable app'
a)means that the aplication(after-install)
has been 'profiled' (as with Shirin's tutoral)

the 'profile' information
is
1) list of files / subfolder's (required by aplication )
2) registry needed for the aplication
3)system folder / driver additions
4) can aplication run from readonly medium (if not needs write access)
5)other ..
..info eg licence,download,homepage,fqa,history,beta, ect

with this information almost all aplications can become portable/modular ect

download is zip(or other arcive format eg noinstall needed)

[was_jaclaz]

Marginally out of topic (but not much ), in some cases dependencies and portability problems can be resolved using .local and .manifest files:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=3839
http://labs.insert-t...article795.aspx
latter link provided in the past by rawral:
http://www.boot-land...topic=5066&st=4


jaclaz

[MedEvil]

On regular Windows a portable app may be defined as following the same standards as set by portableapps.com :
an app does not write to registry or user-profiles and keeps all its configuration-files inside its own directory.
This way it can be stored on an external USB-disk and can be used on different systems. Plugin the USB-disk - browse to the directory and launch it.

Just a little side note, portable Apps themselfs do not comply with what you've stated.
They make heavy use of prewriting files and registry entries before launching the real application.
But afterwards they also clean the host system up again and store the new settings in the pApps folder.

:cheers;

[sanbarrow]

They make heavy use of prewriting files and registry entries before launching the real application.

Oops - you are right - I never noticed that before I actually monitored a launch of OpenOffice from portableapps.com with regmon

[rawr]

a good example of a portable app is WinRAR Unplugged

normal win rar has instaler that copys files / adds rightclick-menu /registry file-acocations ..ect .

WinRAR Unplugged is able to create(when run) and Remove(when closed) .

rightclick-menu
registry file-acocations

[paraglider]

In my view if an app uses the registry then it is not portable. Having to use a launcher program to set up the registry then delete the entries on exit does not count. Every time you write to the registry you have a chance of causing problems and also writing followed by deleting leads to registry fragmentation, registry bloat, and registry slow down.