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Re: OSX Installer debate

 

On Sep 13, 2010, at 18:42 PM, Jerry Jacobs wrote:

> On 09/13/2010 05:01 PM, Martijn Kuipers wrote:

<snip> ... </snip>
>> Sure. For Kicad who is the OSX package manager? I hope (s)he is reading this list. As for Linux, I think Kicad ought to provide a static-version (should fit most distros). Of course, if someone wants to add deb, rpm, etc., then that is fine with me, it is just more work because of the version dependancies between the different components. Wrapping a static-package inside deb or rpm is not a good solution (my personal opinion).
> 
> There is no official OSX package manager (yet). Marco Serantoni did a
> good job to add some work to the kicad code-base for compiling and
> packing it. Then after some time I decided to also buy a macbook for
> personal reason and wrote some documentation about compiling and tried
> to improve it together with Marco.
Great, so now there are at least 3 Mac users :-)

> 
> Also there are still some odd things when using Kicad on OSX for example
> the viewport is damn slow of PCBnew. But it is usable and functional.
This is probably due to the fact that the cocoa-port of wxWidgets is not yet complete. Will try to look into it, time permitting.

> 
>>> For category 2) users, I see no reason why cmake and/or one of its
>>> sibling programs cannot be used.  This makes it easier for those of use
>>> that do not use OSx to stay in the conversation.
>> I don't object to cmake at all. I think the DMG is not as nice as it could be, but I have not spend much time looking at all the options CPack gives you.
>> 
>> If there is an area where Win/Linux/OSX can be different, it is in the installers. And my questions were solely related to the OSX installer, where I don't think the split I mentioned is so different from what we have now.  I don't think there are libraries included in the kicad source, they are in kicad-lib-committers/kicad/library. 
> 
> The DragNDrop is preferred for applications. And a installer or a lose
> package with symbols/footprints/3d modules and documentation is shipped
> seperated.
Ok. I will try to set-up some scripts to "harmonize" this using CPack.


> The odd on OSX is that if you did ran a installer and it dumps all the
> files and folders somewhere that there is no uninstaller like under
> linux package managers or windows installers. But the installer can be
> made smart so it will remove old folder of a previous install.
> 
>> My suggestion would be to create 2 installers;
>> - Kicad application
>> - Libraries (with Libraries I mean eeschema components, footprints, packages3d and modules). The name is confusing, but I did not mean things like wxWidgets, Boost, etc.
> 
> For me this idea is good enough, we should not forget the Mac
> UI/Packaging guidelines else it will be different from other macified
> software!
> 
>> I am a "User 1" type, if I can find a recent enough version, otherwise I am "User 2". But even as "User 2" I prefer to create packages and then install those. 
> 
> As Kicad is getting more users and some people who write patches/join
> the mailing list it is better that there will be a official Mac OS X
> group within Kicad. This because things are very different on a Apple
> machine than on a PC (*Win, *NIX) with user interface.

I don't think we have a big-enough group to split. Perhaps we can agree that if a problem is specific for a certain os to start the subject with (OSX)/(WIN)/(LIN).

/Martijn


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