Re: FYI - installer packages are the preferred deployment method now

FROM : Derek Chesterfield
DATE : Mon Nov 05 00:09:31 2007

On 4 Nov 2007, at 22:32, Nick Zitzmann wrote:
> On Nov 4, 2007, at 2:45 PM, Torsten Curdt wrote:

>> Thanks for the heads up. IMO that is terrible news though. I 
>> personally hate package-based installers (big fan ofhttp://www.timdoug.com/unpkg/
>>  )

>
> It makes perfect sense for me... Things like the installer in 
> Windows, RPM, etc. have gotten so many people to accept that 
> software must be installed with installers rather than drag-and-
> drop, to the point where many users don't know how to do a drag-and-
> drop installation anymore. I (not Chronos, but me personally) have 
> actually received complaints before because I made some software 
> available without an installer, with the expectation that people 
> would know how to do a drag-and-drop install.


The way DMGs are typically packaged now - with nice layout and 
background image explaining how to install right there - really should 
be enough for most users.

The problem with packages, is that to accommodate installation by non-
admin users to Applications, the installer must ask for privileges, 
even if the user is an admin. So, as an admin, I could just drag the 
app's bundle to Applications, but with an installer package, I have to 
authenticate, and trust the installer. Note that this isn't a case of 
me not trusting the application being installed per se, but rather 
trusting that the installation doesn't sprinkle files anywhere it 
pleases.