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

FROM : Stephane Sudre
DATE : Mon Nov 05 00:47:54 2007

On Nov 5, 2007, at 12:09 AM, Derek Chesterfield wrote:

> 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.


Yes and no.

Background images are not localizable.

Therefore, the instructions can only be useful to users that at least 
know a few words in English.

Background images are not dynamic. The icon for the Applications 
folder has changed in Leopard. How do you deal with that when you use 
the icon for Tiger and earlier in your background image.

> 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.


Incorrect in Leopard. You can know define an installation domain. 
This means that you can install stuff to ˜/ without having to require 
the user to change the default destination or to enter an admin 
password.