Subject: [Wocky] Status update of Jabber client installers

From: Atticus O Gifford <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 17:51:22 -0400

This is a brief status update and request for input on the Mac/Windows Jabber
client installers in time for the wocky meeting tomorrow:

Windows:

I've created an app-only MSI of the Gaim 1.5.0 package.  It probably still needs
a little polish here or there, but should be more or less complete.  The
installer currently bundles the GTK+ EXE installer which handles its own
installs and upgrades silently.  After installation, it appears as a separate
application in the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel just like the original
Gaim 1.5.0 installer.  I have captured the files from the GTK+ installer, and
have the installer source from SourceForge so it would be possible to replicate
that portion as an MSI if necessary.  My personal preference is to stick with
the embedded EXE GTK+ installer, but I'm willing to do the work if there is a
strong preference for an MSI.  I'm not sure how well other apps that embed the
EXE installer would play with our MSI install, however.

As for the MIT settings: The way we've started writing installers for SWRT is to
have an EXE-style config app that handles creation/configuration of per-user
preferences.  This usually gets run at the end of the installation for the
current user, and we create a shortcut to the tool in the Start
Menu->Programs->AppName folder for additional users on the same machine
(similarly to how Eudora works).  Assuming this approach is okay, I still need
to actually write the tool for Gaim.  For users who have never run Gaim, it is
a simple matter of getting their username and performing a text-substitution on
a clean set of preference files.  If they have ever launch Gaim, however, the
installer tools I have here will not allow for straightforward editing of XML
files (the config file format).  I would have to create an XML transform
presumably which will take a little while longer.  I can whip up the
clean-install-only version in a very short time if that would be helpful for
testing.  If the installer isn't very useful until it has settings-upgrade
functionality, then that will probably take a few more days at least.  I'm
happy to approach the next step whichever way is most useful.

I've put the core MSI up in the SWRT locker if you want to take a look.  Let me
know if you have any suggestions or feedback and let me know how you'd like me
to handle the settings:

<https://web.mit.edu/swrt/releases/gaim/installer/mit-gaim-1.5.0-b2.msi>

The Mac installer doesn't necessarily need repackaging, and is largely waiting
for me to write a similar tool/script to add an account entry in the accounts
.plist file.  I could write a VISE or .pkg installer that will install Adium to
the /Applications folder and run the configuration script.  Alternately, I can
just put it on a disk image with a standalone tool.  If anyone has a preference
on that, please feel free to let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,
Atticus