Installer Cleanup

[Hoi]

I noticed that alot of noobs forget to download mods, it needs to become clear that spring is the engine, so i have this:





I made this really quick so the letters are not good, ect, but you get the idea, if this is going to happen we need to have a standard size, welcome images logo size can be discussed, but not this, this have to be all the same.

I also suggest that the first or 2th page in the installer is some kind of explanation telling that spring is the engine and that you need to download mods to play, also include the autoinstaller if that's not happening yet, it makes stuff so much easier for noobs.

[iamacup]

what would work better than any of this is if spring was like the Linux kernel and then there was some other release authority who were like debian/ubuntu/redhat whatever who moded the 'kernel' outfitting it with a set of default packages and then releasing it, rereleasing when the kernel team made changes.

You would in this case never concider going to kernel.org and downloading it, compile it, stick all your packages onto it and then use it.

(well maybe crackpot linux fanboys who love making work for themselfs to save 0.0002 cpu usage)

I don├óÔé¼Ôäót think the spring community is big enough for this yet because it would require significant fan base for the different ├óÔé¼╦£games├óÔé¼Ôäó (mods) but maybe in the future

[Hoi]

atleast something that explains a bit about the mods, if you just get a screen with alot of names its useless, people need to know what it is theyre downloading.

[LordMatt]

Looks nice!

[Argh]

If it actually did something like that, I would be happy to participate in the Installer. That's just about perfect, imo, gj with the suggestion Hoi.

[Hoi]

yeah, lordmatt asked me to take over the installer stuff, and i think i will do it, i dont know alot about NSIS yet, but I learnt so much in just 20 minutes, its easy, not 100% sure though, to be 100% sure i need to chat with him about what I will have to do, ect.

[Gota]

Nice...good idea.

[LordMatt]

yeah, lordmatt asked me to take over the installer stuff, and i think i will do it, i dont know alot about NSIS yet, but I learnt so much in just 20 minutes, its easy, not 100% sure though, to be 100% sure i need to chat with him about what I will have to do, ect.

Well, just to be clear about what I am interested in your help with: if you can make some improvements in the code to give each mod its own page with a picture and more room for descriptions, I will review your patch(s) and commit them. If you make a lot of good contributions and otherwise demonstrate maturity, perhaps you could take over from me as installer maintainer, as I have less time to devote to spring stuff these days.

[Dragon45]

[Hoi]

Well, just to be clear about what I am interested in your help with: if you can make some improvements in the code to give each mod its own page with a picture and more room for descriptions, I will review your patch(s) and commit them. If you make a lot of good contributions and otherwise demonstrate maturity, perhaps you could take over from me as installer maintainer, as I have less time to devote to spring stuff these days.

ofc, you can't just put me in charge, I expected this, no problem.

[AF]

what would work better than any of this is if spring was like the Linux kernel and then there was some other release authority who were like debian/ubuntu/redhat whatever who moded the 'kernel' outfitting it with a set of default packages and then releasing it, rereleasing when the kernel team made changes.

You would in this case never concider going to kernel.org and downloading it, compile it, stick all your packages onto it and then use it.

(well maybe crackpot linux fanboys who love making work for themselfs to save 0.0002 cpu usage)

I don├óÔé¼Ôäót think the spring community is big enough for this yet because it would require significant fan base for the different ├óÔé¼╦£games├óÔé¼Ôäó (mods) but maybe in the future

Basically what your proposing is that content devs make and distribute their own installers rather than having to go to the spring website for spring, and provided a technical means to explain how it would happen. I think it is important this is done because it lowers the barriers to entry to a community, lack of user base isn't an issue and it would actually encourage such a user base to form.

Basically everything Ive been saying in my last few blogposts

Sadly this is highly unlikely to happen save for a handful of content developers who have already accepted this and will probably harang me in a reply for accusing them of not accepting it, to which Ill say sorry tot hem and explain only to have the same thing happen in another thread. Amnesia?

Then there's the slew of content developers who seem happy enough to churn out tonnes and tonnes of artwork for the forums but cant find the time to right a 'coming soon' web page, despite already haven written tonnes of artwork, or, in some cases, have already designed a full website prototype already in html and yet insist they don't have the time.

These people will hate what your proposing iamacup and love what Hoi proposed.

What you have proposed Hoi is not a means for users to choose what mods get installed with spring. Its an advertisement for engine developers to give a prop up to ailing games that have only just ventured out into the world. This should not reflect quality of gameplay but rather two things:

• New games which haven't been seen before (think brand new mod not brand new version)
• Small games to show off the engines features to provide an SDK for content developers to learn from.

[Hoi]

and if they want a seperate installer, just ask me

[AF]

There we go, yet another lame excuse pummeled into the ground by Hoi

[Forboding Angel]

I want a separate installer Hoi, and me would love you long time for it too!

I screwed around with nsis a bit but I didn't get very far because of time constraints. But seriously... If you can make it happen for me I would be one extremely happy person.

After installing the engine it would need to dl and run this http://evolutionrts.info/evolutionpatch ... taller.exe

Assuming that's doable... <3

[Hoi]

There we go, yet another lame excuse pummeled into the ground by Hoi

Yay:)

ok, so what's step 2?, that would be mymod.nyspring.clan-sy.com imo.

@FA sure, but not yet, this will need some time, I need to learn NSIS, currently i can build installers, with uninstallers, to any dir, including shortcuts, currently trying to get the mordern ui thing, and making rapid progress.

Is there any indication on when 0.77 will come? it if that's in 2-3 weeks I might have a new installer coded:) but i need to talk with matt first, he didnt respond on irc yet but that will come, i hope he can give me .nsi files, ect so i can improve the current installer

[Hoi]

If it actually did something like that, I would be happy to participate in the Installer. That's just about perfect, imo, gj with the suggestion Hoi.

is that becaus it's pure, or just becaus?


okay, i'm learning the nsis stuff, I hope to contact lordmatt soon, so I can get the .nsi file(s) , are there any feature requests for the installer?

If you want your mod to be included this is required:
-a few images, dont know size yet
-a logo, size will be like the size of the pure logo
-a short (truthfull!!) description
-link to a video

optional:
link to a website, image gallery, ect

any objections/suggestions, or something like that?

[pharoph]

makethe image the space left from the text OR it would be preferrible to have it at 160x160. but they idea is a perfectly good one. noobs shall no longer be confused about what the installer is about! now all we haft to work on is a good simple tutorial. i will work with anyone willing to do it

ps: hois on my friend list

[Hoi]

heh, i added you too:), still waiting on matt again, or maybe someone else can help me, i need to get the installer files, he said they are in the svn, but i cant even find the svn :/ could someone link me?

[koshi]

Code: Select all

svn co https://spring.clan-sy.com/svn/spring/trunk spring_trunk

[Gota]

If your gonna work on a tutorial first thing u have to teach are hardcoded things;shortcuts,camera,selection hotkeys and even an explanation about the metal map since almost all mods except a few test ones use metal spots in one wy or another.
For spring,unlike many other strategy games,unit selection,queue and build command hotkeys are extremly important.
THose are also shared by all mods so i think that would be a good start.