Windows installer for SpringLobby?

Windows installer for SpringLobby?

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abma
Spring Developer
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Windows installer for SpringLobby?

Post by abma »

Is it worth the time to create a simple installer for SpringLobby? Or is the zip file enough?

It would just install springlobby to %PROGRAMFILES%\SpringLobby and create a start icon, nothing else.

I'm asking because atm should be able to easily create one as since a few days i have access to the buildbot of springlobby.

also when it has its own installer i would like to remove springlobby from the spring installer.
Last edited by abma on 30 Sep 2015, 15:02, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: adjusted topic
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Silentwings
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Re: Installer for SpringLobby?

Post by Silentwings »

Imo worth the time to create an installer, because the chances are it will gradually become "the" Spring installer, and people will expect an installer. I guess a direct engine install will become something only used by developers.

I also don't see the point of keeping SL in the engine installer.

Both of these points though, only make sense to act on once the issues with SL not detecting engines & content files properly after auto-dl are well and truly fixed. I know they've been improved recently but idk if fully fixed or not - obviously its not realistic to rely on a newbie user to figure it out for themselves as the first thing they ever have to do.
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PicassoCT
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Re: Installer for SpringLobby?

Post by PicassoCT »

Is there a way to customize the installer in such a way, that it autodownloads a list of games/maps on installation?
otyugh
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Re: Installer for SpringLobby?

Post by otyugh »

Also if it could autodetect and existing Spring install (something like Zerok stuff) could be cool, nope ?
gajop
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Re: Installer for SpringLobby?

Post by gajop »

If it's truly easy and fast, then yeah, but otherwise I'd prefer work be invested in improvement of pr-downloader with previous Python rapid features such as make-sdd and search/list packages (both via an API and CLI).
darklord42
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Re: Installer for SpringLobby?

Post by darklord42 »

For clarifications sake, we are talking about windows, correct? OSX doesn't need one, opening the dmg and drag and drop the app is the preferred method.
Linux deb file might be useful though, but I suppose the distros handle that pretty well with their package managers.
gajop
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Re: Installer for SpringLobby?

Post by gajop »

darklord42 wrote:For clarifications sake, we are talking about windows, correct?
Correct.
It also excludes Steam and other distribution systems.
abma
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Re: Windows installer for SpringLobby?

Post by abma »

Silentwings wrote:Both of these points though, only make sense to act on once the issues with SL not detecting engines & content files properly after auto-dl are well and truly fixed. I know they've been improved recently but idk if fully fixed or not - obviously its not realistic to rely on a newbie user to figure it out for themselves as the first thing they ever have to do.
imo these issues are fixed, but not sure as i either couldn't reproduce the problem or fixed it when i could reproduce it. Thats why i need feedback :)
PicassoCT wrote:Is there a way to customize the installer in such a way, that it autodownloads a list of games/maps on installation?
thats not planned, imo repack the installer / create a new installer which contains these files... also its already possible to create an ingame-menu, lobby support / downloading in-engine is planned.

otyugh wrote:Also if it could autodetect and existing Spring install (something like Zerok stuff) could be cool, nope ?
when zero-k installs in common directories, springlobby will detect it. If it uses some "custom" directories, it won't detect it but still you should be able to add it manually.
gajop wrote:If it's truly easy and fast, then yeah, but otherwise I'd prefer work be invested in improvement of pr-downloader with previous Python rapid features such as make-sdd and search/list packages (both via an API and CLI).
CLI tool aready exists: https://springrts.com/wiki/RapidTools#MakeZip

darklord42 wrote: For clarifications sake, we are talking about windows, correct? OSX doesn't need one, opening the dmg and drag and drop the app is the preferred method.
Linux deb file might be useful though, but I suppose the distros handle that pretty well with their package managers.
i've corrected the thread subject. for linux imo only a static build makes sense, but thats not planned atm.
gajop
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Re: Windows installer for SpringLobby?

Post by gajop »

Is there a way to customize the installer in such a way, that it autodownloads a list of games/maps on installation?
IMO this should be done with the make sdd tool you mentioned for rapid modules.
Maybe create a script that would package everything and have installers capable of installing such packages?
abma
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Re: Windows installer for SpringLobby?

Post by abma »

gajop wrote:IMO this should be done with the make sdd tool you mentioned for rapid modules.
Maybe create a script that would package everything and have installers capable of installing such packages?
whats the goal of this? each game/engine/lobby update the installer needs to be recreated / updated...

"autodownload" = call pr-downloader with some parameters... for install without download pack it like in LD: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33682
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code_man
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Re: Windows installer for SpringLobby?

Post by code_man »

Seems like a great idea to me.

Even better would be if it were possible for game developers to ship their games, engine and some maps with it and even preconfigure the lobby to filter other games, even tough i know we all in the same boat, players may be confused and play another game instead and be like "wtf is this!"

I know its asking a bit much, but i think it could be worth it.
otyugh
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Re: Windows installer for SpringLobby?

Post by otyugh »

Well this is long past the installer, but what would make lobbies lot friendlier is a support of all last playable mods (who cares about version ? The last) and and be able to make a team and just set a search to "look for 1v1, 2v2, 4v4..." starcraft style with a list of "played and approved map" that get pick randomly.

Maybe one day I'll learn how to do more than my actual gibberish in code, but I guess it won't be for the years to come yet as my talent goes ;..;
gajop
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Re: Windows installer for SpringLobby?

Post by gajop »

abma wrote:
gajop wrote:IMO this should be done with the make sdd tool you mentioned for rapid modules.
Maybe create a script that would package everything and have installers capable of installing such packages?
whats the goal of this? each game/engine/lobby update the installer needs to be recreated / updated...

"autodownload" = call pr-downloader with some parameters... for install without download pack it like in LD: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33682
Codeman seems to have a similar idea so I'll quote him.
code_man wrote:Even better would be if it were possible for game developers to ship their games, engine and some maps with it
It's true that it would need to be recreated, but that's not a problem if you have everything locally. It would be done when distributing content either via download links like LD, or using third party distribution systems like Steam or Desura.
It's important that users don't have to download stuff immediately after the first install.

For LD since I made all of those, I can tell you it's a time consuming, error prone process with suboptimal results that no one should have to do, especially not in the last few minutes of a compo after a 20h~ coding session ;)

I already made some scripts for that which I'll continue to improve, and maybe eventually that could be released as a tool when it matures enough.
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zwzsg
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Re: Windows installer for SpringLobby?

Post by zwzsg »

PicassoCT wrote:Is there a way to customize the installer in such a way, that it autodownloads a list of games/maps on installation?
abma wrote:thats not planned, imo repack the installer / create a new installer which contains these files...
code_man wrote:Even better would be if it were possible for game developers to ship their games, engine and some maps with it and even preconfigure the lobby to filter other games, even tough i know we all in the same boat, players may be confused and play another game instead and be like "wtf is this!
Many years ago, I modified Spring installer to make a Kernel Panic installer. Then, when I made Smoth a GundamRTS installer, I tried to make it clean and generic, with all the game specific stuff easily customizable with !define at the top. Here it is: http://pastebin.com/7qrwYF6T
  • It's old, very old, as you can see it was for Spring 0.82
  • Even if it was up to date, there's still some manual labor for every new Spring version that comes out
  • Not included in the .nsi are various customization files such as custom uikeys.txt, start script to trigger ingame menu, lobby filters, etc...
  • I don't download files, I put them in the installer
    (I don't trust files hosted by varied websites to stay in exactly the same place forever, and I prefer a all in one complete package)
  • I included both lobbies, but I prefer TASClient, as I find its interface prettier
At some point I wanted to clean it up further and make a Spring Tank installer with it. But around then I kinda stopped working on Spring stuff.

Though imo a big zip, with the engine, the game, the maps, etc... is easier to make for the game dev, and less opaque for the end user player.
abma
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Re: Windows installer for SpringLobby?

Post by abma »

ok, thanks for the feedback.

i'll create an installer a simple springlobby installer. it will take a bit as i refactor the buildbot config as well.

https://github.com/springlobby/springlobby/issues/568
abma
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Re: Windows installer for SpringLobby?

Post by abma »

ok, a basic installer is done: http://springlobby.info/windows/SpringL ... taller.exe

it basicly is a copy of the spring installer with not used stuff removed.

its integrated into the springlobby release process, so the installer will be up to date when a new release of springlobby is made.
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Silentwings
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Re: Windows installer for SpringLobby?

Post by Silentwings »

Nice, I guess after some testing this is what we should use as the "official" way to distribute Spring?
preconfigure the lobby to filter other games
I thoroughly dislike this & hope its never implemented. Imo the player retention rate of Spring overall is much better without any pre-defined filters. It protects against unsuccessful game launches and gives new games better visibility.
abma
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Re: Windows installer for SpringLobby?

Post by abma »

Silentwings wrote:Nice, I guess after some testing this is what we should use as the "official" way to distribute Spring?
give it some time for testing, then maybe yes.
Silentwings wrote:
preconfigure the lobby to filter other games
I thoroughly dislike this & hope its never implemented. Imo the player retention rate of Spring overall is much better without any pre-defined filters. It protects against unsuccessful game launches and gives new games better visibility.
imo some url hander makes sense, maybe sth. like springcontent://ba:stable

and this will launch springlobby (when installed) and then download the game. but... imo missions are needed so this is useful :)
abma
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Re: Windows installer for SpringLobby?

Post by abma »

i've updated the springlobby homepage and linked to the installer:

http://springlobby.info/

if someone has a problem with the layout...

https://github.com/springlobby/springlobby-website

pull requests with improvements are welcome! ;-)

but i'm not sure if the page makes sense at all for the long term, most stuff should be moved or is already at the wiki.
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