[izpack-changes] r1958 - izpack-src/trunk/src/doc-reST

Sun Dec 16 21:30:05 CET 2007

Author: jponge
Date: 2007-12-16 21:30:02 +0100 (Sun, 16 Dec 2007)
New Revision: 1958

Added:
   izpack-src/trunk/src/doc-reST/izpack-utils.txt
Modified:
   izpack-src/trunk/src/doc-reST/index.txt
   izpack-src/trunk/src/doc-reST/pdf-version.txt
Log:
izpack-utils documentation


Modified: izpack-src/trunk/src/doc-reST/index.txt
===================================================================

--- izpack-src/trunk/src/doc-reST/index.txt	2007-12-14 14:24:25 UTC (rev 1957)
+++ izpack-src/trunk/src/doc-reST/index.txt	2007-12-16 20:30:02 UTC (rev 1958)
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 - creating-panels_
 - user-input_
 - custom-actions_
+- izpack-utils_
 - apache-license_
 - cc-license_
 - cookbooks_
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@
 .. _creating-panels: creating-panels.html
 .. _user-input: user-input.html
 .. _custom-actions: custom-actions.html
+.. _izpack-utils: izpack-utils.html
 .. _apache-license: apache-license.html
 .. _cc-license: cc-license.html
 .. _cookbooks: cookbooks.html

Added: izpack-src/trunk/src/doc-reST/izpack-utils.txt
===================================================================
--- izpack-src/trunk/src/doc-reST/izpack-utils.txt	2007-12-14 14:24:25 UTC (rev 1957)
+++ izpack-src/trunk/src/doc-reST/izpack-utils.txt	2007-12-16 20:30:02 UTC (rev 1958)
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+IzPack utilities
+================
+
+The IzPack project includes a set of utilities that you may find useful.
+
+These projects live outside the regular IzPack installer Subversion repository. You can access it from  http://svn.berlios.de/svnroot/repos/izpack/izpack-utils/ instead of  http://svn.berlios.de/svnroot/repos/izpack/izpack-src/ for IzPack itself.
+
+They will be shipped in the official IzPack releases under their own pack.
+
+Windows executable wrapper (izpack2exe)
+---------------------------------------
+
+Description
+'''''''''''
+
+The 7-Zip project (see http://www.7-zip.org/) provides a so-called SFX for installers, i.e., an image that can be use to create self-extracting Windows executables. Once its content has been extracted, such a self-extracting executable can launch an executable or a file. In the later case, it is assumed that there exists an association between a file extension and a software component.
+
+7-Zip SFX for installers works as follows:
+
+1. an executable image is provided
+2. a configuration file has to be written, specifying among other things the executable or the file to be launched after the extraction phase
+3. a 7-Zip archive containing the files (including the executable of file to be launched)
+4. these files simply need to be concatenated to form a SFX Windows executable.
+
+The IzPack Windows executable wrapper takes an IzPack-generated installer JAR file, and wraps it inside a Windows SFX executable. This has several advantages, among these two ones:
+
+1. some users may find it strange to have a JAR and not an executable
+2. by naming it with *setup* or *install*, Windows VISTA will perform a rights elevation whereas IzPack cannot enforce it when launched as a regular JAR.
+
+And of course, you can ship a JAR and a Windows executable from the very same IzPack installer descriptor!
+
+We have customized the SFX image from the 7-Zip project as follows:
+
+- we have changed the icon
+- we have customized some strings to mention that this is a customized version.
+
+While the rest of the work is licensed under the Apache License version 2, the sole SFX module is licensed under the Lesser GNU General Public License version 2 or later as required by the 7-Zip project.
+
+Requirements
+''''''''''''
+
+**izpack2exe** is written in Python. It depends on 7-Zip and optionnaly UPX, a tool that can compresses executables.
+
+In official IzPack releases, we provide this tool *batteries-included* on Windows, i.e., we will provide:
+
+- **izpack2exe** as a Windows executable, so that you don't need to install Python, and
+- 7-Zip and UPX executables, so you don't have to download them.
+
+Usage
+'''''
+
+The usage is quite easy: ::
+
+  usage: izpack2exe.py [options]
+
+  options:
+    -h, --help       show this help message and exit
+    --file=FILE      The installer JAR file
+    --output=OUTPUT  The executable file
+    --with-7z=P7Z    Path to the 7-Zip executable
+    --with-upx=UPX   Path to the UPX executable
+    --no-upx         Do not use UPX to further compress the output
+
+A typical wrapping will be done like::
+
+  izpack2exe --file=installer.jar
+
+Mac OS X Application bundle wrapper (izpack2app)
+------------------------------------------------
+
+Description
+'''''''''''
+
+**izpack2app** is the Mac OS X brother of **izpack2exe**. It bundles a JAR installer inside an application bundle, so that your installer will look like a regular Mac OS X application.
+
+To do that, we started from the Mac OS X *Jar Bundler* tool that you can find under */Developer/Java*. We bundled a Jar installer, then stripped it. Indeed, an application bundle is nothing else but a structured set of files and directories.
+
+What **izpack2app** does is simply:
+
+1. copy the bundle files structure, 
+2. put your Jar at the good place, and
+3. edit the *Info.plist* to reference your Jar.
+
+Requirements
+''''''''''''
+
+**izpack2app** is written in Python. It does not require any third-party module to work. Python is bundled with Mac OS X and is mainstream on Linux and other Unix variants. We ship it as a Windows executable in the official IzPack releases (and of course also as a Python application!).
+
+Usage
+'''''
+
+The usage is straightforward::
+
+  izpack2app.py installer.jar Installer.app
+
+wraps *installer.jar* as *Installer.app*
+
+
+

Modified: izpack-src/trunk/src/doc-reST/pdf-version.txt
===================================================================
--- izpack-src/trunk/src/doc-reST/pdf-version.txt	2007-12-14 14:24:25 UTC (rev 1957)
+++ izpack-src/trunk/src/doc-reST/pdf-version.txt	2007-12-16 20:30:02 UTC (rev 1958)
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 .. include:: creating-panels.txt
 .. include:: user-input.txt
 .. include:: custom-actions.txt
+.. include:: izpack-utils.txt
 .. include:: apache-license.txt
 .. include:: cc-license.txt
 .. include:: cookbooks.txt

