From: "R. Mark Volkmann" Date: 2004-11-30T00:53:57+09:00 Subject: Re: Ruby GUIs and installation effort Quoting Curt Hibbs : > R. Mark Volkmann wrote:[mailto:mark@ociweb.com] > > > > "Nick" wrote: > > > > > > In the end, it's not up to the user to have the libraries > > necessary to run > > > your app. You need to use the libraries that make the most > > sense for your > > > audience, and you need to install them in the best location. > > This requires > > > getting a little dirty with the installers, the ruby > > interpreter, and the > > > system at hand. But if the user can't install your app, then > > they probably > > > won't run it. > > > > I agree. It seems though that "getting a little dirty with the > > installers" > > could be done once for all of us rather that repeated for every Ruby GUI > > application that requires portability to Windows, OS X and Linux > > and desires > > to be used by non-developers. Having a one-click installer for > > each platform > > that installs everything needed for a portable GUI seems ideal. > > We *are* working towards this goal. But the road to success is paved by > volunteers willing to help... > > We've got a one-click installer for windows, Steve Steiner is inching his > way closer to a one-click installer for osx (as a framework). I still need > someone willing to create and maintain one-click installers for kde and > gnome. > > Then rubygems and rpabase (with integrated support in the one-click > installers) will provide subsequent customization to the user's installation > (as well as ongoing updates). > > The missing piece would be a cross-platform installer that can package up > ruby apps, related extensions, and platform-specific binaries into > easy-to-distribute, self-installing applications. Any volunteers here? Which GUI toolkits are targeted to be supported by all of these one-click installers? If I remember correctly, only Tk and FOX are supported by the Windows one-click installer. -- R. Mark Volkmann Partner, Object Computing, Inc.