Update installation instructions for Skia and OS X

[tony]

See also: #1089 #1081

[dacap]

This issue brings me a lot to think about. In one side we could explain all the possibilities (e.g. "you can use make, or ninja, or vs projects, etc.") and all the steps needed to use each alternative. On the other side we could just give a unique list of steps for "non-programmers".

What I think about this? It's quite a tricky situation.

Looking at the amount of recent issues reported to compile Aseprite, it seems that a very low percentage of (C++) programmers are trying to compile Aseprite. We're having a lot of noise with compilations issues.

At the moment, my preference is that INSTALL.md should be focused to programmers.

[tony]

@dacap heh, yes. Ideally the issues should be for development related tasks (being a tracker), not Q&A. You wouldn't but a Q&A on bugzilla.

I've seen Google Groups used as a place to divert discussion for that.

You can use GitHub wiki for community-based documentation. skia keeps per-platform instructions in their repo on their website: https://github.com/google/skia/tree/master/site/user/quick

Looking at the amount of recent issues reported to compile Aseprite, it seems that a very low percentage of (C++) programmers are trying to compile Aseprite. We're having a lot of noise with compilations issues.

Someone being a C++ programmer, whatever standard that would be to you, wouldn't make everything inherently obvious and unambiguous. I had to go on an expedition to figure out why skia wouldn't build correctly for me, that the CMake can't be used to build without GPU support. So that I had to go grab depot_tools. You could blame it on me seeing a CMakeLists.txt and assuming it works - and not reading cmake/readme.md that says its only experimental.

Incorporate skia adds a big step to building aseprite, probably bigger than configuring and building aseprite itself. I think the increase in the issues is caused by the skia migration - and that docs are a way to decrease the noise.

[dacap]

I had to go on an expedition to figure out why skia wouldn't build correctly for me

Yes, me too, its build system is the most tricky part. Actually the only requirement for Aseprite is that GYP_DEFINES must be skia_gpu when you compile Skia. Anyway I've compiled Skia so many times that I don't even remember the original instructions or in which state is the official documentation, so my opinions are really biased.

Incorporate skia adds a big step to building aseprite, probably bigger than configuring and building aseprite itself. I think the increase in the issues is caused by the skia migration - and that docs are a way to decrease the noise.

Yeah. I was having the idea to clean up the whole INSTALL.md when I completely remove the Allegro back-end, but seeing the current state, I think you are right, we should add the "how to compile Skia" section in INSTALL (at least to reduce the number of future issue reports).

Could you please move the "skia" section at the end and add a subsection for OSX/Linux,etc? I'll write the Windows instructions then.

[dacap]

Also I'm seriously thinking that Ninja should be almost mandatory (if someone wants to use other build system, is because he/she knows about CMake)

[tony]

Also I'm seriously thinking that Ninja should be almost mandatory (if someone wants to use other build system, is because he/she knows about CMake)

I concur, I'll update to reflect that.

[tony]

@dacap how about now?

[dacap]

It's fine. I'll continue from here and see if I can make this even more simple. Thanks for the help @tony

[tony]

yeoopo

[dacap]

@tony I've just updated the INSTALL.md instructions with cab10fb if you can give it a look that would be great, I hope this helps reducing the number of issue reports