Add packaging script (without Metabase).

[cristianberneanu]

We need a script that creates an executable setup package containing PostgreSQL, pg_diffix, Metabase, the GUI app, and the initialization script (which will be executed at the end of the setup process).

[pdobacz]

and the initialization script

is something other than #6 meant here or just leftover and we actually mean just the packaging script in this issue here?

[cristianberneanu]

No, it just means that the setup package has to execute the initialization script (if any) at the end of the setup process.

[edongashi]

The app will be more standalone if it handles setup on the fly. Not sure about Postgres, but I'm going that route with Metabase.

[cristianberneanu]

Then it probably makes sense to do the same for Postgres, so there will be no initialization script to execute during setup.

[cristianberneanu]

I am now thinking that it would be a good idea to use the packaging tools we already have for Electron to bundle everything together. We could add some npm commands to download and build all the needed files, and then ship them as runtime assets with the app. (That means we need to move the GUI app to the root folder.)

What do you guys think about this approach?

[pdobacz]

Sounds good, like a least effort first approach. If it works - good, if it doesn't, then we roll our own.

However, I didn't work with the npm/electron packaging tools, so I don't know if there aren't obvious hurdles there.

[edongashi]

Sounds good to me. If we can prove it's possible to set up Postgres dynamically from the GUI, then having everything in one place is superior to depending on setup scripts.

Example: I delete the metabase database file. If we had a setup script to set it up, one would need to reinstall the whole app to get it working again. Also I'm a fan of portable USB-style apps that can be copied via zip file.

[cristianberneanu]

The major drawback will be that all the binaries will be duplicated for each user (since the package will be installed in the user profile folder). But that won't require admin privileges, so it is probably worth it.

[pdobacz]

I'm taking the liberty to limit the scope on this one to just PostgreSQL, leaving the MB part for #37

[pdobacz]

Anyhow, I don't want to block this when I'm away so I'll unnasign myself from here and leave #38 up for consideration. Feel free to take over if you want to continue.