Mac osx installation options

[aymanhab]

• How to locate core dynamic libraries on Mac:
  • Possible sloutions: Package API separately and duplicate under GUI y/n?
  • Alternate solution is to change rpath for nbexec to point to the dynamic libraries.
• Packaging JRE with the distribution either as a Framework or otherwise.
  • clion can package JRE (investigate)
• Remove dependency on OPENSIM_HOME from GUI code base. Don't know if it will be needed for backward compatibility.
• info.plist may contain jvm options and that may solve java.library.path issues ~
• [ ] setting path to get command line utils on osx moved to [Mac] Help users create symlink to OpenSim's bin dir #356
• explore jvm options in etc/opensim.conf if adding java.library.path to relative path to dynlibs
• [ ] mac has a suggestion for plugins placement (Contents/Plugins) will have to see if it works for our users or is too deep. moved to Mac users need a way to access/load plugins in the GUI #357
• [ ] Is there a place to plug introductory video on first launch?
• ~[ ] Geometry & Models now live in top level, could go into Assets folder or follow layout per James or ... moved to Where should models, geometry, and other assets be installed? #358
• [ ] We need to decide if assets are kept read only or hidden from users and they need to make a copy to modify Scripts, should they go with assets or into sdk folder along with API programs? moved to Where should models, geometry, and other assets be installed? #358

[aymanhab]

@chrisdembia Summary of our discussion before break so it doesn't fall thru the cracks.

[chrisdembia]

Thanks @aymanhab; I made some improvements to the formatting above (just adding in hyphens).

cc @msdemers

[chrisdembia]

As for installing command line tools, I like what PyCharm does. The first time you launch the app, you get a pop up window asking you to set some settings, one of which is if you'd like to "Install Command Line Tools". They also tell you that you can do it later from a drop down menu. They put a symlink in /usr/local/bin. I like this option.

[msdemers]

I like this option as well. It's a familiar motif for power OS X users and Linux users.

[chrisdembia]

Cool.

[chrisdembia]

@aymanhab do you have some time just before the dev meeting for us two to discuss what feedback we should get?

[aymanhab]

@chrisdembia Sure. Will plan for it. Do you have a specific time in mind?

[chrisdembia]

Maybe like 10:40am?

[aymanhab]

Sure, sounds good.

On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 3:44 PM, Christopher Dembia <
notifications@github.com> wrote:

Maybe like 10:40am?

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#26 (comment)

[chrisdembia]

I was thinking about whether we should have an installer or simply a zip that contains a .app. I am leaning towards having an installer. The reason is that we are thinking of having a number of folders adjacent to the OpenSim 4.0.app. That is, the zip would house a directory containing:

OpenSim 4.0/OpenSim 4.0.app
           /bin
           /sdk

It is unnatural to tell users to move "OpenSim 4.0" into "/Applications" (since it is not only a .app). The installer could also handle copying models to ~/Documents/OpenSim 4.0 (or any other user-selected location) and symlinking opensim-cmd to /usr/local/bin/opensim-cmd.

By the way, I think it would be good if the app folder name could contain the version number. This matches our behavior on Windows, and would allow people to easily have multiple versions of OpenSim (which I think is a common scenario).

[aymanhab]

Not sure if .dmg (which is the format used to install netbeans) count as installer or not, it creates a folder with an app inside it. The resulting application is well behaving on osx AFAIK and doesn't need users to copy or move anything (of course in their case it's just app but keep in mind that app users are our main target clients on osx)

[msdemers]

.dmg is the simple installer option while .pkg is the flexible installer option. .dmg are really easy to make because they are basically just a directory and file structure. This usually means easy for developer, harder for user. .pkg allow you to install with a gui and run preflight and postflight scripts more easily. For example, .pkg would allow you to present a a gui where the user sees and acknowledges a software license and chooses wether they want to setup command line tools, then run a script to install files or simlinks to /usr/local/bin.

[aymanhab]

Wonderful to hear from you @msdemers Thanks for the very helpful info (from inside the 🍎 ) Cheers.

[chrisdembia]

If we decide we need additional tools to help create the PKG or DMG, we could buy DropDMG or something like that.

[chrisdembia]

I've attached a zip of icon files that may be useful.

foldericon.zip

[chrisdembia]

Thank you @msdemers. Some potentially useful links:

• mac pkgbuild on a mac.
• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11487596/making-os-x-installer-packages-like-a-pro-xcode-developer-id-ready-pkg
• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4588283/how-to-make-a-pkg-that-the-mac-installer-will-simply-install-copy-files-from; this may be outdated.
• https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/IDEs/Conceptual/AppDistributionGuide/DistributingApplicationsOutside/DistributingApplicationsOutside.html

[chrisdembia]

Some more:

• http://s.sudre.free.fr/Software/documentation/Packages/en/index.html
• http://s.sudre.free.fr/Software/Iceberg.html
• http://s.sudre.free.fr/Software/Packages/Q&A_3.html
• https://matthew-brett.github.io/docosx/flat_packages.html

[chrisdembia]

Based on the first of the links above, I was able to write a simple script to generate a pkg:

pkgbuild --analyze --root ./OpenSim.app/ OpenSimAppComponents.plist
pkgbuild --root ./OpenSim.app --identifier OpenSim --component-plist OpenSimAppComponents.plist OpenSim.pkg
productbuild --synthesize --package OpenSim.pkg Distribution.xml

[jenhicks]

@chrisdembia @aymanhab Can we close this issue?

[aymanhab]

There are still questions/issues related to the unchecked boxes above, so let's keep it open unless @chrisdembia opens separate issues based on feedback of current installations on osx

[chrisdembia]

@aymanhab @jenhicks I created new issues for the remaining tasks (the numbers for the new issues are listed in the top post).