Ubuntu deb package builder

[ghettocottage]

Ubuntu has the Software Center, but to get apps there they need to be delivered to a PPA as .deb packages.

Anyone with enough interest to make a drag-and-drop tool to turn a folder containing the standalone, the .desktop file, the icon, and any other parts into a valid .deb package?

This would facilitate getting applications into the Ubuntu Software Center (now featuring paid-for apps)

[Mark]

Hi,

I would be interested if someone can provide me with some Linux-specific info. E.g. is there a command line tool to create a folder into a deb file? What is the format for the .desktop file? What are the requirements for the icon?

Kind regards,

Mark

[ghettocottage]

This forum does not allow me to post links, but a great starting point is:
developer (dot) ubuntu (dot) com (fwdslash) publish

Looks like they are making it pretty easy to get your work into the software centre. Last week a guy got his eBook about the Zombie Apocolyse in, cost a couple of bucks. It was cheesy but fun. I am glad to see this door opening up for a little creativity.

[FourthWorld]

ghettocottage! You rock!

So glad you made this thread.

Feel free to email me if you need on this - very happy to help: ambassador AT fourthworld.com

[mwieder]

Indeed. And the key here seems to be

http://developer.ubuntu.com/packaging/h ... tware.html

This is getting interesting <g>.

[FourthWorld]

Here's some additional motivation:

If we can come up with a simple-to-use solution for making .deb packages, there's a chance we might be able to see it included in RunRev's standalone builder. I have no commitment from RunRev on that, right now it's just an idea, but they've been open to similar contributions in the past and this would make a very useful addition.

And in the meantime, even as a separate plug-in it would be very valuable.

I'll drop a note to Andre Garzia to see if he'll chime in here. He's expressed an interest in helping with something like this in the past, and his experience with such things would be a valuable contribution.

[SoapDog]

Hey Folks,

Richard told me about the devious plan to make LiveCode under Linux more usable by building a packager! I think it is a great idea and I want to help. Unfortunately my two linux machines (A PC and a Sheevaplug) are both dead with fried PSUs. I will see what I can come up with from working in Mac OS X. .deb files should be straight forward but I have no experience with PPAs.

Cheers
andre

[FourthWorld]

I just got back from attending the first two days of the Ubuntu Developer Summit (UDS), held in Oakland this time.

As you may know, Ubuntu is released every six months, and right after each release they hold UDS to plan the workflow to deliver the next version. It's held in a different city each time, and it's rare that they're in California so I couldn't pass it up. So glad I went - an amazing time there meeting so may of the folks who make Ubuntu happen.

Most of my time was devoted to an interesting set of sessions revolving around outreach to developers to encourage them to deploy to the Ubuntu Software Center. This is a key area the team is focusing on over the coming year, and the scope of enhancements they're planning for both the Software Center itself and the submission process for it is very impressive.

I've signed up to assist them with some of these efforts, and all this works out very well with the initiative here to develop a .deb packager for LiveCode apps.

So in addition to being able to help with this packager, I'll also be learning more about the submission and approval process for the Software Center, and will be able to help coordinate between LiveCode developers and the App Review Board to help submissions along.

Lets make this happen! There's some 20 million Ubuntu users eagerly awaiting your apps.

What are the next steps needed to make this packager a reality?

[Rob van der Sloot]

I want to start to work with LiveCode in the Ubuntu environment, but to install LiveCode. Downloading LiveCodeInstaller-5_5_0-Linux.x86 went easy, but Ubuntu wants a third party software source
I need to have to add a software source which is called the APT-line and should look like: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid main.
So I have searched at the forum to find such a line for installing LiveCode, but I cannot find it.
Can someone please explain to me what to do?

Thanks

Rob van der Sloot

[FourthWorld]

To add your own apps to the Ubuntu Software Center you'd need an apt path, which would be to the PPA (Personal Package Archive) in the LaunchPad servers. If you go to LaunchPad.net you'll find instructions for creating an account and setting up PPAs, but this page is an even better starting point:
http://developer.ubuntu.com/publish/

That said, to simply install LiveCode shouldn't require a PPA at all, since the LiveCode installer is self-contained and readily available from runrev.com.

After you download the LC installer, you may need to set the executable bit, but once that's done you just double-click it and follow the on-screen prompts and it should be fine.

I have found that sometimes it doesn't do well with the "Install for All Users" option, but installing for only the account you're currently using will usually suffice and has been flawless here on all my Ubuntu systems going back to 9.04.

In fact, I'm not even sure how to get the sort of prompt you mentioned. What actions did you perform which led to that prompt?

[Rob van der Sloot]

When I tried to install LC and it did not work, I went to the helpfile, where there was this subject of installing applications and it was clear to use the .deb installation procedure for applications downloaded from the internet. It was the help file within the ubuntu installation from the dutch website.
I now have reinstalled ubuntu in English, downloaded the LC installer again, double clicked on it, which caused the installation of a number of executables, The PyPar2 utility now has created 8 Livecode Installer files with the following names LiveCodeInstaller-5_5_0-Linux.x86.par2. If I double click that one, I get a dialog to saying: "There is no application installed for Parchive archive files. Do you want to search for an application to open this file?" , if I say yes, I get the following dialog: "nautilus requires to install software to open files of the following file type: Parchive archive. This means that the original installer was just devided into 8 files. So I don have the right executable it seems. Which one do I need to install LC?

Thanks

Rob

[Rob van der Sloot]

Hi Richard,

I have solved the installation. I found the way to do it through the properties/permission pane.
I have to learn a bit about linux, but it will work out.

thanks again

Rob