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Eliminating the need to install application

Started by sobaka Mar 31, 2011 at 7:11 PM 7 replies 2.4k views

Original Post

Mar 31, 2011 at 7:11 PM

Hi all,

I am relatively new in this forum, so accept my apology if I posted this question in the wrong thread.

I am Graduate student and I am developing Pre/Post processor for the Finite Element Method code, using C++ Builder 2007 and OpenGL.

I wanted to ask if anyone knows or can redirect me to the open source or free software which will hep to [color="#333333"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"]eliminate the need to install my software applications before running them. I already spend two days searching the web without any luck. [/font]
[color="#333333"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"]
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[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][color="#333333"]Something like this but without huge price tag. [/font]
[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"] [/font]
[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][color="#333333"]Any advice would be appreciated.[/font]
[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"] [/font]
[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][color="#333333"]Thanks in advance. [/font]

kdmiller3

Mar 31, 2011 at 7:34 PM

You would only need an installer if your software requires special setup, or it modifies system-wide locations like the registry and Start menu or user-specific locations like AppData and you want to have it clean up after itself when uninstalled. If your application is completely self-contained within its folder and doesn't need to modify anything else, you could just distribute it in a zip file. I've run across plenty of utilities and indie games that work fine when extracted to an arbitrary directory, so that should be sufficient unless your application needs to do something complicated.

sobaka

Mar 31, 2011 at 8:56 PM

Dear kdmiller3

Thanks for your reply but my software requires some packages to be installed in "C:\Windows\System32\" folder such as


 "rtl100.bpl"
 "tee7100.bpl"
 "vcl100.bpl"
 "vclx100.bpl"
 "vcldb100.bpl"
 "dbrtl100.bpl"

Since I am using C++ Builders VCL components. I tried to compile release version of my project by going to Project -> Options -> Packages, and un-checking "Build with runtime packages" but I get exception Access Violation message when I compile. My project runs completely fine in Debug Configuration, and I am 100% sure that I am not accessing anything which could through Access Violation during initial start of my program.

Also I will need to read and write some files while my program is running.

I guess my question is turning more C++ Builder specific but any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

kdmiller3

Mar 31, 2011 at 9:23 PM

Ah, I see.

You might not have to copy those to System32. Will your application run with those in the same folder as the executable? If that's the case, you could just package them up with the rest of your application. That assumes the C++ Builder license allows such things, but I don't see why it wouldn't.

Also, this may be relevant:
Project -> Options... -> Linker: Linking: uncheck "Use Dynamic RTL"

That will statically link the C/C++ runtime library so your executable no longer depends on an external DLL. (Your executable will be somewhat larger as a result.)

ncite

Mar 31, 2011 at 9:41 PM

You can also try installers like Inno or NSIS.

sobaka

Mar 31, 2011 at 9:45 PM

[color="#1C2837"]Dear kdmiller3
[color="#1C2837"]

[color="#1C2837"]Thanks for your fast reply.
[color="#1C2837"]

[color="#1C2837"]My [color=#1C2837][size=2]Project -> Options... -> Linker: Linking: is unchecked "Use Dynamic RTL" but I still have the same problem,
[color=#1C2837][size=2]

[color="#1C2837"]and no my program doesn't run with those packages in the same folder. As it states here "Runtime packages called by design packages must be located somewhere on your system's path.[color=#1C2837][size=2]"
[color=#1C2837][size=2]

[color="#1C2837"]I don't mind if my executable will be large as long as it could execute without need of additional packages.
[color="#1C2837"]

[color="#1C2837"]I am getting very frustrated with C++ Builder I thought that deployment of your project would be somehow more documented.
[color="#1C2837"]

[color="#1C2837"]

sobaka

Mar 31, 2011 at 9:50 PM

Dear ncite

Actually thats what I do right now but this requires Administrative access to the machine and not all the users have that. Which at the same time refutes the title of this topic "Eliminating the need to install the application". In some places it's even required that software would execute without installing and accessing registry.

Antheus

Mar 31, 2011 at 9:55 PM

Google around for portable applications.

It doesn't eliminate download, but the application becomes a standalone executable and doesn't pollute local file system.

sobaka

Apr 4, 2011 at 8:40 PM

Thanks for all your responses.

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