Looking for a simple sample Package info file (.info)

It's been proven that a shell script can't be used an installer for
Mac OS X. In the process we got feelings hurt...

I've searched for a simple sample Package info file, which seems most
critical to make a package, to no avail, would appreciate a pointer.

 

why do you insist on doing things the hard way?

use package maker in xcode. there are also third party installer
creators that are easier to use.

 

Since I have everything ready, so, a computer science college student
with Mac and who has used package maker or PackageMaker before should
be able to get it within an hour, would this estimate about right?
Thanks.

 

I used PackageMaker but ultimately gave up as my app doesn't require
anything in the way of pre- or post-processing at install time. In the
end I followed some advice that said just use a disc image; the user can
mount that and drag the folder to wherever they want to put it.

It was also unclear to me that I was using PackageMaker correctly.

 

Depends on the student. Is he actually willing to try to do things the
right way, or is he more like you?

 

Please enlighten me on the possibility of having an average user click
on a shell script to start the installation process.

I must be really lousy in performing effective search on Apple's
developer web site. I think I've tried to search for it to no avail.

Anyway, I owe you an apology.

 

Ohe come on now... my initial thought is that an installer for Mac OS
X can be a simple shell script, hence, much simpler to get the logic
right and get the script done...
but didn't you guys say NO clearly?

 

http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/DeveloperTools/Con
ceptual/PackageMakerUserGuide/Introduction/Introduction.html

Actually I've just reviewed it. What I tried to do and am still
trying to do, is to get it to work of creating a package or a script
that an average can use to install my app.
Were we a corporation, even medium-sized I would have gone through the
approach folks recommended, that is, use the nice PackageMaker GUI
tool.

Here's what I have: the installation script.
A similar script worked for two testers but it failed another. It
served a purpose.
If the command line package utility has an option to turn it into
a .pkg file that would be wonderful.

At the moment, I'm trying two options:
a)
to figure out how to create the .info file, and have everything ready
and tell an experienced Mac user to run a script that contains the
package commands to generate it.
so, a sample .info file is extremely helpful.
b)
find someone to create the package one way or another quickly.

I don't mind sending this script to a few individuals but prefer not
to post to public.

Thanks.

 

option b is the best idea you've had yet. be sure to pick someone who
actually has a mac.

 

Of course, otherwise meaningless. I was searching for a sample .info
file for package high and low to no avail, it seems very odd... Not
interested in some generic pointer.

 

I'd say about zero, if you're talking about the average user, who will
never have heard of shell scripts.

 

Well, you can do this, but I would regard it as a very poor approach.
When you do this it opens a terminal window and runs the script there.
That's why, as I said before, I created a small AppleScript app whose
sole task is to run a shell script and report its results, if any. Such
an app is double-clickable and behaves like any Mac user would expect an
app to behave.

 

Well I in fact am not using it to install the app. I use it to start the
app - I need to do some stuff with SQLite databases, launch apache, and
then run a Safari instance and all that can conveniently be done with a
PHP script started by a double-clickable Applescript. Simples!

 

"I created a small AppleScript app", do you mean to say, using
AppleScript to create a n installer for your Mac app? If so could you
kindly share it or the essence of it?
Thanks.

 

Sorry, I missed it.
Two questions:
1. for the value of "path/to/my/startupscript.php" since we don't know
the current user's download path, would "myScriptInstaller.command"
suffice for current path?
2. would this "myScriptInstaller.command" have rw permission by
default?
Or does it have to be chmod +rx myScriptInstaller.command first and
then zip with Mac OS X and then to be usable?

Thank you very much.

 

Yes, if that is then in the same directory as the Applescript app. But
you don't need the .command suffix. That's only if you want to make the
script *itself* be double-clickable, which is not needed since it's
being run by the Applescript app.

By the way to make the Applescript app you will need a Mac.

If the script on your Mac or other unix box has the right permissions
(execute is enough, I think) that should suffice.

 

Thanks. The script is written with a Windows text editor, which has
different coding schema for carriage return, running google search for
a fix/conversion, no luck,
know a Mac OS X command that would do the version or a Mac text editor
that would do the trick? Thanks again.

 

Use TextWrangler - it's free. It will open (and detect) the line ending
in use and then you can save with a different one.