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[rossp]

Hi all,

Now that you can install MC / MJ onto a usb mem stick how about a version that can be included in the portable apps suite.

http://www.portableapps.com

Maybe install via a command line switch "MediaCenter120438.exe /PortableApp"
You would just need to install to G:\PortableApps\MediaCenter12 and the launch menu should pick it up.
This would be great.

Rgds...Ross

[Matt]

Does the program need to do anything other than expose a command line switch in the installer?  Things like a special uninstaller, etc.?

Thanks.

[rossp]

Hi Matt,

The portableapps menu looks for folders under the X:\PortableApps directory. It the finds the .exe and populates the menu. To uninstall the app just remove the X:\PortableApps\MediaCenter12 folder. Really simple and very easy to carry around.

Ross

[Matt]

So shouldn't this work already with MC if you tell the MC installer to install to X:\PortableApps\Media Center using the Portable install option?

Is the only "need" a command line switch to automate the install?

[robydago]

I've used some portableapps packaged apps, but without using their launch menu (imho there are much better free portable apps launchers, like http://www.pegtop.net/start)

Regarding portableapps setups, AFAIK:
- portableapps setups exes are named "[programname].paf.exe".
- to install a *.paf.exe, just run it, it prompts you for the destination folder and that's it.
- once installed, you always end up with a dir tree like this:
 "App" dir
 "Data" dir
 "Other" dir
 [programname].exe file


Judging by the few portableapps I'm using, the [programname].exe in the root dir looks like a shortcut to the "real" .exe, thas is located in a "App" subdir


I think that the porableapps launcher sucks...
But their dir tree organization seems to allow for easy data backups and app upgrades (providing the app actually writes data in the Data dir...)

[rossp]

Matt,

Does MC write all its settings / library under the folder it was installed into. I assume it updates the registry and this is against the portableapps rules as no evidence of the app being run on the host machine should be left.

Ross

[Matt]

Does MC write all its settings / library under the folder it was installed into.

Media Center can redirect the library, application data, temporary files, and registry access to the portable.  No trace should be left on the host machine.

I assume it updates the registry and this is against the portableapps rules as no evidence of the app being run on the host machine should be left.

A few JRiver plugins still use COM.  They don't follow this rule, but we consider this a bug and we're working on it.  We have a problem because we need to support 3rd party plugins.

[rossp]

Matt, I will try it.

Ross

[rossp]

Matt,

It works just fine. It picked up some of the extra 3rd party plugins I use but I hid those in plugin manager. The portableapp menu picked it up and ran it straight away, very sweet. Another success for the excellent development team, well done.

Ross

[sdcoochie8]

As I had mentioned in a previous post. With the portable apps menu it picks up all .exe's in the root folder so if there are any .exe's in the root folder it will add their assosiated programs to the portable apps menu. With media center there are several .exe's that really should only be used by media center itself and should therefore, be put in another location. However if this is done media center does not know where the associated exe's are to use them when required. Such exe's are SetupComplete.exe, PackageInstaller.exe, Media Editor.exe etc... these should all be installed deeper with other folders. Just moving them removes their functionality within media center. As I mention before I'm not sure if this can be done when things are installed.

[robydago]

As I had mentioned in a previous post. With the portable apps menu it picks up all .exe's in the root folder so if there are any .exe's in the root folder it will add their assosiated programs to the portable apps menu. With media center there are several .exe's that really should only be used by media center itself and should therefore, be put in another location. However if this is done media center does not know where the associated exe's are to use them when required. Such exe's are SetupComplete.exe, PackageInstaller.exe, Media Editor.exe etc... these should all be installed deeper with other folders. Just moving them removes their functionality within media center. As I mention before I'm not sure if this can be done when things are installed.

Guys, all that work to have MC automatically added in the porableapps menu?
There are many portable launchers that support drag&drop to add exe files to their menus, so why bother?.... Just use a different portable app launcher and drag&drop the MC exe on it.

Portableapps dir tree seems useful for config\data backup, but to achieve that JR should (I think) fully comply with that dir tree, not just hide all exe files (but one) from the app root dir.

[sdcoochie8]

Is media jukebox portable there does not seem to be a portable install option like media center.

[JimH]

There isn't.  Only MC has it.

[dremo]

Do plugins work with the portable version of MC? I was looking for the last.fm plugin but did not see it. I love the portable version though, the client works great.


Drew

[JimH]

Not all will. 

Glad you like it.