These issues relating to single-file installers just keep coming up repeatedly across different unix/linux originated projects that are being ported to Windows. Off the top of my head: GIMP, Inkscape, MinGW, LyX,GAIM, K-3D, and scipy.
The problem is that each project tackles the problem in isolation -- each one has a bespoke way of providing a one-file installer. So many better things could have been done instead if a common approach had be available. I would like to see some kind of general solution, a dependency-handling program for FOSS on Windows that plays nice with 'add/remove programs' in some way... but that also works with Wine... Dieter Krachtus wrote: > Hi, > > With the first release of lyx on Windows I build a home-cooked fully > contained lyx + miktex distribution in a single zip-file. Moving from a > desktop to laptop was as easy as extracting this zip-file. > > Why can't it be that easy with the new Lyx bundle at > http://wiki.lyx.org/Windows/Windows ? It somehow does everything > automatically, e.g. gets missing parts of MikTex etc. I don't like that, > since you don't always have an internet connection, especially on travels > and it is somehow stupid to download and launch the installer on every > computer you have at home and then download the necessary MikTex > packages. > Even worse, when working with Lyx and you use some special Latex > features, > sometimes Lyx needs to download these missing featrues - this is > user-unfriendly and annoying. > > Therefore, I suggest that there is a big lyx distribution in the form > of a > single zip-file or CD .iso that contains really everything - MikTex > (everything) + Lyx + pdf viewer + etc. I guess it is difficult it > would also > be beneficial to have an lyx-.iso distribution which you simply mount and > start working - a.k.a. PortableLYX. > > Cheers, > Dieter >
