Installation is a nightmare for normal users

GemiG · February 10, 2018, 11:43am

can this be drasticly simplified, for instance by using flatpak?

riddim · February 10, 2018, 11:48am

Installing what exactly is a nightmare…?

To be honest I’m a little bit confused because I don’t see how installing/starting the browser would be different from launching any other application

norimi · February 10, 2018, 12:21pm

It’s alpha software. There are no normal users.

Sascha · February 10, 2018, 2:22pm

Having .deb binaries would be very nice for apt-get updating browser, mail client or whatever else. I forget what I have installed, but apt-get would keep me up-to-date automagically. Just running the software without installing certainly is no nightmare, but keeping up-to-date with a repository would be easier. Then again, I’m trying out moving to Arch/Manjaro. I’m not really familiar with their packaging yet.

Shane · February 10, 2018, 2:36pm

github.com

maidsafe/sn_browser/blob/master/package.json

{
  "name": "safe-browser",
  "identifier": "net.maidsafe.safe-browser",
  "productName": "SAFE Browser",
  "version": "0.18.0",
  "vendor": "MaidSafe.net Ltd",
  "description": "Electron web browser. React/redux powered with an aim of extensiblity.",
  "scripts": {
    "build": "concurrently \"yarn run build-main\" \"yarn run build-renderer\" \"yarn run build-webPreload\" \"yarn run build-bg\" ",
    "build-dll": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development webpack --config ./configs/webpack.config.renderer.dev.dll.babel.js --colors",
    "build-e2e": "cross-env E2E_BUILD=true yarn build",
    "build-main": "cross-env NODE_ENV=production webpack --config ./configs/webpack.config.main.prod.babel.js --colors",
    "build-bg": "cross-env NODE_ENV=production webpack --config ./configs/webpack.config.background.prod.babel.js --colors",
    "build-webPreload": "cross-env NODE_ENV=production webpack --config ./configs/webpack.config.web-preload.prod.babel.js --colors",
    "build-renderer": "cross-env NODE_ENV=production webpack --config ./configs/webpack.config.renderer.prod.babel.js --colors",
    "bump": "git fetch upstream --tags -f || git fetch --tags -f; git tag -d $(git tag -l | grep alpha ); git tag -d $(git tag -l | grep beta ); standard-version -a",
    "check-types": "tsc",
    "prod-dev": "cross-env START_HOT=1 node -r babel-register-ts ./internals/scripts/CheckPortInUse.ts && cross-env NODE_ENV=production START_HOT=1 yarn start-renderer-dev",
    "dev": "yarn mock-dev",
    "lint": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development eslint --cache --format=pretty --ext .js,.jsx,.ts,.tsx .",

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As it happens, the Safe Browser is already packaged using Electron-Builder which supports creating .deb, .nsis, .dmg, etc, there’s no reason why Maidsafe couldn’t simply export a distributable executable for each platform (besides the extra work to configure Electron-Builder properly and build on each platform.)

riddim · February 10, 2018, 3:45pm

*.deb files are cool - but I still don’t seem to get it… … If you don’t install them through apt they won’t updated themselves anyway… So just supplying *.deb files (the user has to install before being able to execute the browser) instead of executable binaries… Just inserts an additional step but doesn’t make things easier…?

Shane · February 10, 2018, 4:04pm

True enough, and I have no horse in this race (I compile my own from source instead of using the packages), but in terms of Windows and OSX, it is simpler to get an NSIS or DMG installer than having to search through the zip file for the executable, only marginally, but it is easier.

Sascha · February 10, 2018, 4:05pm

Yes. Sorry, I wasn’t clear. What I’m looking for is of course a repository (PPA) for Debian compatible systems. And maybe another repository for Arch.

riddim · February 10, 2018, 4:11pm

Okay fair point … Yes you have to identify the correct executable with Linux too… So I see that it might be something relevant to some people … Just using apt to install and upgrade would of course be awesome

(I experienced even compiling my own peruse from source as impressively simple yarn is pretty awesome! Therefore I was a little bit surprised about the word ‘nightmare’ in the title…)

GemiG · February 10, 2018, 4:45pm

I went through al the steps but something went wrong in my installation of yarn. I’m sure if I fiddle enough I could solve it with some tips or even without. But I’m not interested in that (now), I just hope maidsafe could become much easier to install on my linux mint system. Fair point to say it’s alpha software so not intended for normal users. But then again if more users would find it easier to try they may become engaged users much sooner which also benefits the entire maidsafe-community.

JPL · February 10, 2018, 5:24pm

Sorry if I’ve got the wrong end of the stick here, but you don’t need to install yarn unless you are building it from the binaries. If you just want to use the software you can download the tar file, decompress it and you’re off. EDIT I have downloaded and run the browser on Mint with out any problems at all.

Traktion · February 10, 2018, 6:21pm

On Ubuntu I just unzipped the package and launched the browser… seemed pretty straightforward.

Sascha · February 10, 2018, 6:51pm

Meaning you should execute, by double-clicking, the file called “safe-browser” in the directory where you unzipped the package you downloaded.

Blindsite2k · February 10, 2018, 7:38pm

I agreee setting up repos that could be maintained on all the major systems would be a good idea (deb, rpm, pacman, whatever) but even a simple tarbal would work. Just so long as you’re not combing through this and hat file and having to go compile from source, manually download dependencies and so on. Or if there are set dependencies write it down in a text file and include it with the tarbal. But yes really setting up maidsafe repos should be done. I know they have debian and I think they have rpm but they need to do arch too. And doesn’t open suse have it’s own thing or do they use rpm too?

Sascha · February 10, 2018, 7:42pm

They had the safe browser 0.6.0, but no updates since that.

riddim · February 10, 2018, 8:00pm

Maybe someone should just mention the release topic of the latest browser version

And since we’re on it - a direct link to the github release too

I would assume the precompiled data in the Linux zip file should work on mint @GemiG

… the problem is probably not that it’s difficult to get everything up and running but that the best information is hidden somewhere in the forum instead of being promoted on the website

jdabcarr · February 11, 2018, 10:04am

except us couragous know-nothings who say screw it…we’re curious haha

Raymond_Johnson · February 16, 2018, 12:33am

I concur, the development process for the experienced isnt the issue. It is people who don’t know what the command line Interface even is, let alone what to type to get it to do something useful. If the experience isn’t as simple as open web browser, Google the app, click install, the average person, who makes up 85% of the world’s population or more, isn’t going to be able to use it.

Cryptoskeptic · February 16, 2018, 12:38am

When it’s launched, I’m told it will be as easy as clicking on the browser, similar to Chrome. If not, it won’t be taken up by dumb asses like me

Yay · February 16, 2018, 4:41am

Its super easy on linux mint. It has a familiar windows look. You just download and run the program. Seriously don’t even have to install anything.

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Installation is a nightmare for normal users

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