The overall goal is a portable version of digiKam on Windows, in the sense that it can run from portable storage (a removable drive). I understand the performance concerns, and expect that it would be run from Thunderbolt or fast USB drives. I posted a batch file that makes portable the AppData\Local folder. I also posted instructions. I welcome feedback. My post is at https://www.portablefreeware.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=20747&p=93211#p93211 The digiKam team can help by making available for download two Zip files (a 64-bit and a 32-bit version) containing the exe, dll, and other run files. This would be for each release in the stable branch of digiKam. Given the work involved in creating the snapshots, it would be understandable to limit the Zip files to the stable releases. Without Zip files, users have two options, neither of which is very good. Option one: download an installer (exe), run it and install to the hard disk, copy the installed files/folders to a removable drive, and uninstall from the hard disk. Option two: use something like Universal Extractor on an installer (exe), which can do an imperfect extraction.
The request is for Zip files of Windows builds for 6.1.0 and future releases in the stable branch. There is no need to Zip earlier releases.
For testing, i provide a tar.xz of current 6.2.0-pre-release Win64 binary directory, used to make the installer with NSIS. digikam-6.2.0-prerelease-win64.tar.xz Let's me hear if this simple archive is enough to make a Portable version. Gilles Caulier
The file is very satisfactory. It is slightly more complicated than extracting a Zip, because tar and xz make it a two-stage process. But it is easy with the 7-Zip program. The PeaZip program can handle it with a little more effort. This is a big improvement over install/copy/uninstall or using Universal Extractor. Thank you. I am unfamiliar with the KDE bug process. The status should be changed to Resolved?
No, do not close this file yet. I must patch release scripts to generate the Windows binaries tarball and to upload file on shared cloud servers. It's not complicated, but i'm a little bit overloaded this week. Be patient. Gilles Caulier
Git commit 090bd71d991b706affe75dd92f5a05fdc2c85c63 by Gilles Caulier. Committed on 13/07/2019 at 13:14. Pushed by cgilles into branch 'master'. Add support of Portable archive while release stage M +56 -10 project/bundles/mxe/04-build-installer.sh https://invent.kde.org/kde/digikam/commit/090bd71d991b706affe75dd92f5a05fdc2c85c63
The Windows release scripts are now patched to build the tar.xv Portable archives and upload files automatically to download server. Tomorrow, 32 and 64 bits archives of digiKam 6.2.0 pre-release will be available at usual place : https://files.kde.org/digikam/ At official release date, these files will be uploaded to the official download area. I close this file now. Best Gilles Caulier
Stephen, tar.xz archive for Portable packaging are now online for testing : https://files.kde.org/digikam/ Please check if all is right for you. Next stable 6.2.0 will be released in next weeks, before the end on July. Let's me hear also, when digiKam will be officially available in Portable repository, I would to add few words about with 6.2.0 release announcement. Best Gilles Caulier
The .tar.xz compressed archives contain the files needed to run digiKam. But the files are more deeply embedded in the folder structure than before. To set up, I downloaded a .tar.xz file, drilled down using 7-Zip until I saw the individual files and folders, selected all, and extracted to a folder of my choice. For other users, it would be easier if the folder structure was simpler. Here is the structure for the 64-bit May 2019 file: digikam-6.2.0-prerelease-win64.tar.xz\digikam-6.2.0-prerelease-win64.tar\digikam\ That structure is good, although it would be slightly better if the third folder (digikam) had the version ID appended: digikam-6.2.0-prerelease-win64.tar.xz\digikam-6.2.0-prerelease-win64.tar\digiKam-6.2.0-prerelease-win64\ Here is the structure for the more recent 64-bit file. All the real files and folders are in temp\, which is ten levels down: digiKam-6.2.0-git-20190714T194015-Win64.tar.xz\digiKam-6.2.0-git-20190714T194015-Win64.tar\mnt\devel\GIT\6.x\project\bundles\mxe\temp\ **************************** You asked about the “Portable repository.” The short answer is that neither of the two main Windows portable repositories will give 6.2.0 official status while it is in pre-release. Here is the long answer. PortableApps.com publishes portable versions of Windows software in their own packaging format called PAF. They considered publishing digiKam as far back as 2011. There has been renewed interest since digiKam version 6 came out. I posted to their digiKam forum topic in December 2018, when version 6 was nearing release: https://portableapps.com/comment/238785#comment-238785 I can post there again, but it would help if I had more clarity about the .tar.xz files. I would mention the availability of those files in the post. The other Windows repository is the Portable Freeware Collection. Most of their software is made portable by the primary organization for an application, such as VLC from VideoLan.org. They also accept software made portable by PortableApps.com. They sometimes accept other software when instructions are available to make it portable. Portable Freeware has a forum topic on digiKam that includes a post by me. My post includes a batch file and a discussion on how to run digiKam in a portable mode. I will update my post when 6.2.0 comes out to include information about the .tar.xz files. My post is at https://www.portablefreeware.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=20747#p93211 I can formally submit digiKam based on my forum post. But Portable Freeware will not consider a pre-release. If I submit now, it would have to be 6.1.0. It is more likely that my submission would be accepted if I wait until 6.2.0 comes out. https://www.portablefreeware.com/edit.php It would help if digiKam users post to the two forum topics listed above, and tell PortableApps and Portable Freeware that digiKam works well on Windows and should be in their repositories.
We will not make a 6.1.0 tarball of the windows bundle. 6.2.0 is near to release. I will not touch to the internal folder directories of the bundle, as this structure work as expected. eel free to adjust this point if necessary to make the Portable version. Best Gilles Caulier