Finally a launcher for all portable programs?

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UGMFree
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Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:02 am

Re: Finally a launcher for all portable programs?

#31 Post by UGMFree »

Hi.

I've just published a second program suite along with the SyMenu own one: the NirSoft suite.

SyMenu and NirSoft are partner since almost two years and because of this UGMFree publishes a custom version of SyMenu already configured with the entire collection of NirSoft programs.
But this solution is not the best because you can't add the NirSoft suite to an already configured SyMenu and vice versa, unless you add the programs one by one. So people tend to have two SyMenu versions: one for their custom programs and one for the NirSoft suite.

Well my next step was clear: SPS is powerful enough to link the NirSoft programs into the SPS Manager. So with the next SyMenu version you'll see what I intend for including a suite as an official one:
SyMenu&NirSoft.png
SyMenu is already designed to host more than a suite. You can choose your programs from one or another and retrieve them inside your menu in a unique place.

The next version will be released in a few days but, for Midas and others who are interested in SPS programs only I've already deployed the new service to obtain the updated suite collection. I renamed the old web service for the SyMenu SPS too.

These are the urls:

http://www.ugmfree.it/Services/SymenuSP ... nuSuiteUrl - for SyMenu SPS program list
http://www.ugmfree.it/Services/SymenuSP ... ftSuiteUrl - for NirSoft SPS program list

Don't use the old web service url because it is obsolete.

UGMFree
Posts: 35
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:02 am

Re: Finally a launcher for all portable programs?

#32 Post by UGMFree »

And finally all pieces are in the right place.

I've just released the new SyMenu version but mainly I've just release the SPS Builder with a lot of new features.
  • - The field "Update no copy files" now can contain a list of files and folders too in case you want to leave an entire folder untouched during the update process.
    - Menu aren't anymore all uppercase although the MS guideline drives to another approach (but really... who cares?).
    - There is a new button that allows to download the package without extracting it. Well the button name is the a bit ambiguous ("Download SPS") because indeed you'll download the package and not the SPS... I'll change it in a future version.
    - The most important thing. Now you can specifies the installation argument for 7zip files too and not only for exe files.
    What is its use? For example you can specify this argument -r program.exe* to extract only the files that match the filter program.exe*. Check the 7zip manual for the entire list of command line options.
    Many thanks to Midas for suggesting this smart feature.
The new SPS Builder is available directly inside SyMenu SPS Manager or from here: http://www.ugmfree.it/SyMenuSuiteSPSBuilder.aspx

UGMFree
Posts: 35
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:02 am

Re: Finally a launcher for all portable programs?

#33 Post by UGMFree »

Me again.

I'm very glad to announce the achievement of two great milestones.

First one.
The SyMenu suite has finally reached 100 applications... in one month!
This great target has been accomplished thanks to Åke Engelbrektson and Luis Neves two friends that are helping me a lot. Thanks guys!
Anyway the suite is not still completed and it's growing day by day.

Second one.
I've just published the SPS files for a new suite: the Sysinternals one.
You can find the Sysinternals SPS program list at this url:
http://www.ugmfree.it/services/symenusp ... lsSuiteUrl
The Sysinternals suite will be available in SyMenu when I release the next version which is not scheduled yet. Stay tuned for further news.
Last edited by UGMFree on Mon Feb 16, 2015 10:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

bzl333
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Re: Finally a launcher for all portable programs?

#34 Post by bzl333 »

right on! :)

UGMFree
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Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:02 am

Re: Finally a launcher for all portable programs?

#35 Post by UGMFree »

Dear all.

The SPS thing has reached another milestone.

Yesterday I released the new SyMenu version that includes the Sysinternals suite.

At the same time I released the SPS Builder too with two great new features:
- I improved the login management with more options than before;
- you can now use the ftp among the possible url protocols to download a package (so we have http, https and ftp).

You can download the new SPS Builder from the UGMFree web site (http://www.ugmfree.it/SyMenuSuiteSPSBuilder.aspx) or directly from inside SyMenu since SPS Builder belongs to the SyMenu SPS program suite.

SPS today stats.
SyMenu suite: 126 programs
NirSoft suite: 248 programs
Sysinternals suite: 57 programs

Grand total: 431 programs... and growing :)


For any feedback on the SPS world, for new features, for suggesting new programs to include in the SPS suite collection or whatever you like, feel free to contact me through the TPFC forum, or the UGMFree forum or in private.

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Midas
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Re: Finally a launcher for all portable programs?

#36 Post by Midas »

Cool! 8)

EDIT: today I tested several files with "test SPS online" in SPS Builder v1.02 and found several not working: e.g., 'ConsoleZ', 'Exact_Audio_Copy_Portable' (this one never worked), 'RegOwnit'.

For future easy management, when there are many more than the current 133 SPS files, SPS Builder should offer the possibility of flagging such files, both online and offline, IMHO.

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sl23
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Re: Finally a launcher for all portable programs?

#37 Post by sl23 »

I've been wondering if something like this would ever surface. Love the idea great job.

Understandably, this still being early stages and all, I find the interface a little confusing, as well as the fact I'm not completely certain what this does.

Your first post claims this basically installs any portable app, once the sps file is created, and keeps it up to date, yes? But after reading all posts, I became confused after one stated it doesn't update apps? I hope I'm wrong.

If it does keep apps up to date I will making a ton of sps files for you, once I figure out what to do with them! ;-)

UGMFree
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Re: Finally a launcher for all portable programs?

#38 Post by UGMFree »

Midas wrote: EDIT: today I tested several files with "test SPS online" in SPS Builder v1.02 and found several not working: e.g., 'ConsoleZ', 'Exact_Audio_Copy_Portable' (this one never worked), 'RegOwnit'.

For future easy management, when there are many more than the current 133 SPS files, SPS Builder should offer the possibility of flagging such files, both online and offline, IMHO.
Hi Midas.
You should be right if the SPSBuilder was intended for this purpouse but you are forcing its real aim a little.
SPSBuilder is thought to create (build) SPS files.
The real use for the SPS files is through compatible launchers i.e. SyMenu.
If you open the SyMenu SPS Manager and select an SPS program you'll find a link to report broken SPS to its author.
SPSReport.png
SPSBuilder helps you to manage your SPSs not mine :D :D :D
Anyway we already spoke about this topic and I know your thought, so keep up using SPSBuilder in your way!
Last edited by UGMFree on Fri Apr 24, 2015 6:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

UGMFree
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Re: Finally a launcher for all portable programs?

#39 Post by UGMFree »

sl23 wrote:I've been wondering if something like this would ever surface. Love the idea great job.
Understandably, this still being early stages and all, I find the interface a little confusing, as well as the fact I'm not completely certain what this does.
Your first post claims this basically installs any portable app, once the sps file is created, and keeps it up to date, yes? But after reading all posts, I became confused after one stated it doesn't update apps? I hope I'm wrong.
If it does keep apps up to date I will making a ton of sps files for you, once I figure out what to do with them! ;-)
SPSBuilder is the SPS editor side. If you like a program, SPSBuilder allows you to create its SPS and upload on the SyMenu cloud. Whenever an update is available the SPS owner (the editor), publish an updated SPS file again through SPSBuilder.

SyMenu is the SPS user side. Open SyMenu and you'll have all the published SPS files, even yours, and you can install, update or delete any of these programs. This time automatically.

I suggest you to download and test SyMenu http://www.ugmfree.it and give a try to the program. You'll have a complete view on how SPS works.
And if you have more detailed questions, let me know.

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sl23
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Re: Finally a launcher for all portable programs?

#40 Post by sl23 »

Thanks for the reply.

So, the SPS Builder is really meant for developers, is that what what you're saying? I personally don't have time to keep loads of apps up to date, though I could create the SPS files for a starter.

Isn't it possible for the SPS to be updated by itself somehow when updating the app?

For example: You have 'ThisApp.exe v1.0' installed and an update to v1.1 is available. During the update, the SPS gets either updated or fully replaced with the new info, or new file, regarding the version number? Perhaps that's too much too expect, but it's just a thought ;-)

UGMFree
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Re: Finally a launcher for all portable programs?

#41 Post by UGMFree »

sl23 wrote: So, the SPS Builder is really meant for developers, is that what what you're saying?
Not at all.
SPSBuilder is for anyone who wants to take charge of one or more programs for SyMenu suite. My swedish friend Åke is not a developer but, as you can see from the credits of his SPSs, he has become the more prolific SPS editor (much more than me) with his more than 100 SPS.
sl23 wrote: I personally don't have time to keep loads of apps up to date, though I could create the SPS files for a starter.
Yes if you want you can contribute in this way. When you create the first SPS I can take it in charge for the update process.
sl23 wrote: Isn't it possible for the SPS to be updated by itself somehow when updating the app?

For example: You have 'ThisApp.exe v1.0' installed and an update to v1.1 is available. During the update, the SPS gets either updated or fully replaced with the new info, or new file, regarding the version number? Perhaps that's too much too expect, but it's just a thought ;-)
Well I'll try to be clear.
SPS is not end but the start of an automatic update process. When I create SPS my intention was to supply SyMenu with a notifier channel that warns it every time there is an available update for a program of its suite. The tool that allows this magic is SPS.
SPS is the postman that deliver the news to SyMenu not the recipient of the news.

The programs that compose the SyMenu suite are several, come from different web sites and are distributed in several different way.
SPS is the tool that normalizes this mess, it is the intermediate layer that translates the cacophony products by the web in a language that SyMenu can understand automatically.

I don't know if the SPS role is clearer now.

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Midas
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Re: Finally a launcher for all portable programs?

#42 Post by Midas »

Got it. Fine by me. 8)

Would prefer if SPSbuilder could be a full blown stand alone package manager -- but, hey, I take whatever I can get. :mrgreen:

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sl23
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Re: Finally a launcher for all portable programs?

#43 Post by sl23 »

Do you plan on adding the PortableApps.com catalogue? If so I can make a start on that if you like.

So it's not meant to update but rather to simply inform that an update is available? Is it your intent to make this automated at a later stage?

UGMFree
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Re: Finally a launcher for all portable programs?

#44 Post by UGMFree »

sl23 wrote:Do you plan on adding the PortableApps.com catalogue? If so I can make a start on that if you like.
I've already added some PAF programs to the SyMenu suite. You can recognize them because the app publisher field is filled with the original author name along with PortableApps.com.
I don't remember how many program we've already added... Greenfish Icon Editor, Firefox, WinMerge...

The problem here is that SPS doesn't allow to test the PAF format, conversely SyMenu manages it easily.
For this reason it is a really hard thing to add a PAF program with SPSBuilder.

I would like to add a full PAF compatibility to SPSBuilder but my plan is to include the support for open formats (Inno Setup for example) and PAF format, from my point of view, is not an open standard.
I know that this sentence could appear a bit strange and strong but follow my argument.

If PAF was an open standard it should be possible to install it silently but this feature has been removed a long time ago. Without the silent installation any launcher couldn't use the PAF format natively. Ok, I can use the native PAF installer but in this way I have to show to the user all the installation windows and, in my opinion, it is a bit uncomfortable way to install programs in particular for newbie users.
At least the format should accept parameters like the installation path because the launcher needs to control where the program is located. Well not even this option is possible.
But the dark side of the PAF format is not fully disclosed yet.
The silent installation, the control of the installation path, the silent execution of the post install scripts are options available and used by the PortableApps official launcher.........

@PortableApps: OK guys your are legitimate to work in this way because the PAF format is yours but no one can say that your format is an open format.

BTW how the hell could SyMenu be able to manage the PAF format?
Well I reverse engineered the PAF format to grant a partial compatibility to SyMenu but I would highly prefer to use the silent installation option.
sl23 wrote:So it's not meant to update but rather to simply inform that an update is available? Is it your intent to make this automated at a later stage?
It's the same thing.
In some point of the process we need a human that does the work. If we move the human under the SPS level we need another layer, human driven, that informs SPS that informs SyMenu.
It does not make sense.

Solution.
If you want an automatic notifier you can use SyMenu that is already able to do that or, better, you can create a little program that downloads and reads the SPS collections from the UGMFree web site (the download url are already published in this thread) and notifies you when some SPS files has changed. It is not a difficult task and could be a useful program for other users too. I think that Midas too could appreciate it because your program could include for example the notification for broken SPS files.
Remember that my plan is to share the SPS schema if someone is interested in creating an application around it.

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sl23
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Re: Finally a launcher for all portable programs?

#45 Post by sl23 »

I didn't realise the PAF format would cause such problems.

I managed to locate the PAF install window from SyMenu and went to first attempt an install of FirefoxPortable, ChromePortable and ThunderbirdPortable as a test to see how the SyMenu would work when JTH updates these on PA.com. ie, would SyMenu update them or inform an update is available? Anyway, they wouldn't install, each attempt just gave an error saying - Failed to install. Ffx and Tbird installed the folders but no files at all. Chrome installed the folders and the PAF launcher but no other files???

Most PAF apps are quite probably portable by nature anyway and so this reduces the necessity for a lot of apps from them.

Personally, I have longed for a PortableAppsMenu replacement. The only reason I use it as an automatic update tool. I rarely use the menu other than installing new apps or updating. After the way I was treated by John, and a few other reasons, I would prefer an alternative. I don't use any menu for starting apps, I just access them from my file manager. But I hoped SyMenu would perform a similar function as the PAF format for auto updating. I have been using PortableFileAssociation.paf while waiting, and waiting, for the PAM to include it, but year after year it seems a fruitless wait. PFA is good but doesn't work properly on Win8.1, so another reason I would like to switch to SyMenu would be for file associations. When I get the time I'll give that a go.

Thank you for your time.

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