Rockbox Installer/Updater - Install any burrent build on any current target?

[iwantanimac]

Hi guys,
I was looking around the other day and seeing a lot of people having trouble installing rockbox, and i was tinking, wouldn't it be great if there was an installer that could not only check for updates to your build(s) but also donload and install tehm for you automatically when the device is plugged in. I'm not very knowledgeable in programming anything, but i know it should be possible.

Here's what it sould do:
1. Read "http://www.rockbox.org/cvs.shtml" and "http://www.rockbox.org/daily.shtml" and parse the following:
 - If a build is in progress
 - Titles of currently available builds
 - Warnings on each available build
 - Download link of each build.
 - And give current daily build availability, as well as a manual link for that build.
2. Give the user a drop-down list of all the available builds, or give a message box detailing that there is currently a build in progress, so the builds are unavailable.
3. Once the user selectes a build, the program asks them to make sure the device is connected, then searches for a file common to that device (If there is one - otherwise it asks for the drive letter/mount point).
4. It then confirms the user wishes to install and downloads, then (Deletes the previous build's data (Optional)) extracts the build and allows the user to disconnect the drive.

Other possible features:
 - Automatic background updating of the player when it's plugged in (If the user wants this) at an interval of, say, 6 hours or so (Or you can change it), that way you don't just update every time there's a new update (Thanks to @soap for the tip)
 - Automatic extra installation - Not sure of the best way to d this, maybe a .zip file which you set to be copied every time as well...

The program should be multi-platform.

More Info:
Tracker Task #: 6167
URL: http://www.rockbox.org/tracker/task/6167

Cheers guys,
iwantanimac

[DanManners]

That actually looks like it would be a very good idea! If you want, my brother knows vb, and he could help. Private message me the link, or go on aim and IM j3susJuLce

-Dan

[soap]

Other possible features:
 - Windows notification tray icon which automatically checks for a new build and asks if you want to install
 - The above AND automatic background updating of the player when it's plugged in

Since there are multiple new builds every day feature one would get annoying very quickly.
Since running a new build w/o clearing settings can cause errors feature two would lead to a rash of support questions.

[bluebrother]

I was thinking about an installer myself some time ago, but haven't found the time to really look into it. Maybe I'll manage to do this in the near future ...
I would prefer it heavily to NOT use vb or .net -- I think the best solution would be to use a platform independend GUI toolkit that works on all platforms we have users -- windows, mac and linux. If I manage to look into it I will definitely go for Qt.

[mnhnhyouh]

One other thing I would want in such an installer before I would use it would be that it would copy the themes et al. from my computer onto the new build.

I keep them in a directory called .rockbox so I can just copy it onto any new build I download, before installing it.

h

[lachlan]

There is already a windows installer that has been created by a member of these forums (Kreator666) called "Installer X". It is an unofficial and totally unsupported by the RB devs which got me thinking- why? This installer only works for iPods, but is a very handy tool. It would be good if it could be supported by RB, because it would open up RB to alot of potential new users.

Look in the Rockbox section over at the www.ipodwizard.net forums to see more about it.

[AlexP]

I think you have partly answered your own question!

It is unsupported because it is
a) Windows only
b) Ipod only - there are loads of other targets!

I would add a c), none of the devs probably either know of it existing, and have had time (or the inclination given a) and b) to look at it and check it will both work and not create any issues.  For it to be officially supported it would have to meet a) and b) and be dev certified to work flawlessly (IMO) - which means them checking the code.  Further, I suspect for it to be RB sanctioned, the code ought to be GPLed.

I suspect if someone wrote a cross-platform, cross-target installer and put it on the tracker, someone would look when they got time.

[lachlan]

I know there are many other targets, but there are also alot of iPod users, and the majority of them are Windows users as well. I realise it isn't a perfect solution- far from it. However, it has the potential to unlock RB to millions of users world wide who are otherwise deterred by the process of installation (I realise this installer becoming supported won't automatically attract a million users, I'm just saying...). As to the code being GPLed, Kreator666 may choose to do so, I can't recall ever seeing him state why he won't.

[Llorean]

NOTE: I am speaking here for nobody other than myself.

Actually, many of us devs know about it. And we do have an old installer that's currently Archos only, so a different one for iPod only probably wouldn't be too objectionable.

Here's one of the big reasons why it's not official (besides it not being GPLed):
He hasn't submitted it to the patch tracker.

I think most of the devs are okay with different installers/installation methods depending on which player you have, simply because the process can be quite different for each player (for example the iRiver HXXX players will always require the patching of an original firmware file as long as the user wants to be able to dual boot).

[Kreator666]

Hey guys.

My installer for iPods will never be for Mac/Linux, as I only have a Windows machine to code and test on.
It will probably never be for any other players, because I only have an iPod and only have experience with installing Rockbox on that.

If anybody has any suggestions as features needed for the installer, let me know.  Currently it is an exe file coded with NSIS that will either install the Rockbox bootloader, Loader2 bootloader, a custom bootloader, and/or the latest CVS build.  The thread is here if you are interested:
http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=6757.0

I don't see any reason why I can't GPL it.
As for the patch tracker, I'm not sure as to how that works, so if anybody was to enlighten me...

Basically, if it was to be considered to becoming official, I would like dev approval of its actual features, and what I can do to submit it.

[lachlan]

The patch tracker can be located in the nav bar on the left, in the "Tracker" section, named "patches". Its purpose is... well, to track patches. Its all pretty self explanatory  

[Kreator666]

Yes, I can see that...
Category to post it in? Form to post it in?

Either I'm misreading or everything in the patch tracker is for Rockbox itself, not external applications.

[lachlan]

Yeah, I thought about that also. I'm guessing the reason Llorean wants you to post it there is so it gets noticed by the devs, because I don't think they check the forums all that often, whereas it may be a different story with the tracker (I think). However, I'm not quite sure what category within the tracker an installer would belong to.

[Llorean]

Yeah, I suggested the Tracker because that's the best way to get the core dev's attention.

I guess it'd be a Patch for "Configuration" as the category, or maybe bootloader.

The Patch Tracker is primarily intended for patches to Rockbox, but it's also really the only place that exists for submissions of other things too.

[iwantanimac]

Added to the Patch tracker - See the link below. Hopefully some more people can give ideas and help his project!

Tracker Task #: 6167
URL: http://www.rockbox.org/tracker/task/6167

I also added some of your ideas to the main post.
Cheers guys!