In message <
59daec6...@triffid.co.uk>
on 18 Apr 2022 Dave wrote:
> I selected one small item (!FontMenu) to work on from the updated list, and
> singularly that downloaded and installed on this VRPC-DL RISC OS 6.20
> machine to HostFS::HardDisc4.$.Apps.Font without any errors.
>
> As noted in the other place, I have a couple of questions. :-)
>
> Q1:
>
> Where is the configuration that gives me a writable into which I can
> specify the directory I want the item(s) installed?
Not all packages can be configured like this. It depends on whether the
package maintainer has indicated that the applications are safe to move from
their default locations. In this case, the package maintainer has not
flagged !FontMenu as safe to move.
You can tell this because when you double click on the package in PackMan, no
components are shown in the area just above the Install button, and when you
click to Install, the next window shows "No configurable components".
Bu contrast, try FTPc. You will see that in both dialogue boxes something
appears in the components area, and in the Install window you have an area
showing "Boot options" and an icon you can drag to define the location it
should be installed to. If a package has several components they can often
be dragged individually to different locations.
> Q2: I do not *ever* want this app to install anything anywhere other than
> the place I configure it to be done in.?
I understand that sentiment. I quite agree! Fortunately the packages I've
tried installing have all allowed me to move them during the installation
process.
The original packaging system insisted on everything going in subdirectories
of Apps. A packaging system has to know where everything is so that it can
be updated and uninstalled when required, and the original tools took the
easy approach of forcing eveyrthing to be in particular locations. This
affected uptake of the system as a lot of users did not like that. Alan
Buckley has put in a lot of work to make the system more flexible, and I
think it will now suit a lot more people. It does depend on the packages
being constructed properly though. This is because for some packages they
really do have to go in particular places if they are going to work.
An email to the package maintainer for FontMenu (Richard Swetman - his
details can be seen by double-clicking the package) might deal with the issue
for FontMenu. He may have just failed to specify the fact that the
application is safe to move when he created the package. I made this mistake
for one or two of the packages I was creating over the weekend, but I spotted
it before I released them.
Hope that helps explain it!
--
Matthew Phillips
Durham