Portable apps

[Bill Vlahos]

InfoWallet works this way. I have Mac, Windows, and Linux standalones that all run directly from the folder wherever it is (even on a USB drive). It is completely portable and all three flavors access the exact same data.

There isn't anything special you need to do with Windows, Macintosh, or Linux to make them portable. The one trick is that if you build your Mac and Linux standalones from Windows they won't have the executable bit set. If you build the standalones from the Mac (or presumably Linux) then they will and you don't have to do anything special.

The issue with Gatekeeper will be similar to Windows if you don't code sign your executable(s). Code signing certifies that your application has not been altered and is from the publisher that is indicated. Running non-code signed apps on Windows will present the user with the "Unknown Publisher" dialog box. On the Mac (Lion and Mountain Lion) Gatekeeper will interfere with running the app depending on how it is set.
Gatekeeper has 3 settings:
	Mac App Store
	Mac App Store and identified developers
	Anywhere

The "Anywhere" setting is like previous versions and will open your app without incident.
The "Mac App Store" will only run apps downloaded from the Mac App Store.
The middle setting will let code signed apps run without incident but will block non-code signed apps. The user can open non-code signed apps if the middle setting is set but they have to open it in a special way the first time. Once you open it that way it will open fine on that computer.

Search the archives for code signing apps. It is very time consuming and tedious to learn how to do it on Windows. I did this for InfoWallet - Windows. Apple has made it easier to code sign Mac apps but the steps are similar. There are some people using LiveCode that have both apps in the Mac App Store and code signed apps from Apple. I have not yet code signed the Mac version of InfoWallet.

Download the free trial of InfoWallet and you will see that it is completely portable.

Bill Vlahos
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On Jan 10, 2013, at 5:19 PM, J. Landman Gay <jacque at hyperactivesw.com> wrote:

> I've been asked to create a standalone that will run off a flash drive, both Mac and Windows versions. Will there be any problem with that? A quick search shows that Windows apps need to be created some special way to be "portable" and I don't know what Mac Gatekeeper will do either.
> 
> The app will not need to access the user's hard drive, only the internet.
> 
> -- 
> Jacqueline Landman Gay         |     jacque at hyperactivesw.com
> HyperActive Software           |     http://www.hyperactivesw.com
> 
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