KDE for Windows, Portable Edition

[Chris Morgan]

Hi!  I'm a developer from PortableApps.com, and I've taken an interest in
KDE for Windows, and specifically in making it portable.
I've had some ideas, some of which I've discussed in #kde-windows, and
others which I have just pondered.  To start with, I'll briefly overview the
important details of the PortableApps.com Format.  Everything belongs in
what by default is X:\PortableApps\KDEPortable (but it can be anything).
 Another way some things can be done is shared libraries in e.g.
X:\PortabelApps\CommonFiles\KDE, (e.g. Java), however I don't think this is
the best way of doing it with KDE (feel free to correct me, I don't know
terribly much about the framework). Inside the KDEPortable directory, you'd
have App\KDE, being what would normally be C:\Program Files\KDE.  Data gets
stored in KDEPortable\Data.  I was told in #kde-windows that changing the
environment variable KDEHOME should redirect all data, which is very
convenient (otherwise it'd be very difficult to do it all).
It seems to me that the easiest way of doing it would be the following:

   1. Have a modified version of the package manager/installer, which
   overrides the installation directory to App\KDE, and *cleans up the
   installation files* so that nothing is left behind on the host machine
   (putting them on the USB drive would be too slow, but you can't just leave
   them behind in TEMP).  Also, rather than registering executables in the
   start menu, put them into some format which the KDE Portable launcher can
   find.
   2. *KDE Portable launcher:* due to the lack of the start menu, we'd need
   a KDE app launcher.  This could be responsible for changing KDEHOME, or an
   ordinary NSIS launcher could do it.  I could do this in AutoHotkey easily
   enough, but I reckon that a C++/Qt one would be better for consistency; I
   think it'd be better overall if you did it all, with me for advice on the
   PortableApps.com side of things.  I think a ListView/QListView-based system
   would be best and easiest, but you're the experts.

*Naming: *would you prefer it to be called *KDE for Windows, Portable
Edition*, *KDE Portable*, *KDE for Windows Portable*, or something else?
 I'm guessing *KDE for Windows, Portable Edition*.  FYI, Mozilla apps we've
got Portable Editions of because of Mozilla licensing restrictions,
everything else is just Portable.  But if the whole product name is *KDE for
Windows*, adding *Portable Edition* may be better than just Portable.

I hope I've made sense, and you can understand what I'm wanting and
suggesting.  What do you think?


Thanks,

Chris Morgan <chris.morganiser at gmail.com>


I don't need a quote in my signature.  It's hard enough surviving as it is
without having to find a meaningful quote.  Will you forgive me?  Or don't
you read this bit?
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