LibO Install/Update ( was [tdf-discuss] Automatic Updates)

 Hello all,
I'm thinking the its time to dig out of the weeds/details and make this 
a more meaningful discussion for everyone.
I'll do my best to avoid excessive verbiage, as well as keep the my 
"soap box" stances to a minimum.

Charles M (the Original Poster - OP) thought that a better install 
update mechanism was needed. The discussion likened this to what Mozilla 
is doing for Firefox, et al. Now, examples and comparisons aside, many 
expressed thoughts that this was a much needed feature. However, there 
were some differences realized in how this could be achieved for the 
different OS platforms (e.g. Unix|Linux|Windows).

Unfortunately, AFAICR only one Mac user identified them self and 
commented on this topic. So apologies to the Mac User crowd (I now 
you're out there somewhere) ;-)

So,lets start with the Unix|Linux crowd:
-> Package Maintainers (I like 'specialists' but let's use the term 
people recognize) can build and distribute both installs and updates to 
different OS users. We are respecting the OS and working on the OS in a 
way with which people get taught/learned/accustomed to use the OS.

Q01) Can we have repositories for LibO packages? (e.g. deb - 
apt.documentfoundation.org or rpm.documentfoundation.org)

The idea about having a repository does not have to be permanent 
solution, but would allow downstream maintainers to pull/mirror packages 
for their OS community. LibO (and by extension DF) would gain 
credibility and good will in the community. We can start to build 
rapport and lines of communication with the PTBs in the different OS 
groups. Just a thought.

Q02) If there are people in the community that are good at this, would 
it be a bother for them put up the binary packages to the 
documentfoundation.org servers?

Q03) Could extensions be lumped in with this topic? (to ensure future 
OOo extensions don't cause LibO grief as the two projects start to diverge)

One last point I should make here - once a user installs a package, 
normally that user should continue to update via package management 
(dpkg, apt, yum, et al.) However, OOo and post-divergence LibO has a 
built-in updating mechanism. Great for Windows users but lousy for 
others where superuser/root permissions are required.

Q04) How hard would it be to pull out the Update Mechanism and make it a 
stand-alone program?
(before everyone jumps to 'reply' - let me talk about Windows - this 
question will then become self-evident)

For the Windows crowd:
The current install is, to put it mildly, less than desirable. Negative 
comments were made about how the current installer on Windows behaves. 
These, IMHO, were fair and critical observations.

Q05) Can the current install be cleaned up?
Users cited having left over files on the desktop and not being aware 
that one has to uninstall the old version to install the later version 
(big PITA in my books).

Q06) Do we have people that can work on the Windows Installer?

Now...as for my left over question above...I believe that a separate 
'Update Mechanism' independent of LibO would be a boon for a variety of 
reasons.
-- OS specifics of update and networking could be pulled out of the main 
LibO development.
-- It would remove the problems of corrupting an install if not a superuser
(packaged LibO wouldn't have separate updater program for Unix|Linux or 
if it was disabled by an ADMIN)
-- a separate update program could then 'check-in' with the servers 
(once a week, once a month) to verify if updates are available (get 
permission from the user to shut down the current LibO instance, update, 
then start LibO back up)
-- and the really cool idea...plays into Charles' idea of enterprise 
installation.
A separate install program that is:
- scriptable ( can install/update many computers via a script)
- allows local or remote repositories to be identified
( a corporate IT Admin downloads behind his/her firewall and users 
update from that local store rather than reaching out to the internet)

Q07) Does this seem a useful way to push into enterprise/group usage of 
LibO?

Q(rhetorical)) Am I dreaming in Technicolor/Panavision or just 720p HD?

I would very much like to hear from the community on this one (and you 
Mac users - don't be shy).

Regards,
Scott Furry
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