Centralized Software Upgrades For Pandora

[dispraekailo]

I think it would greatly benefit the Pandora community to provide a standardized application/upgrade utility. Think Synaptec/apt-get/portage.

This utility should do the following:
display installed applications/games/libraries
provide an interface for browsing through available applications/games/libraries
download and install applications/games/libraries in a standardized fashion
notify the user if updates are available; confirmed batch update
provide stable/unstable options for individual software downloads

And possibly:
screenshots of games
links to developer pages
rss feeds on current or future upgrades
rating system
user comments


This is only feasible now that wifi and full-sized usb ports are standard, and could be of tremendous benefit to current and potential buyers of the Pandora. I don't mind hacking my way through a system, but it's -really- annoying searching for games or new versions of existing emulators periodically. This also could take a huge load off of the developers and senior members of the gp32 community, who make huge efforts to simplify installation processes. Ultimately though, it's a great marketing ploy to pull in new customers; just think of how many people have been turned off by the installation procedures needed for the gp2x...



Sorry if this topic has sprung up in the past.

 

[PoisonedV]

Theres been lots of threads about it, this might answer some questions:
http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?showt...=44340&st=0

tl;dr package manager was a possibility but at the moment the pandora archive will probably be used

 

[dispraekailo]

Theres been lots of threads about it, this might answer some questions:
http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?showt...=44340&st=0

tl;dr package manager was a possibility but at the moment the pandora archive will probably be used




Thanks a lot; I'm glad there are others considering the benefits of an app such as this.

 

[pcklee123]

apt would be great.
the iphone has cydia which is a frontend for apt.
The problem is the installation of libraries etc as dependencies which may fill up the builtin flash memory (which is OK for the iphone as it has only and lots of built in memory anyway). Of course if you are willing to have an SD card always in one of the slots, you probably could set up some sort of unionfs thing where apt can install on the SD card transparently. If you then remove the SD card, you will have the basic Pandora without the applications and libraries installed by apt.

 

[PoisonedV]

apt would be great.
the iphone has cydia which is a frontend for apt.
The problem is the installation of libraries etc as dependencies which may fill up the builtin flash memory (which is OK for the iphone as it has only and lots of built in memory anyway). Of course if you are willing to have an SD card always in one of the slots, you probably could set up some sort of unionfs thing where apt can install on the SD card transparently. If you then remove the SD card, you will have the basic Pandora without the applications and libraries installed by apt.

if a package manager WAS implemented, it wouldnt download to the NAND.

 

[senquack]

This is a giant pain in the ass for developers and so the only way you'd ever achieve any results is by forcing it down their throats. Either that, or like the debian team, there'd be volunteers that repackaged others' works into tidy units. I much prefer just being able to unzip onto my SD wherever I like and making a simple link.

 

[PoisonedV]

This is a giant pain in the ass for developers and so the only way you'd ever achieve any results is by forcing it down their throats. Either that, or like the debian team, there'd be volunteers that repackaged others' works into tidy units. I much prefer just being able to unzip onto my SD wherever I like and making a simple link.

i agree. i prefer to organize my downloaded applciations my way.

 

[Squidge]

The package format will be .zip rather than apt/deb, but it will come with a program to do what you suggest - update old programs, show a list of new programs/etc (including screenshots where available).

 

[Karel Jansens]

Just look how that has turned out on Nokia's Maemo platform.

(Hint: It hasn't)

 

[ashdjones]

The package format will be .zip rather than apt/deb, but it will come with a program to do what you suggest - update old programs, show a list of new programs/etc (including screenshots where available).

Wow, that sounds like a perfect solution to me. It's great that these sorts of details are being worked on.

 

[joa]

I'm not too fussed about an apt style installer, as long as people use the file archive and don't ONLY use their own sites for latest builds