[PPA/DEB] easier Ubuntu distribution and installation

[douby]

TAR is little old school today, and its not user friendly.

Today standard is PPA repository and DEB packages Could you please create your custom Personal Package Archive on Launchpad?

installation is very simple then, just "apt-get install factorio" command.

Here is quick how-to start http://askubuntu.com/a/71516

[douby]

advantages:
1. system automaticaly checks for game updates from PPA
2. ppa is not only for ubuntu, its for all ppa/deb based operating systems: Elementary OS, Mint, Knoppix, SteamOS, ..., Debian of course

[sillyfly]

That would mean they have to package it to another format, and maintain it - not that trivial. Plus - it would probably be a problem with access control (how does the ppa know if you are a real user?)

All in all I don't think it's that big a deal - the installation is a breeze anyway, and the game updates itself. I would rather see the devs put their time and effort into a better game

[micomico]

Linux is not Ubuntu. Tar is a wonderful oldschool format that works in all flavors of linux and then some.

My RPM based system wouldn't know what to do with those PPA and deb. With the tar.gz, all one has to do is extract it. A simple right-click operation on most modern DM, or an even quicker command in the shell.

[MF-]

Sounds like you intentionally omitted the part, that there are way more linux distributions
than those you named and on those the ppa won't work.
So it would indeed mean keeping up yet another distribution format, stealing development time.

What's so hard on unpacking an archive and running the main executable anyway?
If you want the game to appear in some sort of a menu, it's highly likely possible to do that by drag-drop.
If you want the game to be runnable from console, create ~/bin/ and symlink the main executable there.
All of those to be done on the initial installation only.

As far as I've heard (weak, I know), DEB repositories in general cannot check user credentials.
I'm pretty sure at least launchpad ppas cannot.

[douby]

packaging is not rocket science ... its user experience optimalisation and its faster and easier to do than read this thread.

[MF-]

it's an user experience optimization where only some users benefit,
compared to in-game fixes and optimizations where all users benefit.

If you want to start making those packages and burn your time, perhaps ask and hope they'll let you?
But don't forget about the security part and the system will have to generate a variety of download statistics.

Still sure it's easy?

PS: There is one more flaw in the ppa idea.
It would mean a full re-download for each upgrade, compared to a difference-download the in-game updater can do.
Given that launchpad cannot be used (security again), one would have to host that thing and face the costs.

[bulldog98]

packaging is not rocket science ... its user experience optimalisation and its faster and easier to do than read this thread.

Oh yes it is, I did packaging for Kubuntu and you need at least 1h per package to do it right.

Also for doing good packages, we'd need working save/mod/data storing in the home directory of the user.