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Auto-Installer "Softaculous"

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Joachim Müller:
Alons sent me this message by PM:
--- Quote from: alons on March 17, 2009, 07:11:43 pm ---Hi,
I am Alons, the Lead Developer of Softaculous a new Instant Installer for cPanel:
http://www.softaculous.com/

We plan to launch Softaculous very soon and we have now started adding Softwares.
So what do we want from you :
1) Permission to add your software in the Softaculous Installer(i.e. Distribute it)
2) Help us to make the Installation/Upgradation Package

The advantages of Softaculous to the enduser would be that they can compare the various softwares before installing. Softaculous maintains USER RATINGS and makes them available in the Softaculous Panel. Softaculous also provides USER REVIEWS given by various users of these softwares. Softaculous also maintains DEMOs of the various softwares. So the enduser can actually get a feel of the software before installing the software.

From the Software Vendors point of view (i.e. you), it makes the installation very fast and simple.
We have a well defined API for Software Vendors to make an installation package.
The API uses XML, PHP and Javascript to make the installation simple and effective.
In our API a software is installed in just One Step. The API is explained in detailed form :
http://www.softaculous.com/docs.php

There is also a Sample Package to help understand the API :
http://www.softaculous.com/downloads.php

The API also provides for upgrading an old installation. For the upgradation the Software can perform whatever tasks it requires.

So we hope to hear from you regarding the Permissions to add your software. Things would speed up if you would make Installation Package. We will add your software to the Softaculous Demo so that you can review how your software is being installed with such great speed.

If you have any questions regarding the API, please feel free to ask me about that!
Please email us your consent to xxx@xxx.xxx

Regards,
Alons


--- End quote ---
I am posting this publicly along with my reply to give fellow dev team members the opportunity to have a say on this as well.

Personally, I'm not very fond of auto-installers due to the sad experiences we have made with fantastico. For details, please review http://documentation.coppermine-gallery.net/en/auto-installers.htm

Let me answer your questions in detail:

--- Quote from: alons on March 17, 2009, 07:11:43 pm ---1) Permission to add your software in the Softaculous Installer(i.e. Distribute it)
--- End quote ---
No such explicit permission needed nor given: Coppermine is being released under the GNU GPL v3. As long as you comply to that license, you can do whatever you want without having to ask for our permission. However, we appreciate that you ask although you don't have to. As suggested, we're not fond of auto-installers, so we will not officially allow you to bundle coppermine with your app. On the other hand, we're not going to stop you (again: as long as you respect the GNU GPL v3 that Coppermine is being released with).


--- Quote from: alons on March 17, 2009, 07:11:43 pm ---2) Help us to make the Installation/Upgradation Package
--- End quote ---
I'm sorry, I won't do that. If you want to include Coppermine with your script, you need to do the work. We won't gain anything except extra work if we do. You will have to tell us more anyway: what license is your app going to come with? How are you planning to solve the legal issues (you can't bundle FOSS with non-FOSS software and redistribute that). Your site currently lacks content on the about us page, as it is still under heavy construction, but it doesn't seem to me that Softaculous will be released under GNU GPL or a compatible license - to me, it looks like you're going to create a commercial piece of software. We're fine with commercial applications - after all, we all need to pay the rent - but I can't really see the benefit for us.

I'm looking forward to your reply and to the feedback of fellow devs.

Joachim

alons:
Thank you for your reply.
Just a little notes from softaculous point of view:
1) Unlike Other auto installers we have an API which allows a Software Vendor that is Coppermine in this case, to create its installation package (Bug Free as per the vendor) and then we add the software.
2) Also we have a Feature for the Software vendor to provide Upgrades using our API and even in the upgrade package the vendor can do all the necessary UPGRADEs and that too as per the vendor.
3) Our API is fairly simple! Software developers can make their packages themselves. This enables them to make installation and upgrade packages much faster than us and as per them. I think it may take not more than an Hour to make the Installation Package
4) We all know Autoinstallers do provide Ease in installing! And combined with our API, the Vendor and Softaculous both together make a Software available to the enduser much much Faster. It helps users who have limited knowledge of scripting or a softwares internal functioning!

As you said your license permits us to distribute your code if Complied, then I would like to thank you for the same.
But since you mentioned that the dev team will not make the package for Softaculous, our developers will have to make the same. In this situation also we will send you the Package for inspection.

Our Aim is to provide a System where we act as a Link between users and vendors and also let the users decide the best softwares!

Unlike other installers we dont restrict vendors to add their softwares to Softaculous(new or old). We have a rating, reviewing system (and soon demos) which will enable the enduser to decide which is the best software and also prevent MONOPOLY to limited softwares just because of their presence in an autoinstaller!

All our efforts are towards our GOALS!

Regards,
Alons

Fabricio Ferrero:
http://www.softaculous.com/-->> Dead.

We have to be sure that Softaculous it's not going to give Coppermine more trouble that already auto-installer had given. Remember that even we know that auto-installer is the problem when Coppermine crash, the end user in most of the cases doesn’t know and believe that Coppermine was the one in trouble.

From a Marketing point of view, please, be sure before proceed. We don't need more complaints about auto-installer because ruins Coppermine's image.



-Edited: Little typo --

phill104:
My worry about any auto installer is that it teaches nothing to the end user. It is not that hard to learn from no web knowledge to being able to install and maintain the basics of software such as coppermine. In doing so you learn how to use an ftp app, how to set permissions, how to create folders, how to create a database and what one is. Using an installer is for the lazy and when those very people run into problems they then do not have the required skills to help themselves. They are often the same people who cannot be bothered to read the manual either.

As yo can tell, I am not a fan of auto installers.

alons:
I understand your concerns.
But as I mentioned that Softaculous enables the Software Makers to be in Control of whats going on.

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