On Jun 14, 2008, at 3:57 PM, Andrea Valle wrote:
Thomas, I do not know what Oliver is actually doing. But just 2c: - suppose you have a ConTeXt distro (the minimal) inside a mac app. At the end a mac app is typically a folder containing different programs/libraries etc - suppose you are provided inside the app of an editor (say, TeXShop) already configured to read in the app's folder.
In sum, you have a TeXShop ready to go for the ConTeXt in the app.
Then, you have a context distro working out of the box. It can be installed easily. You have always worked with Word and you want to try to work with ConTeXt? Download, drag and drop, open. There shouldn't been configuration problems (they have been solved while creating the installer). If there are bugs depending on ConTeXt, as usual in case of an app, the user has to wait for a next release of the app including the new ConTeXt version. (with a bit more expertise, maybe you can simply replace the right folder inside the mac app) This is indeed a limit, but the previous points can be pros for another user.
Andrea, I can see what you want, and from your POV, this is a reasonable demand. But allow me to explain why I see quite a few obstacles: 1. ConTeXt is cross-platform, so you'd need someone to take care and prepare this for widnoze and linux as well. 2. More importantly: yes, a self-contained app would work. But what if your user wants to use a different font? What if (s)he wants to use a third-party module or package such as tikz? bibtex? What it boils down to, of course, is how you want to use your computer. You're right: a mac application is nothing but a couple of directories with files and binaries etc. So in theory, you could have a minimal ConTeXt in such a bundle. But it would be a nightmare to maintain, to add stuff, to make it cohabitate with other packages. One bundle that does just what you like is lilypond. A wonderful typesetting application, all in one installer, not complex to install. It has been broken on intel mac for half a year now. Nobody has the knowledge or the time or the energy to fix it. Result? No lilypond for intel mac users. You know, I cannot stress too much how intensely I prefer my TeX installation. When something goes wrong, I can look under the hood, find documentation, configuration files, I can upgrade etc. I prefer to be able to change the lightbulbs in my house myself, and not wait for somebody to release house 1.1 with all new and improved lightbulbs. So I hope you see why I don't think a GUI installer is such a good idea. Thomas