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Install Anywhere has a small advantage in that it offers a variety of project templates. To begin working with either program, users either begin a new project or open an existing one. Certainly the Install Anywhere wizard is not difficult to navigate, especially since it includes notice of what the next step is, and allows users to move forward and backward as needed.
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If InstallBuilder seems more intuitive, that may be largely due to the fact that Qt widgets seem more familiar to a regular GNU/Linux user. InstallBuilder opens in a single window, with icons down the left, while Install Anywhere defaults to a wizard with a series of windows, but the order in which options are presented is almost identical: both start with project information and continue through the files to be installed and customization to the build options. InstallBuilder’s and Install Anywhere’s default settings are similar. As cross-platform support becomes increasingly widespread, the appeal of such single-source solutions is likely to increase. Install Anywhere has similar support, as well as an option for creating a general Java installer. Its GNU/Linux support is particularly extensive, and includes x86, 圆4,and PowerPC, as well as output to an RPM package.
#Installbuilder qt mode mac os#
InstallBuilder creates installers for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux, AIX, Solaris, IRIX, and different versions of FreeBSD and HP-UX. Moreover, for ISVs that support a variety of operating systems, tools like InstallBuilder and Install Anywhere have the advantage of allowing installers for each platform to built from a single source, which simplifies workflow and the maintenance of project files. Also, third-party installers are closer to their experience on Windows, where Macrovision’s InstallShield is widely used. Often, GNU/Linux support is secondary for ISVs, so creating their own installers seems quicker and easier than mastering a variety of different package systems and ensuring that the correct one is used during installation.
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#Installbuilder qt mode software#
The answer is that independent software vendors (ISV) often believe that such installers are easier to support than the native package systems. Why create a third-party installer for GNU/Linux? After all, the operating system has its own package systems for software installation, notably dpkg and RPM. When run in wizard mode, Install Anywhere is more basic than InstallBuilder and suffers in comparison, but, when run in Advanced Designer mode, it eclipses its rival with a huge set of options. Both, too require minimal expertise to use. InstallBuilder uses Qt widgets, while Install Anywhere requires a Java Virtual Machine, but both are cross-platform, multi-lingual, proprietary tools that are available in downloadable demos. Bitrock’s InstallBuilder and Macrovision’s Install Anywhere Enterprise edition are tools for building third-party software installers.
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