Creating an LastOS APZ of your own applications

pacav69 · Feb 16, 2024

Setting up an application for use with the ssWPI

First go to the following link to download the latest SetupS Installer (as a ssApp-EXE package)
https://www.lastos.org/files/SetupS-files.htm

it will download a version with the format SetupS.SendTo.YY.MM.DD.INC_ssApp.exe
where:
YY = a 2 digit year
MM = a 2 digit month
DD = a 2 digit day
INC = an incremental number

then install the downloaded file.

This adds in the tools required.

Inside the directory

C:\Program Files\SetupS.SendTo\
you will find a file ssTek.chm
open it up and explore there you will find information on the suite and tutorials.

The LastOS Team

herosz · Feb 17, 2024

Thank's for the help, I read ssEditor help file that is the same

ssEditor ► Tutorials ► Creating an ssApp
Click to expand...

but Trouba's post explaining the .app file directives helped a lot more, so I'll quote it if anyone needs it!
Trouba said: ↑
To learn how to make ssApps (or ppApps), in general, is look at existing ssApps/ppApps and learn from there. With any ssApp, right-click the .apz file and "extract to folder" (with 7-Zip or WinRAR for example) and see what's inside. Inside the extracted folder you'll find various ssApp.xxx files. One of these is ssApp.app -- the .app file contains the directives that makes the app install silently and with the SetupS system.

So, a basic .app file to install WinRAR x64 would look something like this:
Code:
[SetupS]
Title=WinRAR
Version=v6.24
Description=Process RAR, ZIP, and other archive formats.
URL=http://www.win-rar.com/download.html
Category=Disk
BuildType=ssApp
App-File Style=2 (INI)
AppPath=%ProgramFiles%\WinRAR
Assembly=winrar-x64.exe /S
StartMenuSourcePath=WinRAR
Catalog=Disk Archiving|Disk Backup|Disk Compression
StartMenuLegacyPrimary=- Disk\- Archive, Imaging & Backup
StartMenuLegacySecondary=0 Disk\5 Compression|0 Disk\2 Backup Recovery
ShortCutNamesKeep=WinRAR
App-File Version=v9.23.10.23.0
Flags=KeepInFolder|NotMetroFriendly
Architecture=2 (x64)
[Meta]
Tags=Archiving|Compression|Backup|Encryption|Storage|Disk
Publisher=win.rar GmbH
ReleaseDate=2023-10-05
ReleaseVersion=6.24.0
LicenseType=1 (non-gratis)
[WinRAR.lnk]
Target=WinRAR.exe
Comment=Process RAR, ZIP, and other archive formats.
The image-based ssApp.xxx files (such as .ico, .png, .jpg) are for use in ssWPI (ssApp.jpg is the screenshot of the app, etc) and for the "fadertainer" (ssApp.png that shows on desktop as the app installs) and for providing a folder icon (ssApp.ico) for the installed app. You can also add registry entries for the app by providing a ssApp.reg inside the .apz installer. You can also use ssApp.cmd to perform various actions like adding entries to a hosts file, extracting files/folders to various locations like AppData etc. But it's best to keep it simple at first when learning how to make ss/ppApps.

Normally, ssApps and ppApps provided in the LastOS iso's, or else in the Repo, are in .apz format. This is just a .7z wrapper where the .7z format is changed to ".apz". SetupS, when installed, recognizes the .apz format and associates with it, so once an app is made into .apz you can double-click it and it will install (again, provided SetupS is installed on the system). ssWPI (and the AppDisc based around ssWPI) can read inside the .apz files and install them without SetupS being installed on the system.

Above I gave the example of extracting an .apz file into a folder. That is mainly so you can see what's inside it and manually edit the .app file and such. But SetupS Editor can do all these things and edit an .apz file without having to extract it. To do this, take any .apz (ssApp or ppApp) and right-click "Edit" and it will open inside ssEditor (if SetupS is installed on a system). From within ssEditor you can add the images, reg entries, etc., all from a centralized UI.

ssWPI (and thus the AppDisc) can install any ssApp or ppApp without SetupS being installed on the system, just a FYI. But if you want to create ss/ppApps it would be easier to just install SetupS: https://www.lastos.org/forum/index.php?threads/setups-sendto-suite-latest.597/
Click to expand...

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Creating an LastOS APZ of your own applications

pacav69 Live long and prosper Staff Member

herosz New Member

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Creating an LastOS APZ of your own applications

pacav69 Live long and prosper Staff Member

herosz New Member

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