Portable version?
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Portable apps are very popular on windows for a long time - a "portable mode" that would write settings to an .ini/config file (instead of the registry) would be so awesome.
Somewhat relevant: each time the app is run directly (not through the start with windows option), the window is popping up. Could there be a command line option like "--minimized" so that only the tray icon would show? -
...Sorry Dude, but I've been trying to get them to do this for years. They'll never do it because number one, they don't feel like it, and number two, if you haven't bought it it's advertising. I've even asked to purchase the source code so I can compile my own portable version. They never replied back. I purchased the executable, so that gives me the right to modify it so that it IS portable. >:)
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@Pudnik There is no way to purchase an executable version of f.lux. Contributing money to f.lux through our paypal link does not give you any additional rights. I will be happy to refund any money you may have sent us in confusion but I can't seem to find your name.
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@lorna Please consider to develop portable version. There are many people working on company computers without authorizations to install any application. I would very appreciate it. Thanks in advance.
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@modrodej said:
@lorna Please consider to develop portable version. There are many people working on company computers without authorizations to install any application. I would very appreciate it. Thanks in advance.
F.lux has to make some changes to the Registry in order to do what it does, so I'm pretty sure a portable version wouldn't really be possible.
Also, one of the reasons why an IT department wants all computers to be the same (no authorization to customize them or to install your own programs) is so that any computer can be used to "ghost" another computer at any time. If your computer were needed for some reason to make a ghost for another computer but your computer were customized to your liking, then your computer wouldn't be usable.
Another reason is, if your computer develops any problems, they don't have other variables to deal with. So, by obeying their demands and by NOT customizing your computer, you're doing your IT department a huge favor. If I were the head of an IT department and I had a huge amount of computers to manage, then I would get very angry if one of the employees was making their computer different from the rest.
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I think you're missing the point of a portable version. While it's true that many use them to run apps without admin privileges, or to keep the registry untouched, the main advantage is that program settings are saved to location as the program.
I use several computers for work, and obviously the easiest and fastest method to have the same work environment is simple file synchronization. The fact that f.lux touches the registry is no problem - it's more important to not have to install it and have all its settings saved in a file. There are hoards of apps that touch the registry, yet they are portable - devs add it as an option as most of the time it is trivial to implement where settings are saved/loaded from.
That said, I understand that f.lux is not "self-contained" in the sense that it alters the display, possibly interfering with the OS/driver. If that is the case, I would somewhat understand if the developer would want to avoid the false sense of true portability.
Also note that right now it's possible to run f.lux without installation - the only apparent quirk is that launched this way on startup the window has to be hidden manually.
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@poisonborz said:
I think you're missing the point of a portable version. While it's true that many use them to run apps without admin privileges, or to keep the registry untouched, the main advantage is that program settings are saved to location as the program.
I use several computers for work, and obviously the easiest and fastest method to have the same work environment is simple file synchronization. The fact that f.lux touches the registry is no problem - it's more important to not have to install it and have all its settings saved in a file. There are hoards of apps that touch the registry, yet they are portable - devs add it as an option as most of the time it is trivial to implement where settings are saved/loaded from.
That said, I understand that f.lux is not "self-contained" in the sense that it alters the display, possibly interfering with the OS/driver. If that is the case, I would somewhat understand if the developer would want to avoid the false sense of true portability.
Also note that right now it's possible to run f.lux without installation - the only apparent quirk is that launched this way on startup the window has to be hidden manually.
I'll let Michael or Lorna explain this, but I'm nearly 100% sure that it's not possible for f.lux to be portable - as I explained.
For the record, I'm not missing the point of a portable version. I know all of the benefits of portable software. I'm trying to tell you that I think f.lux is incapable of being truly portable because I believe that it absolutely has to make changes to the Registry (and I think other changes to Windows). So, I'm trying to say that I am fairly sure that f.lux can't do what it does without actually being installed like it is now.
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As I said, it is already possible. Copy and run the program files on any windows computer (basically an exe + runtime folder that seemingly contains theme data) and it runs without problem.
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@poisonborz said:
As I said, it is already possible. Copy and run the program files on any windows computer (basically an exe + runtime folder that seemingly contains theme data) and it runs without problem.
Are you saying that you did this with f.lux?
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Are you saying that you did this with f.lux?
Sure.
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We'd love to offer a portable version, but for right now, we use the registry to store prefs. You can drag the f.lux folder to a USB stick, and it will basically work.
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I would love to see a portable version that stores settings in INI or whatever file in parent Flux folder.
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I would also appreciate a portable version at work.
What about this version on portableapps? -
@primokorn It's not an official PortableApps release so I'm not really comfortable using it.
Storing preferences in INI file if flux.ini exists in application folder would be much preferable.
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I've never understood why people want portable versions of applications. But if you want to use f.lux on a work computer that you don't have admin rights to, you can do that now. Just dump its files in the user space, which is where it installs anyway (when you are able to run the installation process, I mean). I've been using f.lux for years on my very tightly-controlled work laptops, which I do not have admin access to. You won't be able to extend the color range, but that's the only issue.
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@Yet-Another-Login I never understood why people wouldn't want portable versions. No need to install, a single folder for all files - no wacky places of install/config locations (program files/programdata/appdata/documents/user home directory etc) and you can synchronize app settings between computers with simple file sync. It has (mostly) nothing to do with admin rights.
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@poisonborz You took the words out of my mouth, thanks.
@Yet-Another-Login I have an extra hard drive (D:).
I put all my Portable programs inD:\Portable, I can take this drive anywhere.
If I go to vacation, I can plug it to my laptop, it will work.
I go to my relative's house, I plug it to their computer, it works again.If I reinstall Windows, all my programs will be there without reinstalling all over again (which may take days or weeks).
Not to mention, you also need to import previous settings for all programs, they use various stores, Registry, AppData, etc.
You have to take care all of that when you reinstall Windows UNLESS you use Portable programs :wink:
