[Request] Extension Pack

Okay, people will probably want to flame me for this, but isn't anybody up to the task of making a pack of all the extensions released so far? My computer just went dud so I'm using my laptop to continue my project.

I wouldn't mind downloading all the individual extensions if my time on the Internet wasn't so limited. I usually only get an hour online every couple of days, which some could argue is enough, but I have so much to do in that time.

You all know we need a big, fat extension pack every month. :)

While the idea is nice, some individual extension developers don't like it. If you just install them all in one huge pack you don't get to read the extension license (if there is one) and you don't get to read the release notes (with important info about the current build) as well.

Couldn't they just include all of the licenses in the installer, with an "I agree" checkbox? I think that would solve it. Though, I see where you're coming from. :)

Sorry but I think a lot of individual developers will not be agree for this kind of pack.

Yes but you can't stop someone from making their own compilation of the extensions, It would probably be classed as piracy if said person thought they would distribute said extension pack.

If I end up scrapping my current image I'll backup mmf2 before I do this then plonk it back down after installing from the cd.

You can do what you want for your privacy use but you can't distribute your private extensions pack without the permission of all extensions developers...

As much as I can see the convenience of having all of the extensions in a single package, I have to side with the developers on this one. They are the ones putting in the hours making the extensions for us to use them. Thanks by the way. Also, as soon as a "package" is made, it will soon be out of date. Who's job is it to keep track of the latest "package" and make sure that it is updated?
Steve

Better than a single executable pack, it might be preferable to build a program that just crawls the main Extension Websites, pulls off the download links, checks it against already installed extensions and downloads them one after the other.

The app could then simply list all downloaded files with the option to run/execute them (so zips open in the default handler, and exes just run). That would take far longer to install, but not as long as finding and downloading them by yourself.

It's the same problem if extensions are not installed like developers want (with the original zip ou setup)

Would it work if MMF handled extensions the same way Firefox does? Just have a standard interface for installations/updates, licenses, release notes, trial versions, examples, etc. built into MMF itself.

Certainly, there should be some guidelines. For example, when an extension is updated and is incompatible with a previous version, it should be renamed. I still have a file with at least three extensions that have been revised without doing this. I have to remember which version of the extension that I used and reload the version of that extension when I work with that application.
Steve

I've worked on something that easily lets you install/get extensions. It's called MMF2 Add-On Obtainer. I just released a new version today.

http://puchisoft.com/mmf2aohq/

It only works on extensions that are put into the MMF2AO format (there is a tool included in the software that lets you do this). So any author or whoever can put extensions into that format for the benefit of the community.
The only restriction is if the author does not like you redistributing their extension in a different archive. So for Matt's extensions, for example, you are not allowed to change the .exe installers he likes to use into a zip or MMF2AO.
But other than that, I think my MMF2 Add-On Obtainer is a pretty good solution. We just need some more people to release their extensions in MMF2AO format.

It's the same thing for me.
I'm not agree with the redistribution of my extensions without my permission and in another format than the original exe installer...

Personally, I don't like extension packs for one reason... you have to wait for all the extensions in the pack to be finished first before the pack is released, where in individual releases, exentions are released alot faster.

I know someone mentioned it somewhere above, just throwing my opinion into the mix :)

If I don't like packs, it's because a lot of extensions are in different versions and a pack can install an older version than the original extension already released and a lot of problems can be caused with this kind of things.

For example if someone have a old version of an extension and try an example wich use the last version, a random crash will occur in MMF2 and in application.

If I don't like them too it's because individual developers don't have any kind of control over there own extensions and it's not correct !

So the only good packs are officials "Bonus packs". ;)

Well you develop the Add On yourself and I am sure if you had a new version then Code6 would update the site and then you could ensure that people had the correct version. The entire reason that the program exists is so clickers can more easily stay up to date and manage their extensions.

I think people are talking about a variety of different things here.

An "extension pack", as the original idea of this thread was, is something like the "Bonus Pack 1" from Clickteam. One installer that installs a bunch of extensions.
This is what some people commented on as being bad, due to potentially overwriting new extensions with all ones. (As a side note, this is no longer an issue with AddOn Manger, as it checks that you have the newest version of extensions via their File Version, according to the currently loaded master database of extensions).

I think the idea of this thread was that a pack was requested, that basically combined all currently released extensions into one exe installer, which also potentially has the problem where newer versions are replaced by older ones, as well as being illegal for many of the released extensions, due to their license.

If you want a quick way to get all the extensions, use MMF2 AddOn Manager. It allows you to install many extensions (where license allows) at your own pace (quick or slow[for reading info]), if you want that.
Others (where author's requested to not have their add-ons redistributed), if not already installed, it will inform you of, and allow you to download from the author's website manually.
It also allows you to check if the extensions that you are using are current.
This may all be at the mercy of the master list of extensions, but as I like to remind everyone: Anybody can maintain their own master list, so should I slack off, anybody else could easily pick up.
Now that the Manager has been greatly improved, I think some people may wish to have their own maintained master list of extensions. It's semi-self-explanatory, but I will gladly write a tutorial on how to do it, if anybody is interested.

Hosting your own master list of extensions is useful for authors. For example, say I'm Andos, and I have a collection of extensions that I'm distributing from my site in MMF2AO format (Thank Andos for being a great example :)).
As the Puchisoft Master DB is only updated after Code6 is emailed about a new extension, I may wish to have my own master DB that I update as soon as I release a new extension.
Why not just have a list on my site? Well, by having a clickable link to my MMF2AO DB on my site, people will be able to see the new extensions in their Manager, and download them from there (which will download them off my own authory website). The extensions being in the Manager is better than seeing them on the site, because the Manager tells you which version of the extension YOU have, and which version the Master DB has, and only lists the extensions which have a different version.
So people can easily see which extensions they want to download from Ando's website (due to either not having them already, or just having an old version).
Of course, Ando's Master DB would only need to include his own extensions, so he wouldn't have to worry about keeping the list up to date for others extensions, unless he wanted to.