# hsinstall


## Synopsis

Install Haskell software


## Description

### OVERVIEW

hsinstall is a tool for deploying software projects into directory structures
suitable for installation on a system. At this time this means Haskell software
but possible future expansion could support other types of projects. It builds
upon the `stack install` command and adds more features. Those are:

- Copying the `LICENSE` file into the deployment directory
- Copying the `resources` directory into the deployment directory so these
  files can be located using relative paths at runtime (more on this later in
  RESOURCES)
- Building an AppDir directory structure for a project and producing an
  [AppImage](https://appimage.org/)

It will be necessary to have the Haskell stack tool on your PATH:  
https://docs.haskellstack.org/en/stable/README/

If the AppImage features are desired, you must have these tools on your PATH:  
linuxdeploy: https://github.com/linuxdeploy/linuxdeploy/releases  
linuxdeploy-plugin-appimage: https://github.com/linuxdeploy/linuxdeploy-plugin-appimage/releases

### MODES

hsinstall operates in two modes. The first is a plain deployment with no
AppImage creation. The PREFIX will default to `AppDir/usr` and all binaries in
the project will be deployed to `AppDir/usr/bin`.

The second mode is intended to set up for AppImage creation and is triggered by
specifying exactly one EXECUTABLE from the project in the arguments. This will
change the PREFIX to `AppDir_EXECUTABLE/usr`. And only that single executable
will be copied to the `AppDir_EXECUTABLE/usr/bin` directory.

Regardless of which mode is being used, the directory layout will be a standard
[FHS](http://www.pathname.com/fhs/) shape, common in UNIX-like operating
systems. Like this:

    <PREFIX>/
      bin/...
      share/
        <PROJECT>-<VERSION>/  <-- this is the share directory
          doc/LICENSE
          resources/...

Be aware that when the `--delete` switch is used the binaries in `<PREFIX>/bin`
WILL NOT be deleted, only the share directory:
`<PREFIX>/share/<PROJECT>-<VERSION>`

### APPIMAGE CREATION

Even for a first-time AppImaging, this tool should produce a working AppImage.
If missing, it will create default `.desktop` and `.svg` files in
`util/resources/appimage`. Customize or replace these to fit your project, and
then check these two files into source control for future builds.

The default `.desktop` file Categories will be populated with 'Utility;'. We
recommend adjusting this using the XDG list of registered categories:
https://specifications.freedesktop.org/menu-spec/latest/apa.html

If your application is a command-line program, append this line to the end of
the default `.desktop` file: 'Terminal=true'

If your application isn't a command-line tool, we recommend using a proper icon
instead of the hsinstall default, which is a command shell icon.

### RESOURCES

If present, hsinstall will deploy a `resources` directory to
`<PREFIX>/share/PROJECT-VERSION/resources`. In order to locate these files at
runtime, the hsinstall project includes a library to construct paths relative
to the executable. See this source code for help with integrating this into
your app:
https://github.com/dino-/hsinstall/blob/master/src/lib/HSInstall/Resources.hs


## Development

Browse [the source](https://github.com/dino-/hsinstall)

Get source with git and build

    $ git clone https://github.com/dino-/hsinstall.git
    $ cd hsinstall
    $ stack build

If you have the abovementioned `linuxdeploy-*` programs on your path, we can do
something *really* cool. Use this freshly-built hsinstall to package itself
into an AppImage:

    $ stack exec hsinstall -- --mk-appimage hsinstall

And you should see an `hsinstall-x86_64.AppImage` binary in `.`


## Contact

### Authors

Dino Morelli <dino@ui3.info>