Software Installation Approach

Python API only

For the Python API only, we distribute cate-core to conda / pip(?) host so that users can install Cate using::

$ pip install cate-core  

or::

$ conda install cate-core  

Developers should always be able to get the latest version and install from sources::

$ git clone https://github.com/CCI-Tools/cate-core.git
$ cd cate-core
$ python setup.py install

GUI Installer

Setup resources, for each platform:

1. Create Python resources

• Execute platform Python install script that creates an isolated miniconda env, see .travis.yml, including all dependencies (including test dependencies).
• Call python setup.py install
• Perform unit-level tests, incl. CLI tests
• Uninstall test dependencies from isolated miniconda env

2. Create Electron resources

• use a web packager like webpack, https://github.com/webpack/webpack (recommended by most JS developers)
• use the electron packager https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-packager
  • Using a Docker container, https://www.docker.com/
  • For Windows, we could use NullSoft Install System, http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Main_Page

Bundling the frontend and the backend installer

To get the complete software stack to the user two different installers are rquired:

• The backend (python), created by using constructor to build a miniconda like installer
• the frontend (web-based), created by electron-builder

We discussed about the advantages and disadvantages of shipping two installers to the user or of bundling them into a single one. We decided on shipping two distinctive installers for the frontend and the backend after weighting the following arguments:

bundle	not bundle
➕ easier for users	➖ Users have to install core
➖ large GUI installer size	➕ can use core independent of GUI
➖ core will be installed with current user permissions	➕ can have updates of GUI independent of core, smaller installer size
➖ takes a lot of time to install core	➕ users can install core with extra privileges
	➕ light weight installation

Size of installers:

• backend 400 MB
• frontend (<100MB)