Whats the appropriate way to build a compose deskt...

# compose-desktop

[Marc]

Whats the appropriate way to build a compose desktop project for multiple Platforms?

Right now I just use the Uber jar, but this seems kinda messy tbh. 😅

[Michael Paus]

Is this what you are looking for? https://github.com/JetBrains/compose-multiplatform/tree/master/tutorials/Native_distributions_and_local_execution

[Marc]

Did I get it right? I can just build macOS release on mac and no windows ones?

[Marc]

And the installer would just be an executable which executes the Program, or really something like a Installation Wizard?

[Marcin Wisniowski]

With the basic built-in packaging you can only package for the platform you are running (so you need CI runners for 3 platforms if you want packages for 3 platforms). You can use Conveyor though which can package for any platform on any platform.

[Marc]

Currently I just changed the compose.desktop.currentOS specificly to windows, and the Uber Jar runs fine.
What exactly are the positive aspects about using installer instead of uber jar?

[Michael Paus]

The difference is that regular users don’t expect uber jars. They want some kind of installer they are used to. Also I am wondering whether your uber jar is actually so uber that it can run on any platform because that would mean it has to contain all the platform dependent libraries for all platforms which would make it huge.

[Marcin Wisniowski]

Yep, a user will double click your .jar file and get a message that there is no program installed to open it, and that’s the end of their journey with your app.

[Marc]

@Michael Paus No, thats the problem 😅 I have to change the currentOS to Windows to get the build running

[Michael Paus]

Then there is something wrong with your build setup. I build for all desktop platforms via GitHub actions.

[mikehearn]

Also, uber-jars have no way to update themselves.

[Marc]

With the installer being used, it would be responsible for upating the file?

[Marc]

whenever a new installer is being executed aint it?

[mikehearn]

No, it'd cause the app to self update either when the use runs the program or in the background automatically.

[Marc]

Might be a stupid question, but how does the program get the newest version, so it can be updated ota?

[mikehearn]

Via the update engines. Look at the hydraulic.dev website it has some info

[Marc]

I will, thanks