Update on community packages
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We would like to add support for Community packages as part of 9.1. The idea is that a 3rd party developer can create a cloudron package and provide it to other users with no intervention by cloudron team. I have implemented most of the stuff. Here's how it will look like:
- The CLI tool gained some new commands - cloudron versions init/add/update/list. This just manipulates a file named CloudronVersions.json .
- CloudronVersions.json has to be uploaded somewhere (or serve it straight from git repo).
- There is a button in the App store view to install a community app.
- Test with a URL like
https://git.cloudron.io/playground/contacts/-/raw/main/CloudronVersions.json - After this, it will show the app and install just like any other app.
- A new packager name appears in the Info
Other than that, updates etc works like a normal app.
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We would like to add support for Community packages as part of 9.1. The idea is that a 3rd party developer can create a cloudron package and provide it to other users with no intervention by cloudron team. I have implemented most of the stuff. Here's how it will look like:
- The CLI tool gained some new commands - cloudron versions init/add/update/list. This just manipulates a file named CloudronVersions.json .
- CloudronVersions.json has to be uploaded somewhere (or serve it straight from git repo).
- There is a button in the App store view to install a community app.
- Test with a URL like
https://git.cloudron.io/playground/contacts/-/raw/main/CloudronVersions.json - After this, it will show the app and install just like any other app.
- A new packager name appears in the Info
Other than that, updates etc works like a normal app.
@girish awesome, thank you so much.
Very smooth and integrated in UI
So, making sure I understand it correctly, for a CustomApp, the packager really just needs to add
CloudronVersions.jsonto their repo (in addition to CloudronManifest.json, Dockerfile etc.) ? Neat !You said in a separate post you would defer the question of a catalogue of custom apps : is that still the thinking ?
TBH, with your neat approach, I am questioning whether a catalogue is needed. Every custom app (well, 99.999%) has a topic in the forum's AppWishlist category, and the packager can just post a message there with the repo details, including the relevant CloudronVersions.json file.
Indie app dev, scratching my itches, lover of Cloudron PaaS
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@girish awesome, thank you so much.
Very smooth and integrated in UISo, making sure I understand it correctly, for a CustomApp, the packager really just needs to add
CloudronVersions.jsonto their repo (in addition to CloudronManifest.json, Dockerfile etc.) ? Neat !You said in a separate post you would defer the question of a catalogue of custom apps : is that still the thinking ?
TBH, with your neat approach, I am questioning whether a catalogue is needed. Every custom app (well, 99.999%) has a topic in the forum's AppWishlist category, and the packager can just post a message there with the repo details, including the relevant CloudronVersions.json file.
@timconsidine said in Update on community packages:
So, making sure I understand it correctly, for a CustomApp, the packager really just needs to add CloudronVersions.json to their repo (in addition to CloudronManifest.json, Dockerfile etc.) ? Neat !
Yes, correct.
cloudron versions addsimply creates CloudronVersions.json with the current manifest and current build information. Hopefully, it's all as obvious as I am making it sound
From the installation point of view, the repo can be closed, docker image can be private. Only the CloudronVersions.json has to be public.
I have added two new fields on the manifest - packagerName and packagerUrl.
Going forward, the icon in manifest will be deprecated. We will use iconUrl instead.
You said in a separate post you would defer the question of a catalogue of custom apps : is that still the thinking ?
Yes, let's think about how people discover these versions files once we have released this.
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I would ask, for simplicity, that you require the developer to put the JSON in a fixed/predictable path, and allow the user to paste the URL for the main GH repo. Asking users to find the "raw" link is likely hard/confusing. Put the onus on the person packaging, not the person installing?
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We would like to add support for Community packages as part of 9.1. The idea is that a 3rd party developer can create a cloudron package and provide it to other users with no intervention by cloudron team. I have implemented most of the stuff. Here's how it will look like:
- The CLI tool gained some new commands - cloudron versions init/add/update/list. This just manipulates a file named CloudronVersions.json .
- CloudronVersions.json has to be uploaded somewhere (or serve it straight from git repo).
- There is a button in the App store view to install a community app.
- Test with a URL like
https://git.cloudron.io/playground/contacts/-/raw/main/CloudronVersions.json - After this, it will show the app and install just like any other app.
- A new packager name appears in the Info
Other than that, updates etc works like a normal app.
@girish I absolutely love this idea but is there a way to maybe host a community store? Like Arch's AUR for example that way it can be searchable too - you can allow "verified devs" for an extra layer of security or something
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~ Professional Nerd. Freelance Programmer. ~ -
@girish I absolutely love this idea but is there a way to maybe host a community store? Like Arch's AUR for example that way it can be searchable too - you can allow "verified devs" for an extra layer of security or something
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I would ask, for simplicity, that you require the developer to put the JSON in a fixed/predictable path, and allow the user to paste the URL for the main GH repo. Asking users to find the "raw" link is likely hard/confusing. Put the onus on the person packaging, not the person installing?
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@girish said in Update on community packages:
Depending on how many packages
my CustomAppGateway has ~25 apps, and there are more currently out there not added to it, and with 9.1, I would expect the numbers to double at least.
I have no hesitancy with deferring 'app discovery' in favour of getting the core functionality available and working.
I feel we will need a discovery place of some kind, relying on a forum post in an AppWishList topic might be viable as short and medium term. But catalogue / CUR / "awesome" style git package is likely needed longer term. And it's more polished / prettier
