Filed under: Software, Developer, iPhone
Installer.app locks out PXL package
Lots of drama in the iPhone development community since last night, and it all revolves around a decision that "lg," the developer of Installer.app, made to remove PXL from its list of installable applications. PXL is another package manager for iPhone (open source, while Installer.app is still free, but currently closed source), that works with either Breezy, iBrickr (for Windows), or any other PXL manager. A little while back, the PXL guys decided that the easiest way to get their packages onto the iPhone was to actually run through Installer.app, but lg, last night, apparently decided that he didn't want them doing that, and locked them out of the application.And that, according to many iPhone developers, is not cool. The creators of NES.app, in response, have pulled their application from Installer.app completely, posting a notice on their site that "NES.app will no longer function from Installer.app or other third-party package installers that we believe are not trustworthy/secure. You will need to remove these tools to use NES.app."
TUAW spoke with drudge, the developer who originally wrote the package for PXL in Installer.app, and he makes it clear that this is a bad move for the iPhone community. "We need to grow and learn each step of the way," he told me in an email. "Releasing closed sourced apps at this stage in the game doesn't help anyone." But the problem, according to drudge, isn't that Installer.app is a closed source application. "The only problem is it is a centralized management system... meaning "lg" has the final say in what happens with any package." And when lg decides, as he did last night, that someone's out, everyone suffers.
lg has not commented on what happened yet, as far as we've heard. At this point, it sounds like everyone involved is trying to work towards a solution, and get the PXL package back in Installer.app (the alternative would be for PXL to create their own Installer.app type of program). As drudge also told us, "The community is only 2 months old so for developers to be taking sides... makes it harder on iPhone users and developers."
Thanks, drudge!
Update: They've reached a solution-- NullRiver (lg and the folks behind Installer.app) are going to create their own open source library for package management. Since PXL was created because Installer.app was closed source, another open source solution means PXL will likely not exist any longer.
Update2: Here's the latest.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
tim said 4:38PM on 9-07-2007
what a bunch of effing babies. who are they? nbc and apple? microsoft and play4sure? paris and nicole? microsoft and pre-xp support? the patriot act and basic freedom? microsoft and standards?
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kory said 4:48PM on 9-07-2007
...peaches and herb? (;
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Kevin said 5:02PM on 9-07-2007
LG is L LAMO...What a selfish jerk....Someone else that isnt selfish/big headed should create a installer.app for everyone so we dont have to deal with egotistical LG. I am going to uninstall his lamo installer and just install apps individually and I suggest everyone else boycott lg's installer.app also.
hey lg....U SUCK DONKEY BALLS!!!
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Will Angel said 5:04PM on 9-07-2007
So, some developer decides to push functions from his app through another, then gets closed off from that, and decides to complain to TUAW (Going from the 'Thanks, drudge' at the end) and hide behind the ol' "Open source" defense?
Wow. Entitlement issues haunt the iPhone yet again.
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darkg33k said 5:11PM on 9-07-2007
Can't we all just get a long?
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Aron Trimble said 5:27PM on 9-07-2007
Previously everyone has just relied on the easy-breezy Installer.app even though it has been closed source. What you see here is that now there is a need for another installer and for it to be open source. I'm looking forward to seeing what the developers will come up with.
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Kevin said 5:55PM on 9-07-2007
Exactly right comment #6....forget installer.app and hopefully the iphone developing community will develop a open source installer then lg's installer will be no more...so sad. hopefully we will be saying BUH BYE to LG soon.
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Hawkman said 5:56PM on 9-07-2007
Gotta admit, it was pretty cheeky to use a competing product to install your own. Regardless of the fact they're both free (right?), it's abusing someone else's hard work. Blocking their package makes lg look like a git, but frankly it was questionable for them to put it out there in the first place - so this problem begins with PXL, not Installer.app.
Very insightful, Will Angel. There's nothing I like less than all this, "We've been horribly wronged" whining from those who have been a bit sneaky themselves. I mean, that's what Real did, guys, have some self-respect.
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Jason Carroll said 6:30PM on 9-07-2007
So where do we go to find online PXL to directly install?
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Steve said 6:38PM on 9-07-2007
I just want to say a big thanks to the guy who developed installer.app
It rocks! Keep up the good work. Like they say about TV - but for software - if you don't like it, turn it off.
That said, an open source installer sounds great too.
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Tom said 6:45PM on 9-07-2007
Open source package manager vs. Close source package manager? I think the choice is clear...
I encourage all iPhone application developers to move to the PXL package manager.
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CyberGreg said 7:02PM on 9-07-2007
Re: where do we find...
http://pxl.ibrickr.com
There is also a Safari (iPhone) plugin on the above page to install pxl packages from a web page. I fully support Breezy, iBrickr and all the open source initiatives. It would be great if everyone got along, maybe someday.
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5cents said 7:23PM on 9-07-2007
Or perhaps some legal team leaned on the dev. Those legal types are clever and could easily fashion a scheme such as this to make it seem like Apple itself is not the one being restrictive. Just a thought. I'm sure the dev has his/her reasons.
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Sparks said 12:24AM on 9-08-2007
Really, a lot of the drama came from poor lines of communication and so on. PXL and Installer had different approaches; Installer was a single tool which did everything on the phone, while PXL was a core service designed to be accessed from multiple places (desktop, Safari install plugin, and so on).
Both had advantages and disadvantages, but everything just got bogged down in politics. So the two teams decided to just cut through all the politics, combine forces, and come up with a new (open source) core framework on which everything will be built. An Installer.app-style on-phone management tool, a system for iBrickr and other desktop apps to also manage, repositories for automated updates as well as a way to install packages by hand or over Mobile Safari, and have everything in one repository.
Hopefully with a single open-source core which will do everything the others did individually, others will adopt the new library (so that other apps, such as iNdependence or iFuntastic, can also do package management).
The feeling between the two teams was that the politics were getting out of hand, were largely out of the control of the teams themselves, and were really sapping everyone's enthusiasm. This solution hopefully provides the best of all worlds for iPhone third party development!
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WickDC said 10:45AM on 9-08-2007
http://www.apptapp.com
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darkg33k said 1:13PM on 9-09-2007
So, it is great that lg and PXL have worked an agreement out on this. An open-source community packaging solution is what the iPhone community seems to want... even IF lg wanted to keep it closed.
One point to note is that once we do get more open, peeps need to be wary of what they install... Magenta is an example of this:
http://freelanceg33k.blogspot.com/2007/09/newest-iphone-application-to-hi-streets.html
What if it WAS a virus?
Thanks to the folks at ste, concieted, and nullriver for helping to keep the kiddies safe from themselves... I mean, who really wants an iPhone paperwieght?
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