How to publish an app?

[tomy]

Hi all,

I've currently created a calculator app that has good features. I copied its .exe file from Debug directory of where it's stored and pasted that file onto desktop (Windows 7 desktop). It needs a few .dll files to be run.
When I put those .dll-s and .exe files the same folder. It works. Now, for example, consider I want to send it to a friend or simply publish it. (I may do it again for the next apps I will create) What is the right way to do this? What should be done?
Thanks.

[VRonin]

http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/deployment.html#platform-specific-notes

[tomy]

Thank you for your answer. But there may be a misunderstanding! My purpose is sending that executable file (My_First_Calculator.exe) for others to use the app. I can send it now but the problem is the .dll files. I want to make the work easy for them. Of course if I also send the .dll files with .exe they can, like me, put all in a folder and without any further work, use and enjoy it.

I want that when they have the .exe file (My_First_Calculator.exe), they copy a copy of it on the Windows desktop and use it.

I don't know I could convey my intention appropriately or not. :(

And about that link, I saw it, it seems to be an instruction for commercial of large applications, but my one, isn't such. I even don't know whether I ran my app in release mode or debug mode.
:(
I got confused by context of that link.

Please guide me by walking through the simplest way.
This is my first app in Qt for sharing.

http://uploads.im/2rWAn.jpg

[cpper]

Looks like I had the same question some months ago: Take a look here .

[dheerendra]

This link should help you.
http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/windows-deployment.html#static-linking

[ambershark]

@tomy Yea it sounds like you want static linking. However, be aware that you need a commerical license (last time I checked) for static linking to Qt.

So I would definitely not distribute a static linked binary unless you have a commercial license or risk some serious legal ramifications.

The other way to do it is use the windows deployment tool.

http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/windows-deployment.html#the-windows-deployment-tool

[tomy]

@cpper

Looks like I had the same question some months ago: Take a look here .

I read your link. And also went to the links there they were provided. And tried to go through a path and make my app ready for sending. But the result was completely awful. I became really confused by those many complicated and complex contents. :(
Whatever I tried to find a way for my app, I couldn't. :(

What about you? Could you share your app as you wanted? If so, please tell me what steps are needed, or how could you do it?

@dheerendra

This link should help you.
http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/windows-deployment.html#static-linking

I could find windeployqt.exe in this path
C:\Qt\Qt5.5.1\5.5\mingw492_32\bin\windeployqt.exe
(remember please that I used Qt Creator for creating the app)
And also I created a release mode of the app. And now I have two folders named
build-My_First_Calculator-Desktop-Release which contains a release folder with some files inside it. I then, went to that path (release folder) by a command line and pasted the path to windeployqt.exe. I don't know now how to add configure -static. However I type it, the command line gets an error!

I also collected some .dll files as follows and put them in a same folder with My_First_Calculator.exe (from release folder). That .exe files is much smaller in size compared to the .exe file of the debug folder.

libgcc_s_dw2-1.dll
libwinpthread-1.dll
Qt5Cored.dll
Qt5Guid.dll
libstdc++-6.dll
Qt5Gui.dll
Qt5Widgetsd.dll

Now what should I do?
It does not matter that I go through a hundred steps, but just guide me step-by-step, I will do it.

@ambershark

@tomy Yea it sounds like you want static linking. However, be aware that you need a commerical license (last time I checked) for static linking to Qt.

What does that mean please?
It was me who wrote the code and have the source code. I think if someone else, wants to use it (without getting permission from me) he/she should get a licence for it. Or maybe there is some misunderstanding for me (because it's the first time I do it).

So I would definitely not distribute a static linked binary unless you have a commercial license or risk some serious legal ramifications.

Would you please shortly say what do you mean by this, in some works? I would be grateful.

The other way to do it is use the windows deployment tool.

http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/windows-deployment.html#the-windows-deployment-tool

As I said, I saw all of these, but the problem is, for a newcomer of Qt (I have just read two chapters of the official book on Qt 4.x) they are very complicated and seems complex.

What I need is only a step-by-step solution. Thanks.

[mrjj]

I also liked the info here
http://www.tripleboot.org/?p=138

There is a thing to understand
for a Release Build use the DLLS with NO "d" in name

This for debug build. Notice the D

Qt5Widgetsd.dll

Please do NOT mix release and debug dlls. :)

[tomy]

@mrjj
In my folder (that .exe and .dll files exist) there are also other ended to d file names as well.
Qt5Cored.dll
Qt5Guid.dll

So I first delete those ones from the folder and remain it alone. Then I start reading the link until the comments. And if there is something not clear for me, I will ask here again.
Thanks.

[mrjj]

@tomy
Those with d is debug version.
Normally you only make deployment folders for Release version but
a debug version is also possible. Just dont mix it :)

[tomy]

@mrjj
Thanks.

What I have done are as follows:
1- I read the instructions carefully and on a virtual machine (Win 10 x64) created a folder named test. Then I went to the path C:\Qt\Qt5.5.1\5.5\mingw492_32 (on my real machine, a Windows 7 x64) .
2- Then I copied 10 .dll files from there into the test folder of virtual machine.
3- There are two .exe files on my system. One of the Debug mode with size about 1.4MB and one for the release mode wih size about 49KB. (Very smaller)
Since we need the release files I copied that .exe files into the test folder.
4- Then I double clicked on that file (in the test folder) but an error was shown up. I clicked on OK button of the error message and another error!

http://uploads.im/HJ3nO.jpg
http://uploads.im/OEXcL.jpg

My questions:
Why do I get these errors?
Consider the .exe file works well there, OK, so what is the rest of the process?

[mrjj]

Hi
As should be clear from the link,
you need sub folder too called
platforms and dll in there.

[tomy]

@mrjj

Hi
As should be clear from the link,
you need sub folder too called

Hi,
What sub folder do you mean?
Where my Qt projects are stored there are My_First_Calculator, build-My_First_Calculator-Desktop-Debug and build-My_First_Calculator-Desktop-Release folders.

platforms and dll in there.

All the mentioned .dll files are pasted into the test folder (as shown in the images above).
And what platforms?

[mrjj]

@tomy

inside test, you must have platforms
and inside platforms u must have the dll as shown and written in the link / picture.

So your test folder is the deployment folder.

the
build-My_First_Calculator-Desktop-Debug and
build-My_First_Calculator-Desktop-Release
are the build folders.

[tomy]

I got it. :)

I created a folder named platforms inside test and copied the qwindows into it. Now the app works well. Thanks so much.

This step is finished. Now the main goal. How to make one .exe file or installer file or whatsoever, for publishing the app to others please?

[mrjj]

@tomy said in How to publish an app:

How to make one .exe file or installer file or whatsoever, for publishing the app to others please?

There are many install makers.

I like this one
http://www.innosetup.com/isinfo.php
for windows deployment

but Qt also have its own
http://doc.qt.io/qtinstallerframework/

That works cross platform etc.

So use what ever fit the goal.

This one i have been told is epic easy
http://installforge.net/features/
but I have not tested that claim.

[tomy]

@mrjj
Thank you. I went for Qt's one. I'm in Setting up Qt Installer Framework.
There it says:
"Clone the Qt Installer Framework source code from http://code.qt.io/cgit/installer-framework/installer-framework.git/ to get the sources for the tools."
And when I go to there and click on clones at the bottom of the page, nothing will be done.

[mrjj]

@tomy
well that do not work anymore as far as i know.
You must use a git client.

[tomy]

I found this page but there are only codes there seemingly. Is a git a tool/program to use it for making the installer? If so, where to download it?

[mrjj]

@tomy
GIT is the world most used tool for source code revision control.
It will download the source code.

https://backlogtool.com/git-guide/en/
http://rogerdudler.github.io/git-guide/

Make sure u understand what it is. you just need it for download.

But are u sure u need to build it ?
Its include in the installer.
(