Passing target directory from QT Installer to the Application

[faiszalkhan]

I am planning to deploy my application to macOS and Windows. Upon reading the documentation of QT Installer Framework, I understand that I can provide a default installation path in the config xml which the user can overwrite.

In my application, I want to generate license files based on the installation path decided by the user. Hence, I need to have the installation path selected by the user passed to the application.

Is there a way that I can get the target installation directory selected by the user in the application.

Thanks.

[mrjj]

Hi
Just thinking out loud here.
Do you really need to pass the path to your app?

in your app
qDebug() << "App path : " << qApp->applicationDirPath();

should tell you where 'you' were installed.
So if the license files are not there, then you can read the path and generate it on the first run.

[SGaist]

Hi,

One thing to take into account: if installed properly, you won't be able to write anything in the application folder as their location shall be read-only and on macOS you shall not modify the application bundle content. You should rather store the license file in an application specific storage path provided by QStandardPaths.

[mrjj]

@SGaist
hi
A very good point that might also hold true for other platforms as well.
Also, care should be taken that the location used for "generate license "
is not affected by the user changing the Os language after app is installed.

[JonB]

@mrjj said in Passing target directory from QT Installer to the Application:

A very good point that might also hold true for other platforms as well.

Depending, if you do a "proper" install under Windows it will go into \Program Files ... and under Linux into /usr/.... Neither of which are writeable by your average user, so this is not just a Mac issue :)

[faiszalkhan]

@SGaist @mrjj When I check the writable locations available on macOS with QStandardPaths, I only get user specific path :
"/Users/faisalkhan/Library/Application Support/Fairlinx/RapidFSM/"

Which tells me that the files would not be available system wide : To other users.

QStandardPaths with AppDataLocation shows a system wide path such as:
"/Library/Application Support/Fairlinx/RapidFSM/" as non-writable path.

Any workaround you would suggest to write the files to the later location.

Thanks.

[SGaist]

You have to request higher privileges from your user to be able to write there.

[faiszalkhan]

@SGaist Thanks.