Chrome Application Shortcuts / Mozilla Prism Installer

Question

I want to deploy a installer package to my customers. My application is basically a website, but I want them to have the optimal experience via. Chrome or Mozilla Prism. I would like to give them an installer (win:msi/exe) that puts an icon on the desktop and launches my app. They may or may not have chrome and Firefox already installed.

I have done some shallow searches but have come up dry. I cant help but think I am not the first to want to do this. I think Adobe Air has this sort of thing, but I have had issues with Air in the past.

Henslowe

Is it a winforms app or a web application? How does Prism come into play? You just want a shortcut that will go to your website? Not too clear. – Sun

As was stated it is a web site. I edited and added Mozilla before Prism since I am not talking about .NET WPF. If you are not familiar with Chrome App Shortcuts: google.com/support/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=95710 If you are not familiar with Mozilla Prism: prism.mozilla.com – Henslowe

I should also be clear that I prefer Chrome, and I am familiar with .webapp-files which require the application to be pre-existing. – Henslowe

Much clearer. This tag is usually used for .NET prism. :) – Sun

Answer 1

Download the stand alone installer of chrome: http://www.google.com/chrome/eula.html?standalone=1

Open your %temp% folder, it helps if you empty it first.

Launch the installer. It will extract to a folder "GUM(something).tmp"

In this folder quickly find a file along the lines of "249.78_chrome_installer.exe.{8A69D345-D564-463c-AFF1-A69D9E530F96}" and move it out as chrome shortly cleans up the "GUM(something).tmp" folder.

Rename this file to "chrome_installer.exe"

You can now bundle this file in an installer and launch it as "chrome_installer.exe /S --do-not-launch-chrome" for a silent install. After this copy a pre-made app shortcut or program your installer bundle to create one along the lines of: "C:\Users...\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe --app="http://localhost/"

Minium

Nice answer. I have had to put this on hold for a while, but plan to get back to it with this sort of solution. – Henslowe

is there any benefit in using the portable version of google chrome? I guess what I am asking is the portable version would give you some protection in case the user decides to modify settings that conflict with your application... – Prytaneum

Answer 2

You could use the webkit rendering of AIR to show the website in an AIR window. You wouldn't need much other code, but then could take advantage of the downloadable/badge installer.

Otherwise I imagine you could create a native installer for windows that installs Prism on their machines and then creates the app? Then again it seems Prism and Fluid (on the mac) aren't aimed at the average user, and typically require them to understand the concept of a SSB (site specific browser). When so many people don't even understand what a browser is, it's a tough ask, and one of the reasons I love AIR's install process.

Delphinedelphinia

I did not state it in the question before, but I don't want to use AIR either. :) It would be nice to be able use chrome or Firefox in a similar manner. Back in the Netscape days they had a CCK, I am investigating that now. – Henslowe