Miniloader Files

This project contains the Java Miniloader, intended as a replacement for java web start.

Quick Start:

0) Import the project into eclipse
1) Customize or replace the cgi scripts miniloader.cgi and errorreport.cgi
2) Customize the web site references in LoaderConfig.java
3) Modify the startup to your java application to include the "run" logic in Sample.java
4) Install everything on your web site.


Underlying assumptions:

You have a java application which could be deployed by downloading a collection of jar files
and manually running it there, but a "copied" client is a hassle for the user and wouldn't
update automatically.   Java Web Start was the official tool to automatically download
and cache such applications, but it's a real pain to set up, and is now deprecated.
Miniloader is a replacement for java web start.

The miniloader becomes the runnable jar, which gets a list of the jars from the web site, 
builds a local cache of the jar files, and runs the main jar from the cache.  The local
cache will be maintained automatically each time you launch the application.

You probably also want to further package the minloader.jar file in ways specific to
each platform to; maximize its acceptability and ease of use.  For example, tools such
as "jsmooth" and "jar2exe" can wrap miniloader.jar in a windows exe, and give it
a windows icon.

In this package:

LoaderConfig.java	this is the only file you're required to modify.  Supply the web site,
			master jar name, and other constants specific to your application

Sample.java		a sample java application, interfaced to the miniloader.
			  The "main" in sample.java represents the main method you already have somewhere.
			  The "run" in sample.java interfaces the miniloader to your main function.

miniloader.cgi		a sample perl script that supplies miniloader with the description of a directory
			full of jar files, which are presumably your java application 

errorreport.cgi		a sample perl script which receives error reports from the miniloader.  None
			are expected once you've configured and built everything correctly, but there
			will always be surprises!

Deployed Samples

Miniloader was originally developed for Boardspace.net.  A minimal sample deployment can
be found at https://boardspace.net/miniloader/Miniloader.jar  Simply download that one file
to your desktop, then click on it or otherwise launch the runnable jar.  More elaborate
repackaging of miniloader can be found from the boardspace.net download pages for desktop
versions.
https://boardspace.net/english/login-from-windows.shtml
https://boardspace.net/english/login-from-macintosh.shtml
https://boardspace.net/english/login-from-linux.shtml