Available Media File Types

## Available Media File Types |

- - | There are two fundamentally different types of media files: Installers The media file is an executable that invokes the installer. Optionally, the installer can be executed as an unattended installer or as a console installer. Please see the corresponding help topic for more information. Windows media file a media file for Windows is a native setup executable that installs your application with an installer wizard. The installer can download a JRE if no suitable JRE is found on the target system. Mac OS X single bundle media file a single bundle media file for Mac OS X is a .dmg file that extracts an installer wizard (by double clicking on it). The wizard installs your application as a single application bundle. If you wish to support multiple launchers, please choose the "Mac OS X folder media wizard" (see below). The default JRE (which is always present on Mac OS X) is used during the installation phase. If you would like to create a separate directory next to the generated application bundle that contains user files, you cannot add it directory to the "Installation directory" root of the distribution tree, since all files under that node will end up in the application bundle. The solution to this problem is to use the single bundle installer and to add another installation root to the distribution directory, that root should be set to
              ${installer:sys.installationDir}/My Application Documents
if you want to call the additional folder "My Application Documents". That folder will be created next to the installed application bundle. Mac OS X folder media file a folder media file for Mac OS X is a .dmg file that extracts an installer wizard (by double clicking on it). The wizard installs your application as a folder that contains the entire distribution tree and multiple application bundles for each included launcher. The default JRE (which is always present on Mac OS X) is used during the installation phase. Unix/Linux GUI installer media file a Unix/Linux GUI installer media file is an executable shell script that extracts an installer and installs your application with an installer wizard. The installer can download a JRE if no suitable JRE is found on the target system. Archives The media file is an archive that the user can extract to an arbitrary location. No screens are shown and no actions are executed. If you define additional installation roots, the files in them are not installed. No components can be downloaded. Archives are intended as a fallback or as additional packages such as documentation bundles. If your installer heavily relies on actions, screens and additional installation roots, you should not use archives to distribute your application. The main advantages of archives such as the ability to install them at the command line is also available from installers by using their unattended or console installation modes. Windows archive media file an archive media file for Windows is a ZIP-file that contains your application. Note: This media file type does not have a GUI installer. If you wish to create a GUI installer for Windows, please choose the "Windows media wizard" (see above). Mac OS X single bundle archive media file a single bundle media file for Mac OS X is a .tgz archive that extracts a single bundle for your application. If you wish to support multiple launchers, please choose the "Mac OS X folder archive media wizard" (see below). Note: This media file type does not have a GUI installer. If you wish to create a GUI installer for Mac OS X, please choose the "Mac OS X single bundle media wizard" (see above). Mac OS X folder archive media file a folder media file for Mac OS X is a .tgz archive that contains the entire distribution tree and multiple application bundles for each included launcher. Note: This media file type does not have a GUI installer. If you wish to create a GUI installer for Mac OS X, please choose the "Mac OS X folder media wizard" (see above). Linux RPM media file an RPM archive for Linux can be installed and uninstalled with the `rpm` command on Linux distributions that use the Redhat package management. There are also a large number of graphical package management tools that Linux users can use to install an RPM archive. Note: This media file type does not have a GUI installer. If you wish to create a GUI installer for Linux, please choose the "Unix/Linux GUI installer media wizard" (see below). Linux Deb media file an Deb archive for Linux can be installed and uninstalled with the `dpkg` command on Linux distributions that use the Debian package management. There are also a large number of graphical package management tools that Linux users can use to install a Deb archive. Note: This media file type does not have a GUI installer. If you wish to create a GUI installer for Linux, please choose the "Unix/Linux GUI installer media wizard" (see below). Unix/Linux archive media file a Unix/Linux archive media file is a gzipped TAR archive that contains your application. Note: This media file type does not have a GUI installer. If you wish to create a GUI installer for Unix or Linux, please choose the "Unix/Linux GUI installer media wizard" (see above).

| Note: GUI launchers on Mac OS X only start a single instance of your application. Subsequent launches will not start additional JVMs. You can use the `com.install4j.api.launcher.StartupNotification` from the install4j API to be informed about those invocations.