Klik (packaging method)

Infobox Software
name = klik



caption = klik installing an application
collapsible =
author =
developer = Simon Peter
released =
latest release version = 0.5r9
latest release date = release date|2006|06|7
latest preview version =
latest preview date =
frequently updated =
programming language =
operating system = Linux
platform =
size =
language =
status =
genre = Software download system
license = GPL (client)
website = [http://klik.atekon.de/ klik.atekon.de]

klik is a system for software download and usage on Linux. Currently, the only operating system to include Klik by default is Super Ubuntu.

Technology

klik does not "install" software in the traditional sense (i.e., it does not put files all over the place in the system). It uses one .cmg file per application. Each one is self-contained: it includes all libraries the application depends on and that are not part of the base system. In this regard, it is similar to "application virtualization". One can "klik" a file even if they are not a superuser, or they are using a live CD.

klik is integrated with web browsers on the user's computer. Users download and install software by typing a URL beginning with klik://. This downloads a klik "recipe" file, which is used to generate the .cmg file. In this way, one recipe can be used to supply packages to a wide variety of platforms.

klik files are often simpler than compiling and installing an application, as no installation actually takes place. The .cmg file is a compressed image which is temporarily mounted to allow access to the program, but not having to extract the program or modify the underlying system. Currently only 8 klik programs can be run at once because of the limitation of mounting compressed images with the Linux kernel, unless FUSE is used. The file is remounted each time the program is run, meaning the user can remove the program by simply deleting the .cmg file.

Release history

klik was designed in 2004 by Simon Peter. A next version, klik2, is in development; it will natively incorporate the FUSE kernel module.

imilar projects

*autopackage
* [http://www.gnome.org/~alexl/glick/ Glick] is a project similar to klik, created by Red Hat employee Alexander Larsson [ [http://blogs.gnome.org/alexl/2007/08/07/experiments-with-runtime-less-app-bundles/ "Experiments with runtime-less app-bundles"] , by Alexander Larsson, August 7, 2007] [ [http://arstechnica.com/journals/linux.ars/2007/08/23/glick-brings-better-standalone-application-bundles-to-linux "Glick brings better standalone application bundles to Linux"] , by Ryan Paul, Ars Technica, August 23, 2007] [ [http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/2924 klik2 discussions inspire Alexander Larsson (Red Hat/Gnome) to publish 'glick'] , by pipitas, KDE Developers blog, August 7, 2007] . It is intended to be a "runtime-less" application bundle environment, in which application bundles are executed and ran natively without the need for a running klik/glick client. However, glick currently only addresses a fraction of klik's scope (steps 5 and 6 of the exhibit).
*Zero Install, another similar project, does address steps 1-5, but does not follow the "one file per application" philosophy.

*SFS Technology for Linux Tiger and Ubuntu
*ROX uses directories (AppDirs) as application bundles.

References

External links

* [http://klik.atekon.de/ Official site]
** [http://klik.atekon.de/presentation/ Official presentation]
** [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1910211845236337938 Screen capture video of Klik2]
* [http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=17 Forum at Knoppix.net]
* [http://klik.atekon.de/wiki/index.php/English English articles listed in klik Wiki]
* [http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/01/15/1815210&tid=90&tid=106 Slashdot - Point-and-klik Linux Software Installation?]
* [http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/simon_peter_interview Free Software Magazine interview with Simon Peter]
* [http://code.google.com/p/klikclient/ Repository page] at Google Code