Norbert wrote:
>How do you use it? I’ve just downloaded but failed to see how I can work with 
>it.

Warning:
=======
Note that PharoLauncher is a project still in progress - I think Damien can 
tell you more
about all the nice stuff. I just contributed some code and use it daily now.


But lets continue with a short HOWTO (from my personal experience):
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PharoLauncher HOWTO:
====================

Before
======
I'm typically on Windows - in the past I had several folders with images 
everywhere on my HD.
Sometimes with the VM, sometimes without. Lots of image searching as you can 
imagine.


How I installed it:
===================
So I downloaded a VM from http://files.pharo.org/vm/pharo/
and the latest ZIP with image and changes from 
https://ci.inria.fr/pharo-contribution/job/PharoLauncher/
I also put the source file into the same directory which I copied from the 
regular Pharo distro.
All lives in one directory. 

I also use Linux boxes, for Ubuntu follow: 
http://www.pharo-project.org/pharo-download/ubuntu
to get the launcher. Note that this currently will install an old image, so you 
have to load
newer packages afterwards in the image or exchange the image.

Installation will surely be simplified in the future.


How I use it
============
Just launch the Pharo launcher image using the platform specific VM.

Usually for "end user experience" the launcher opens in full world mode - so 
you see no Pharo
background/world menu - only the launcher.

Initially on a new computer the left side with local images is empty. On the 
right side are 
the images that are available on the web. Note that there are refresh buttons 
at the top 
of the list.

Click "Refresh" in the right list to fetch all available images from the web.

Select the image you like and download it. For instance you can download 
"Pharo3.0" -> "30587"
which is the latest image as of today. Note that also the images from 
contribution CI are available.
So you can easily download "Artefact", "Moose", ... images if you like.

It will download the image into a specific directory somewhere in your users 
home directory.
Each image gets an own folder. Use the "Show in folder" menu item if you want 
to open this location
(may not yet work on all platforms)

After download you can either "Launch" the image from the context menu in the 
right list. This
will open the new image and close the launcher image. So you are ready to start 
working.

What I do typically do is to "Copy" the image BEFORE I do any work and name it 
differently 
like "30587-MyStuff". Then I Launch the new copy and work with it, later throw 
it away or
try that loading after commits works within new fresh images, ...  

Now
===
My HD is now much cleaner - all images are in a central place and I need only 
one icon/starter on 
the desk to open. PharoLauncher is also a very handy tool to download specific 
image update 
versions if you want to reproduce or fix Pharo bugs.

I also associated one of the unused laptop keys with PharoLauncher - so the 
world of Smalltalk is just
one click away...

Things to know:
===============
At the bottom there is a button to open a settings browser with specific 
settings for
PharoLauncher. There is an option that enables the IDE again - so you can 
inspect the code
or fix a bug.

If it does not launch on your box then set a break in PhLImage>>launch to debug.

Also note that it does not fit with the "Save as" image style - since each 
launcher image
has to be in a new directory so far. So either use the "Copy" image, then 
"Launch" and
then only "Save" in the target image or copy the "Saved as" image in a new 
folder and
refresh the Launcher view on the right side.

When you develop for it
=======================
Either use the latest image from CI and enable the IDE as written before.

You can also download the latest also in a Pharo 3.0 image. Just use the 
ConfigurationOfPharoLauncher
from http://smalltalkhub.com/#!/~Pharo/PharoLauncher

Then evaluate  "PharoLauncher open".

Currently it was rewritten using Spec for the UI, also all the actions are 
rewritten using
Command Pattern so you can extend the buttons, menues if you like.

Hope this helps a little bit

Bye
T.

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