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Emanele_Tinari Posts: 2
29/08/2017
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Hello at all.
I found somewhere in internet ( i don't remember where) the plugin in the subject.
I see it is not present in the plugin list in this forum and i thought it's not update.
I'd like, if it's possible, maintain it update because for me it's very simple to use but, unfortunately, actually it not find the current version of more PAF programs, and the PAF programs find are not all those present in the PortableApps.com web site.
I don't understand well how others users in this forum integrate portableapp.com apps in Symenu 
How can i have the source code of this plugin to find a way to update it?
I currently use SyMenu v.6.00.6406 and the PAF Plugin (as i can read in file-->properties-->detailes) v. 1.2.0.0 (2014)
Cheers
Emanuele Tinari
P.s. @GianlucaNegrelli: You can answer me in my gmail too, tnx in advance.
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Gianluca Administrator Posts: 1274
30/08/2017
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The PAF plugin has been completely replaced by the SyMenu Suite (SPS).
Inside the SyMenu Suite you can find programs from any source and not only from the PortableApps web site.
But inside the suite you don't find all the PAF programs, as you are used to find in the dedicated plugin, because PortableApps is strongly hostile toward SyMenu so my policy is to replace all the programs released from them with others from more friendly sources.
To get a sample of their hostility read https://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question/86399/why-does-the-libreoffice-portable-version-act-as-a-proprietary-software/ and the related source https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=105572
Substantially PortableApps, which is formally free and open, acts as a closed system.
They disabled the silent (unattended) install for every menu, except for their, to exclude this automation, which is a necessary masterpiece, to any other platform.
Plus they prevent the manual unpacking of their PAF packages with silly systems, asserting this is for security reasons... For example try to install from SyMenu Suite Libre Office and read the alert you get on the first execution. It's comical.
I hope this is enough to explain their politics so please don't ask for more PAF programs released from PortableApps.
If you want the source for the PAF plugin I can give it to you but it will be useless. The plugin simply relies on a set of information created and updated on the ugmfree web site. I haven't updated that information since years and I don't want to reactivate the monitoring system so you won't have useful information.
BTW if anyone has anything to add to this topic I'm here. Well the topic is the silly war among PortableApps and the other freeware portable platform, not the PAF plugin.
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Ibubezi48 Posts: 10
14/03/2023
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Late to the party... Wasn't aware of PA's 'stifling' attitude. I saw John's confusing replies elsewhere on this forum and it solved.... nothing.
Although this obviously is 'under the hood' (I don't think I have experienced any of it, as a user of both PA and SPS), it is disheartening. But, not completely unexpected: my biggest beef with PA is the ridiculous message when an App has crashed: "You didn't close the app properly, restart it now". John H. dared to explain that as a 'learning-moment', so that people close their apps according to the rules. Has he ever worked with Windows? Seen the BSOD? Because I had that happen, in the past (Win 10 is stable(r)) - having to restart my PC and then 5 or 6 PA's, because clearly I'm one of those users that don't conform to PA's closing-rules... Truly insidious and redundant: if you can show a nagging-screen, you can also restart the app (for me)?
That got me thinking - how do I migrate my PA's to SPS? I started searching for my most important apps and they mostly are supported by SPS - good news.
So:
- why not create some migration tool - showing which PA-apps match in SPS by scanning my PA-folder
- how to transfer a PA-app to SPS? Both suites are on my D:\-drive - they just (?) would have to be moved physically?
Anyway - thanks for SPS (I wished I could donate to you without using woke-Paypal - they suck, I don't want them to benefit any longer from my money).
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Gianluca Administrator Posts: 1274
15/03/2023
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If you don't like Paypal you can donate with BTC or EVER crypto even is it's not strictly needed. I appreciate your observations on this topic more than the money.
Let's leave John aside for a moment (he's not in my mind as you can easily imagine) and let's analyze the problem of the migration from PA to SPS.
A proper migration is not possible for several reasons.
During the installation process, SPS creates a placeholder file to recognize the program version. You can find it inside every SPS program root folder and it's called something like "xx.yy.sps.version". If SyMenu can't find that file or find a file with a version number different from what's expected, it suggests you to update the program.
The second reason is a more practical and pragmatic one. Who literally cares about the migration from PortableApps?
The SPS suite contains about 30 programs from PA. It's less than 3% of our huge program library. Is it worth the effort? In my opinion, it's not at all, especially my effort. I need to spend my "SyMenu time" in a more productive way.
Is a manual migration from PA to SPS possible?
Sure it is.
Use SPS to install all the programs you have in PA or in general your PAF programs.
When you have done, simply copy the Data folder from any PA programs to the corresponding SPS.
And... remember to say: "Ciao ciao" to the PA launcher and trash it.
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sl23 Posts: 285
24/03/2024
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I have transferred many programs from PA.c to SyMenu. Though every app is different. Some are easier than others.
One thing that annoyed me with PAF is that even apps that are portable by default are released in a non-portable way. Things like Audacity, CudaText, Paint.Net can all be installed as fully portable apps, but PAF makes them non-portable by using the Data folder for settings instead of using the apps default folder. This means it moves the apps settings to the PC system folder for use on starting the app, then moving them back on closing the app. Also, I found out years ago that using PAF apps means an extra long app startup time. Because AV software scans it so has to do extra work.
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Gianluca Administrator Posts: 1274
02/05/2024
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sl23 wrote:
[...] but PAF makes them non-portable by using the Data folder for settings instead of using the apps default folder. This means it moves the apps settings to the PC system folder for use on starting the app, then moving them back on closing the app.
Is it really working this way??? Well I've never noticed that.
I thought the PA launcher redefined the environment variables before starting the program in the same way SPS is able to do. Then, when the program asks Windows for the user folder, it is redirected to the program local folder.
Anyway the PA behaviour is strange but not completely wrong because some programs don't query the system for the environment variables so you can't redirect their attention to your custom folders at all. I think in this case the only way to make them work as portable is to copy the entire folder in the system user folder as PA does and then clean up.
Another matter is about the Windows registry.
There is no other option but to create the registry keys before the program starts and, when the program closes, backup and delete every key from the registry related to the program.
It's a well known method, it works, but, clearly, it costs in terms of performance. And it's the only option for those programs using the Windows registry.
BTW shame on them, touching the registry is for the evil ones 
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