Skip to content

DISTRIBUTION.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
102 lines (78 loc) · 2.57 KB

DISTRIBUTION.md

File metadata and controls

102 lines (78 loc) · 2.57 KB

Distribution Strategy for GHEC SSO CLI

Current Challenge

Users need to install Node.js and run npm commands, which can be intimidating for non-developers.

Solution Options

1. PKG - Standalone Executables (Recommended)

Benefits:

  • ✅ No Node.js installation required
  • ✅ Single executable file (.exe for Windows)
  • ✅ Works offline after download
  • ✅ Easy to implement with existing codebase
  • ✅ Cross-platform support

Implementation:

# Install PKG
npm install -D pkg

# Build executables
npm run package:win    # Windows .exe
npm run package:all    # All platforms

User Experience:

  1. Download ghec-sso.exe from GitHub Releases
  2. Run directly: .\ghec-sso.exe --help
  3. No installation needed

2. Electron Forge - Native Installers

Benefits:

  • ✅ Professional MSI/DMG/DEB installers
  • ✅ Auto-updater support
  • ✅ System integration (Start Menu, etc.)
  • ✅ Code signing support

Implementation:

  • Convert CLI to Electron app with hidden window
  • Use Electron Forge for packaging
  • More complex but most professional

3. Docker + Executable Wrapper

Benefits:

  • ✅ Consistent environment
  • ✅ No dependency issues
  • ❌ Requires Docker Desktop

User Experience:

# Download wrapper script
curl -O https://github.com/benleane83/ghec-sso-setup/releases/latest/download/ghec-sso.exe
# Runs Docker container internally
.\ghec-sso.exe setup --enterprise mycompany

4. GitHub Actions + Pre-built Binaries

Benefits:

  • ✅ Automated build/release pipeline
  • ✅ Multiple platform support
  • ✅ Professional distribution

Recommended Implementation Plan

Phase 1: PKG Implementation (Immediate)

  1. Add PKG configuration (✅ Done)
  2. Set up GitHub Actions for automated builds
  3. Create releases with pre-built executables
  4. Update documentation

Phase 2: Professional Installers (Optional)

  1. MSI installer for Windows using WiX or Electron
  2. Code signing for trust
  3. Auto-updater functionality

File Size Considerations

  • PKG executable: ~50-80MB (includes Node.js runtime)
  • Can be reduced with webpack bundling
  • Still smaller than many desktop apps

Distribution Channels

  1. GitHub Releases (Primary)

    • Pre-built executables for download
    • Checksums for verification

  2. Chocolatey (Windows)

    • choco install ghec-sso-cli

  3. Homebrew (macOS)

    • brew install ghec-sso-cli

  4. Winget (Windows)

    • winget install ghec-sso-cli

Security Considerations

  • Code signing for Windows executables
  • Checksums for download verification
  • GitHub's security scanning for releases