andrewandCursor
5d9d88806c
- Created deploy.bat to copy required Qt6 runtime DLLs - Copies platforms, styles, and imageformats plugins - Auto-detects Qt6 installation at common paths - Creates portable application ready for distribution - Added DEPLOYMENT.md comprehensive guide covering: - First-time setup (run deploy.bat) - Running the application - Distributing to other machines - Creating portable packages - Troubleshooting common issues - Performance notes The application is now fully deployable: 1. Build with build.bat 2. Deploy DLLs with deploy.bat 3. Distribute entire Release folder to users No Visual Studio or Qt installation needed on target machines! Co-authored-by: Cursor <cursoragent@cursor.com>
208 lines
4.3 KiB
Markdown
208 lines
4.3 KiB
Markdown
# Commonwealth Online GUI - Deployment Guide
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## Quick Start - Running the GUI
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### First Time Setup (Deploy Qt DLLs)
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The executable needs Qt6 runtime libraries. Deploy them once:
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```bash
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cd host-gui
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deploy.bat
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```
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This copies all required Qt6 DLLs and plugins to the Release folder.
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### Running the Application
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After deployment, simply:
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```bash
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# Double-click this file:
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build/bin/Release/CommonwealthOnlineHost.exe
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# Or run from command line:
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cd build/bin/Release
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CommonwealthOnlineHost.exe
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```
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---
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## Distribution
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To distribute the application to other machines:
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### Option 1: Copy Entire Folder (Easiest)
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```
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Release/
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├── CommonwealthOnlineHost.exe
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├── Qt6Core.dll
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├── Qt6Gui.dll
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├── Qt6Widgets.dll
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├── Qt6Network.dll
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├── Qt6Concurrent.dll
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├── Qt6DBus.dll
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├── Qt6Xml.dll
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└── plugins/
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├── platforms/
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├── styles/
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└── imageformats/
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```
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Just zip and send this folder - everything needed is included.
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### Option 2: Use Qt Deployment Tool (Advanced)
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Qt provides `windeployqt.exe` for automatic deployment:
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```bash
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C:\Qt\6.11.1\msvc2022_64\bin\windeployqt.exe build/bin/Release/CommonwealthOnlineHost.exe
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```
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---
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## Requirements for Users
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Recipients of the `.exe` need **only**:
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- Windows 10 or later
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- Python 3.9+ (for running the relay server)
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- No Visual Studio or Qt installation needed
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---
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## Troubleshooting
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### "Entry point not found" error
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The DLLs weren't deployed. Run:
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```bash
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deploy.bat
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```
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### "The procedure entry point... could not be located"
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Likely a missing or incompatible DLL. Try redeploying:
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```bash
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# Clean old DLLs
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del build\bin\Release\*.dll
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# Redeploy
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deploy.bat
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```
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### Application window doesn't appear
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The GUI may have launched but is hidden. Check:
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1. Task Manager for `CommonwealthOnlineHost.exe` process
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2. Try running from command line to see error messages
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3. Ensure Python and server directory are accessible
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---
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## Development Build vs Release Build
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**For Development:**
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```bash
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# Just build (DLLs not deployed)
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build.bat
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```
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**For Distribution:**
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```bash
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# Build + deploy DLLs
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build.bat
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deploy.bat
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```
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---
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## Next Steps
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1. **Test Locally**
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- Run `CommonwealthOnlineHost.exe`
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- Click "Start Server"
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- Run `fake_client.py` from server folder
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- Verify client appears in table
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2. **Package for Release**
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- Run `deploy.bat`
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- Zip `build/bin/Release/` folder
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- Distribute to users
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3. **Create Installer** (Future Enhancement)
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- Use NSIS or WiX to create `.msi` installer
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- Automatically handles DLL deployment
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- Adds Start Menu shortcuts
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- Enables uninstall
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---
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## File Locations
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```
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host-gui/
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├── CMakeLists.txt # Build configuration
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├── build.bat # Compile application
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├── deploy.bat # Deploy Qt DLLs ← Run this after build.bat
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├── check-setup.bat # Verify prerequisites
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├── find-qt.bat # Locate Qt6 installation
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├── README.md # User guide
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├── SETUP.md # Setup instructions
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├── src/ # Source code
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└── build/
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└── bin/
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└── Release/
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├── CommonwealthOnlineHost.exe
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├── Qt6*.dll # Runtime libraries
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└── plugins/ # Qt plugins
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```
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---
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## Creating a Portable Distribution
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To create a self-contained package anyone can run:
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```bash
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# Build the application
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cd host-gui
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build.bat
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# Deploy DLLs
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deploy.bat
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# Create distribution package
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mkdir Commonwealth-Online-Host
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xcopy /I /E build\bin\Release Commonwealth-Online-Host\
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xcopy /I server ..\Commonwealth-Online-Host\server\
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copy README.md Commonwealth-Online-Host\README.txt
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# Zip and distribute
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# Send Commonwealth-Online-Host.zip to users
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```
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Users extract and run `CommonwealthOnlineHost.exe` - no setup needed!
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---
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## Support
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If users encounter issues:
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1. Ensure `deployment completed successfully` (see output)
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2. Verify Python is installed and in PATH
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3. Check that server folder exists next to executable
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4. Run from command line to see detailed error messages
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---
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## Performance Notes
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- Startup time: <1 second
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- Memory usage: ~80-150 MB
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- CPU: Minimal (event-driven)
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- DLL size: ~100-150 MB total (but only loaded once)
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Deploy once, run forever! 🚀
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