Allow multiple distributions per file?

[NathanKell]

Let's take RSS as an example. I would like to release a file that includes both RSS itself and some required dependencies. However, each of those dependencies are themselves distributions.

As not all users will use the preferred means of distribution, and we would like mods installed through means other than this to be recognized by this, it seems of decent importance that this (issue) be possible.

[pjf]

+1 Agreed. Bundling MM is exceedingly common, and it's common to see things like the Open Resource System bundled with Karbonite or the Modular Kolonization System.

[pjf]

Right now I'm using something similar to this:

    "install" : [
        {
            "file"       : "RealSolarSystem",
            "install_to" : "GameData"
        }
    ],
    "bundles" : [
        {
            "file"       : "ModuleManager.2.3.3.dll",
            "name"       : "ModuleManager",
            "version"    : "v2.3.3",
            "install_to" : "GameData",
            "license"    : "CC-BY-SA",
            "required"   : true
        },
        {
            "file"       : "CustomBiomes",
            "name"       : "CustomBiomes",
            "version"    : "v1.6.6",
            "install_to" : "GameData",
            "license"    : "CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0",
            "required"   : false
        }
    ]

Things in the install stanza are ours, and inherit the meta-info from the main document. Things in the bundled stanza are things we've bundled up. Right now they have reduced meta-data. If we've already got them installed separately, we skip the install.

Note that something which overwrites a file (like RealismOverhaul overwriting TACLS config¹) isn't a bundle, it goes in install (and will be appropriately marked up to say that it needs TACLS to overwrite).

---

¹ This always makes me weep. I wish TACLS allowed config via MM.

[pjf]

I'm pretty sure we've got this mostly designed to a state I'm happy with. We provide bundles stanzas which allow us to indicate that some things are bundled, and those can be skipped if we know they're already installed, or a later version is installed.

#3 has discussion on how we retain state on bundled mods, and I've still got to figure out what to do about mods which are commonly bundled in an incomplete state (eg: Firespitter).

There's also a question of what to do if a mod is broken up over multiple files in the same directory as another mod, which is what we see in a few USI releases. In those cases, I think we need to extend the spec so that the file field can refer to multiple files rather than just a single one.

[pjf]

And closing this now, since most of the remaining issues are in the other tickets.

(As always, re-open if you think this is in error)