Adobe Air and the EULA

Bringing the .telexer app to market, it seems Adobe Air isn’t quite grown up yet in this respect

An Air application is a wonderful thing. It is able to run on Windows, Mac and Linux. I built Flash apps for the desktop before, and got a lot of comments about the Windows-only install. It seems only natural now that people can install the same flash app (or Flex, or javascript) across those three OS’es. Air uses its Independent Runtime to enable that, hence the name.

It also comes with its own installer, that checks to see if the app is already installed, if it’s an older version, if it’s running already… great! The Air installer offers great advantages for users: it looks cool and it gives the user a precise and efficient experience.

Strange then, that Adobe only seems to think about its own interests in the Air install process. When a user does not have the Air runtime installed, the installer offers to do so for him – and next, presents the user with an Adobe EULA for the Air runtime. But continuing, then there’s NO way I can add my own app’s EULA to the install process! The Air installer API just doesn’t have any means of adding it.

Here’s an Adobe forums page discussing possible solutions: Show own EULA before installing Air app

I think that would mean I produce three installer files, three wrappers for each OS platform, with a script to show my app’s EULA. Awkward, and not at all in the “independent runtime” spirit. Also so totally unneccessary – I only want to display some text! This feels like telling your users: “Hey, wanna test drive this nice new car that I have for sale? Here’s a rusty old crank handle to start it”. Shame on you, Adobe.

So, having made a commercial app and actively trying to bring it to market, this means that technically I can never comply with CNET’s terms of service at Upload.com. They state that my user must be presented with a EULA *before* installing commences. Upload.com is the largest software repository and I can’t submit my Air app to them? (Am trying though!) Shame on you, Adobe!

Also, many software download sites don’t want a link to a page with a download badge on it – they *only* accept a direct link to the install file itself. This is of course a problem of those software sites and their somewhat outdated idea of software . But it leaves something to be desired. I’m presenting users with an app download that in all probability will leave them puzzled (.air? What’s that then?). The downloaded .air file will not do anything without the runtime already installed (like a flash plugin), and there is no feedback, let alone the nice automated runtime install that you get with a click on the “install now” Air badge.

I can only *hope* that people come to the site and install from there.

In 2003 I was able to add a EULA (before) and a readme file (after) to the install process, when I used ScreenWeaver to produce a Windows-only desktop wrapper. Now, I can only detect a first-time install by way of a work-around, and display something after the install has already taken place. It seems to me that even in a *free* app, you’d want to be able to show a custom message *before* install!

Then there are the two great red warning signs that are flipped to the unwary user during install. The first one warns that the app is not signed by any known party, the second warns of all that devious system access that the app will get. To get rid or the “unsigned” warning, you can get a certificate. (Digitally signing Adobe Air applications) The thing is – there are only three or four companies currently selling Air certificates, and the lowest price is $199. Alternatively, you could sign up to Adobe Air Marketplace and you *might* get a free certificate – I’m not sure if the offer is still valid though.

But there seems to be no way to make that second system access warning any friendlier.
Although Air is not installing any dll’s that could crash a system or make it unsafe, and my app certainly isn’t doing any dodgy things on a user’s system, Adobe feels the need to scare my users with red flags of danger during install. I wonder why. I really wonder why Adobe needs to piss on its own shoes in this way.

Seeing that the Air install process has not taken care of any of these issues, it seems to me that Adobe Air was never meant to be used for commercial apps. Why ever not? Yes, I am aware of the Adobe Air Marketplace, but it’s daft to expect me to be using that as single outlet for my app.

Air is wonderful, and I really hope all the best for it, but it seems Air is just not quite *grown up* yet in this respect.