• Echo Dot@feddit.uk
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    14
    arrow-down
    25
    ·
    9 months ago

    I kind of agree with the Reddit post. Like how hard is it to just provide a simple download button? Obviously if it’s an open source project and still in development there’s not a lot of utility in doing that, but there are situations where there will be a plug-in for a program and it’s been distributed via github.

    And it’s got a terrible UI, I can never remember where the download zip button is, because it’s not obvious.

    • magic_lobster_party@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      15
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      9 months ago

      Because making proper executables working on all machines is just extra maintenance work. They probably just wanted to code something and share it to the world without that extra headache.

      • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        10
        ·
        9 months ago

        Unless you’re running it very low level code no it’s not.

        If it’s anything that is in c++ or java You’re basically making me copy paste your code into a compiler and then pressing compile the end result will be identical to the one you would have given me.

        • magic_lobster_party@kbin.social
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          11
          ·
          9 months ago

          It’s not if you want to compile for Windows, Linux and Mac at the same time, with x86, x64 and ARM support. Cross compiling can often be a big annoyance to set up.

          And this is a Python project. Making stand alone executables for Python projects is rare.

          • PoolloverNathan@programming.dev
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            arrow-down
            3
            ·
            edit-2
            9 months ago

            GitHub public repositories get free build runners for all of those except ARM and aren’t that hard to set up (for compiled languages of course).

    • janAkali@lemmy.one
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      13
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      edit-2
      9 months ago

      Github is not a software distribution platform, it was never meant to be one. It’s a developer platform for code distribution and collaboration. And UI is designed around that.

      A lot of projects use it as a distribution platform, but they’re wrong - it’s always better to have a web page with simple download button for casual “ordinary” people.

      But, this case is special: this mostly harmless tool is designed and almost exclusively used to stalk / doxx / hack people =|. So, it’s not in developers interest to make it widely available and easy to install.

      • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        11
        ·
        9 months ago

        You’re full of contradictions. “It’s not a distribution platform it’s another kind of distribution platform.” Nevermind the fact that it has a “releases” feature designed to provide a somewhat easy way to distribute software however the dev wants to use it.

        Then “it’s a mostly harmless script designed to commit crimes.” Do you know what harmless means?

        • janAkali@lemmy.one
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          8
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          9 months ago

          Sorry, I meant to write that Github is not a software distribution, but a code distribution platform.

          And ‘mostly harmless’ as in it’s not inherently malicious - you can use it for harmless stuff. It’s merely a tool.

          • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            arrow-down
            6
            ·
            9 months ago

            Also I don’t really follow how it makes sense that the UI should be bad if they only meant for it to be used with code. Developers are humans too, and the GitHub UI is not great. I use it all the time and still get confused by some of the dumb UI decisions they have made.

            • MotoAsh@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              6
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              9 months ago

              Not having a download button being front and center has never been one of them.

          • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            10
            ·
            9 months ago

            Well software is code.

            And you did say ‘designed’ re: the Sherlock script