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10. Main Screen

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Valéry Letroye edited this page Feb 18, 2021 · 10 revisions

The main screen is 1024x768 by default. It can be enlarged but not reduced. Most optional fields are hidden by default and only visible if the option 'Advanced Editor' is selected in the menu 'Package'.

The main screen shows:

  1. in the upper part: information related to the 'INFO' file and
  2. in the lower part: the 'config' file of a Package.

Via the menus, one can create and edit the various installation/upgrade/uninstallation scripts and the Wizard UI screens and scripts.

Everything (INFO, config, scripts, Wizards UI, ...) is stored under a folder named <Package Root> for illustration purpose (see the section "Menus" for details). The structure of this folder matches with the required structure to create a Package.

There are also menus to create the SPK file (The actual Package), edit the 'License' and 'Change Log', ...

1. Tips area

At the bottom of the main screen, you can see an area named TIPS. Each field of the Main Screen, as well as each menu and each button has its own tooltip. Moving the mouse over any one, or entering any field, will display its tooltip in the TIPS area. Ex.: for the 'Delete' button:

2. Package Information area

In this area, you have to define all Package's parameters required to create its INFO file including mandatory information, optional information and icons.

Some parameters are validated when the focus move to another field. The Package cannot be saved as long as there is any invalid parameter. Invalid parameters are displayed with an clear exclamation mark as illustrated bellow.

2.1. Information

Mandatory Information

  1. Package Name: name used to install the package on your Synology, under the folder /var/packages/. It cannot be empty or contain spaces or special characters like : / > < | or =. If you leave the field while it's empty, a default value 'Enter_A_Value' is set. If there are spaces, they are replaced with underscores. If the Package Name is not valid, you will see an exclamation mark next to it and an error message in the TIPS area and/or in a tooltip. When you leave the field, the DSM Name (see further) is automatically adapted if it contains the previous Package Name. The path of the various items in the "Item Information" area (See further too) are also automatically adapted if they contains the previous Package Name.

Normally, spaces are authorized in the name of the Package. But this is not supported by my Mods Packager.

  1. Display Name: name displayed in the Package Center. It may contain special characters (except double quotes) and spaces but may not be blank. IF you leave the field while it's empty, the is copied as (underscores being replaced by spaces).

  2. Version: a format like #.#-#### is required by my Mods Packager. If you open an existing package whose version has another format, my Mods Packager will try to convert it into #.#-####. If you type a format like #.#.#, it will ne rewritten into #.#-####. Notice that each time you will regenerate the SPK file (See Menus), the version will be automatically incremented (Ex. from 1.1-0001 to 1.1-0002). This is to be sure that installing the new SPK will not result in troubles (Some changes are sometimes not visible if the package has the same version as the previous one)

  3. Earliest Firmware: is the earliest version of the DSM firmware required to run your package. It must be like #.#-####. The same format validation/correction as for the Version applies. Notice that this value is used both as firmware (required by 2.3-118 < DSM < 6.1-14715) and os_min_ver (required by DSM >= 6.1-14715).

  4. Description: short description of the Package to be displayed in the Package Center.

  5. Arch: This is the List of CPU's able to run your Package. By default, this field has the value 'noarch' meaning that your package can be installed on a Synology with any kind of CPU. You can either edit that field manually, separating each arch value with a space. Or you can double click the field to view a list of existing CPU's in a popup screen. You can select the target CPU's in that list (I did copy it from the SSPKS Package - 'Simple SPK Server').

  1. Developer's Name: This is the name of the 'maintainer' of the Package. It is displayed when you click on the package in the Package Center (See 'vletroye' in the illustration picture, bellow under "Developer")

  2. Publisher's Name: This is the name of the 'distributor' of the Package (Most probably you as being the person who creates the package). It is displayed when you click on the package in the Package Center (See 'vletroye' in the illustration picture bellow, under "Publisher"). Notice that My Mods Packager has made this field mandatory.

Optional Information

  1. DSM Name: This must be a unique name, usually like SYNO.SDS._ThirdParty.App., without spaces or special characters.

  2. Developer's Url: If a package has a developer webpage, Package Center will show a link on the Developer's name to let users access it (See 'Developer's Name' on the illustration picture bellow).

  3. Publisher's URL: If a package is installed and has a publisher webpage, Package Center will show a link on the Publisher's name to let users access it (See 'Your own name' on the illustration picture bellow).

  4. Help & How-To Url: If a package is installed and has a help webpage, Package Center will show a link 'Help & How-To', next to a question mark, to let users access it (See illustration picture bellow).

  5. Support Url: If a package is installed and has a support webpage, Package Center will show a link 'Support', next to an enveloppe, to let users access it (See illustration picture bellow).

  1. Beta & Report Url: If you flag the Package has Beta, user will have to change Package Center's settings to see it on a SPK Server. Once installed, he will see a link 'Feedback' in Package Center's List of Packages to open the Report Url(See illustration picture above). This will override the Support Url if any.

  1. Support Center: If you select this option, the link 'Feedback' won't open the Support Url or Report Url, but the Synology Support Center Application instead.

  2. Model: This is the List of Synology Models's able to run your Package. By default, this field is empty, meaning that your package can be installed on any model. You can either edit that field manually, separating each value with a space. Or you can double click the field to view a list of existing models in a popup screen. You can select the target models in that list (I did copy it from the SSPKS Package - 'Simple SPK Server'). Notice that the values to be used are actually like synbology__.

  3. exclude_arch: read about 'arch' above and fill similarly this field, but with CPU which cannot run your package.

  4. Latest Firmware: is the latest version of the DSM firmware able to run your package. It must be like #.#-####. The same format validation/correction as for the Version applies. Notice that this value is as os_min_ver (optional since DSM >= 6.1-14715).

Others parameters supported: precheckstartstop, install_rebootv silent_installv silent_upgrade, silent_uninstall, offline_install

Parameters hardcoded (can possibly be edited via the "Advanced" button):

  • thirdparty = "yes"
  • reloadui = "yes"
  • install_dep_services = "Init_3rdparty>=1.5". This PAckaeg is a prerequisite to be able to install Packages installed with My Mods Packager.
  • startstop_restart_services = "apache-sys apache-web"

Not yet supported parameters:

  • There is currently no support to enter a Display Name and a Description for other languages than English.
  • There is currently no support to edit: install_dep_packages, install_conflict_packages, install_break_packages, install_replace_packages, instuninst_restart_services, startstop_restart_services, start_dep_services, install_dep_services, support_conf_folder, install_type, extractsize, auto_upgrade_from
  • adminport, adminurl, adminprotocol and checkport are not yet supported. But you can add and edit them via the "Advance" button (See details further)

Notice:

  • When deploying a new version of a package with new support url or report url, the previous urls are sometimes still displayed... You possibly have to refresh your browser.
  • dsmuidir is set to 'ui' by default and may not be edited. All the UI information (including the 'config' file) encoded via the "Item Information" area (see bellow) will be stored under \package<dsmuidir>. This folder is copied onto your NAS in /var/pacakges//target/ during the installation of the Package. And that folder is automatically linked to the DSM UI folder in /usr/syno/synoman/webman/3rdparty/ to show your package's shortcut in DSM after the package is started.
  • You can click on the label in front of any url's to open that url in a browser

2.2. Package Icons

To set Icons for the Package, Drag & Drop images on the large and small empty squares on the right side of the 'Package Information' area. Those images can be bmp,jpg or png. If you prefer, you can also double click those squares to browse for images.

When an image is dropped on an area, you are prompted to possibly make its background transparent. If you answer yes, my Mods Packager is actually not very smart: it considers the color of the most top-left pixel as the background color and makes transparent all colors _quite _similar; 'quite' being defined by a transparency value which must be set in the combobox at the bottom-right of the main screen.

Next, the image is resized if required to fit respectively the size 256x256px and 72x72px.

Notice that it is not saved immediately in the Package! You must click on the menu 'Files > Save' to store the image in the Package (See Menus for details).

The icons are stored in the folder respectively as PACKAGE_ICON_256.PNG and PACKAGE_ICON.PNG

Example with two distinct icons:

The small image, illustrated here above, will be used as icon in the list of installed packages within Package Center. The large one will be used in the details window opened by clicking on the installed package.

list of installed package within Package Center:

Details window:

2.3. Buttons

  1. Advanced: Not all parameters of the INFO file can be edited via the Main Screen. When opening a Package, a warning message will displayed if there is any parameter not yet supported. You can however edit those by clicking on the 'Advanced' button. See the section 'Advanced Editor Window' bellow for further details.
  2. Reset:
  3. Publish:

3. Item Information area

In this area, you have to define all Package's details required to create its Config file.

3.1. Item List

3.2. Buttons

  1. Add:
  2. Delete:
  3. Edit:
  4. Cancel:
  5. Save:

3.3. Icons

  1. Icons area:
  2. Same Icon for all size:
  3. Transparency:

4. Menus

4.1. Files

  1. New
  2. Open
  3. Open Recent
  4. Import
  5. Close
  6. Save
  7. Exit

4.2. Package

This menu is disabled if no Package is opened.

  1. Reset
  2. Move
  3. Delete
  4. Create Wizard
  5. Generate
  6. Open Folder
  7. Advanced Editor

4.3. Edit

This menu is disabled if no Package is opened.

  1. DefaultRunner
  2. Start-Stop Script: Can be used also to execute code during system boot and shutdown as mentioned here.
  3. Pre-Install Script
  4. Post-Install Script
  5. Pre-Uninstall Script
  6. Post-Uninstall Script
  7. Pre-Upgrade Script
  8. Post-Upgrade Script
  9. Wizard-Install UI
  10. Wizard-Uninstall UI
  11. Wizard-Upgrade UI

4.4. Help

  1. Mods Wiki
  2. Mods Support
  3. Synology DevGuide: (NB.: this online guide's table of content only works fine within IE)
  4. About
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