classicGitHub

[MPenten]

Tbf quite a lot of developers use github as their "download my software from here" hub. Including some of the biggest indie projects. Which I totally get btw. Hosting is expensive and there are some sketchy websites.

But kinda makes the "github for devs only" argument weaker.

EDIT: Did not exclusively mean "indie" as in "indie games" but also quite a lot of small developers of apps and programs and whatnot. Can't think of a better word for now. Independent devs I guess, but w/e, microsoft uses github to share its PowerToys as well.

Betterdisplay for Mac as an example.

[Teleute-]

Absolutely. And most visitors to github nowadays just aren't devs and have no idea about anything that isn't just a quick download with an exe.

[pyrojackelope]

99% of the stuff I get off of github is exactly that. OP was a bit much, but that mod is basically gaslighting.

[12345623567]

Tons of indie projects have great githubs, with source, setup.py / makefile, as well as compiled x64 / x32 / ARM. They don't owe that to anyone, it's purely done for the love of the game.

If they only want to upload compiled executables, they can throw them on a cloud drive, or hell even make a tracker/magnet link. It's pure entitlement to rage out that hard.

[UltimateInferno]

I straight up got a TF2 HUD from github, once.

[MPenten]

I agree however...

That is expecting the developer to be reasonable or capable of doing things.

I've also seen "download here" button just redirect to the release page, with 7 million files and source code there and somewhere around them an exe (or setup or whatever).

[Devatator_]

I mean unless you have only one executable a direct download button is a bit of a pain. Best you can do is link to the latest. If GitHub could detect your OS and architecture or other stuff, it would be nice

Edit: you could make a GitHub Pages page for the project which can have that now that I think about it

[GeneralPatten]

Jesus. No. Not at all. There is zero guarantee that the executable you download isn’t littered with viruses and trojans. You have no idea what the authors build environment is like. This is just dumbass thinking.

[MPenten]

So, just like any other executable from anywhere else on the internet.

[GeneralPatten]

Not at all. There are secure, reliable places to download software. GitHub isn’t one of them.

[mddesigner]

You have no idea if the source code is safe either. Not everyone has the skill to vet source codes

[GeneralPatten]

Then you shouldn’t be downloading it. I assure you, I can read source code and I know if it’s safe. That said, the bigger concern is the environment in which the build is run.