The first release of the Lite Catalog application has been published, implementing an interface for searching and installing open and free applications assembled for the Windows platform. Simultaneously, the project maintains a git repository with a catalog currently featuring 141 applications. For some programs, archived versions compatible with older Windows releases are available.
The project does not create or distribute builds with its own resources, but contains metadata with links to the original installation files prepared by the main developers of the presented programs. The metadata also includes accompanying information such as descriptions, screenshots, links to repositories, and websites. To verify the authenticity and integrity of uploaded files for most projects, additional verification using the SHA1 hash, separately stored in the metadata, is performed.
Applications are divided into 7 categories, and if desired, you can choose and download a program without launching the graphical interface of the catalog by finding the necessary program in the appropriate section of the repository on GitHub and determining the file for download from the ini file with metadata. When using the Lite Catalog application, auto-installation of portable application builds is possible—archives (zip, 7z, rar) are automatically extracted by default to the C:\Programs\ directory, creating shortcuts on the desktop.
The graphical interface code is written in Pascal and is distributed under a restrictive license that allows for use, distribution, and code study. Code modifications are permitted in the original repository, but separate distribution of modified versions requires obtaining permission from the author.
Source: opennet.ru
