Java application installer for linux

Question

How can I create a linux installer for java desktop application? for an instance if we want to install netbeans on ubuntu there is a download which is named as "netbeans-6.8-ml-java-linux.sh" so how can i create "mydesktopapp-linux.sh" i have the properly working .jar file i want to distribute my java desktop app. Can anyone help me?

Answer 1

I recommend you to have a look at IzPack. IzPack is a one-stop solution for packaging, distributing and deploying applications.

It is fully cross-platform and generates a single installer. As such, it is an alternative to native solutions such as platform-specific installers and package managers.

There are many other alternatives, but IMO IzPack is as good as they get and is completely free. If your app targets only Unix/Linux hosts you might consider creating native packages like RPM, DEB, etc...