update docs for building electron app and remove old method

README.md

@@ -124,12 +124,19 @@ python web.py --identity-base64 "GCN6mMhVemdNIK/fw97C1zvU17qjQPFTXRBotVckeGmoOwQ
 
 > NOTE: this is a randomly generated identity for example purposes. Do not use it, it has been leaked!
 
-## Build from Source
+## Build Electron Application
 
-- `build_macos.sh` - Builds a `.dmg` containing a `.app`
-- `build_windows.bat` - Builds a `.msi` Windows Installer
+Reticulum WebChat can be run via a command line, as explained above, or as a standalone Electron app.
 
-> Note: `build_macos.sh` must be run on a Mac, and `build_windows.bat` must be run on a Windows PC.
+To run as a standalone application, we need to compile the python application to an executable with [cxfreeze](https://github.com/marcelotduarte/cx_Freeze) and then build an [electron](https://www.electronjs.org/) app which includes a bundled browser that can interact with the compiled python executable.
+
+To build a `.dmg` containing a `.app` for Mac, run the following:
+
+```
+npm run dist
+```
+
+> Note: cxfreeze only supports building an executable for the current platform. You will need a Mac to build for Mac, and a Windows PC to build for Windows.
 
 ## TODO
 

build_macos.sh

@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-
-# ensure macos/ReticulumWebChat.sh is executable before the cxfreeze copies it inside the .app
-chmod +x macos/ReticulumWebChat.sh
-
-# build macos .app and put in .dmg
-python setup.py bdist_dmg
-
-# todo codesign?

macos/ReticulumWebChat.sh

@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-
-# references for making a macOS .app that runs a shell script
-# https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/407885
-# https://github.com/Whisky-App/Whisky/issues/107#issuecomment-1592934039
-# https://stackoverflow.com/a/71875958
-# https://stackoverflow.com/a/5756763
-
-# get path to directory where this script is currently executing from
-# we are expecting this to be "ReticulumWebChat.app/Contents/MacOS"
-ABSPATH=$(cd "$(dirname "$0")"; pwd -P)
-
-# path to the actual executable that we want to run as a console application (via Terminal)
-EXE="$ABSPATH/ReticulumWebChat"
-
-# open actual executable in terminal
-# we also provide a custom storage dir within the user home directory
-osascript -e "
-    tell app \"Terminal\"
-        do script \"$EXE --storage-dir ~/.reticulum-webchat; exit $?\"
-        activate
-    end tell
-"

setup.py

@@ -43,17 +43,5 @@ setup(
             # use a static upgrade code to allow installer to remove existing files on upgrade
             'upgrade_code': '{6c69616d-ae73-460c-88e8-399b3134134e}',
         },
-        'bdist_mac': {
-            'bundle_name': 'ReticulumWebChat', # creates ReticulumWebChat.app
-            'iconfile': 'macos/icon.icns',
-            'include_resources': [
-                # we use this script to launch as a terminal app
-                ('macos/ReticulumWebChat.sh', '../MacOS/ReticulumWebChat.sh'),
-            ],
-            'plist_items': [
-                # we want ReticulumWebChat.app to execute ReticulumWebChat.sh instead of the python binary, as we need to launch it via terminal
-                ('CFBundleExecutable', 'ReticulumWebChat.sh'),
-            ],
-        },
     },
 )