Installing and running an AIR application from the desktop

You can simply send the AIR file to the recipient. For example, you can send the AIR file as an e-mail attachment or as a link in a web page.

Once the user downloads the AIR application, the user follows these instructions to install it:

  1. Double-click the AIR file.

    The Adobe AIR must already be installed on the computer.

  2. In the Installation window, leave the default settings selected, and then click Continue.

    In Windows, AIR automatically does the following:

    • Installs the application into the Program Files directory

    • Creates a desktop shortcut for application

    • Creates a Start Menu shortcut

    • Adds an entry for application in the Add / Remove Programs Control Panel

    In the Mac OS, by default the application is added to the Applications directory.

    If the application is already installed, the installer gives the user the choice of opening the existing version of the application or updating to the version in the downloaded AIR file. The installer identifies the application using the application ID and publisher ID in the AIR file.

  3. When the installation is complete, click Finish.

On Mac OS, to install an updated version of an application, the user needs adequate system privileges to install to the application directory. On Windows, a user needs administrative privileges.

An application can also install a new version via ActionScript or JavaScript. For more information, see Updating AIR applications.

Once the AIR application is installed, a user simply double-clicks the application icon to run it, just like any other desktop application.

  • On Windows, double-click the application’s icon (which is either installed on the desktop or in a folder) or select the application from the Start menu.

  • On Mac OS, double-click the application in the folder in which it was installed. The default installation directory is the /Applications directory.

The AIR seamless install feature lets a user install an AIR application by clicking a link in a web page. The AIR browser invocation features lets a user run an installed AIR application by clicking a link in a web page. These features are described in the following section.