Add conda-constructor packaging infrastructure

.github/workflows/build_installers.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+name: Build Installers
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      ref:
+        description: "Git ref to build from (tag or branch, e.g., v2026.2.18)"
+        required: false
+        type: string
+      channels:
+        description: "Conda channels (space-separated, e.g., 'conda-forge royerlab')"
+        required: false
+        default: "conda-forge"
+        type: string
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [main]
+    paths:
+      - "packaging/**"
+      - ".github/workflows/build_installers.yml"
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    name: Build (${{ matrix.platform }})
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        include:
+          - os: ubuntu-latest
+            platform: linux-64
+          - os: macos-14
+            platform: osx-arm64
+          - os: windows-latest
+            platform: win-64
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          ref: ${{ inputs.ref || github.sha }}
+
+      - name: Set up Miniconda
+        uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v3
+        with:
+          miniforge-version: latest
+          activate-environment: aydin-build-installer
+          environment-file: packaging/environments/build_installer.yml
+          auto-activate-base: false
+
+      - name: Generate icons
+        shell: bash -l {0}
+        run: python packaging/scripts/generate_icons.py
+
+      - name: Build installer (dry run on PR)
+        if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+        shell: bash -l {0}
+        run: |
+          python packaging/build_installer.py \
+            --output-dir _work \
+            --dry-run
+
+      - name: Build installer
+        if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
+        shell: bash -l {0}
+        run: |
+          CHANNELS="${{ inputs.channels || 'conda-forge' }}"
+          python packaging/build_installer.py \
+            --output-dir _work \
+            --channels $CHANNELS
+
+      - name: Smoke test installer (Linux)
+        if: matrix.platform == 'linux-64' && github.event_name != 'pull_request'
+        shell: bash -l {0}
+        run: |
+          INSTALLER=$(ls _work/AydinStudio-*.sh 2>/dev/null | head -1)
+          if [ -n "$INSTALLER" ]; then
+            echo "Testing installer: $INSTALLER"
+            bash "$INSTALLER" -b -p /tmp/aydin-test
+            /tmp/aydin-test/bin/aydin --version
+            echo "Smoke test passed!"
+          fi
+
+      - name: Upload installer artifact
+        if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: installer-${{ matrix.platform }}
+          path: |
+            _work/AydinStudio-*
+          if-no-files-found: warn
+          retention-days: 30
+
+  attach-to-release:
+    name: Attach to GitHub Release
+    needs: build
+    if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && startsWith(inputs.ref, 'v')
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          path: installers/
+          merge-multiple: true
+
+      - name: Upload installers to release
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+        run: |
+          TAG="${{ inputs.ref }}"
+          echo "Uploading installers to release $TAG"
+          ls -la installers/
+          gh release upload "$TAG" installers/AydinStudio-* --clobber \
+            --repo "${{ github.repository }}" || echo "Warning: upload failed (release may not exist yet)"

.gitignore

@@ -112,8 +112,14 @@ demo_results/
 .zgroup
 *.png
 !docs/source/resources/**/*.png
+!packaging/icons/*.png
+!packaging/icons/*.ico
+!packaging/icons/*.icns
 
 src/aydin/_version.py
 
 # Temporary working directories
 delme/
+
+# Conda-constructor build artifacts
+_work/

Makefile

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.PHONY: help setup install install-dev test test-cov test-cov-check test-heavy test-gpu test-unstable test-gui check format format-check lint validate clean build publish publish-patch docs docs-screenshots docs-build docs-publish docker-build docker-build-cli docker-build-gpu docker-build-studio docker-run-studio docker-test docker-test-all
+.PHONY: help setup install install-dev test test-cov test-cov-check test-heavy test-gpu test-unstable test-gui check format format-check lint validate clean build publish publish-patch docs docs-screenshots docs-build docs-publish docker-build docker-build-cli docker-build-gpu docker-build-studio docker-run-studio docker-test docker-test-all installer installer-icons installer-env installer-clean
 
 help:
 	@echo "Available commands:"
@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@ help:
 	@echo "  make docker-test         - Build + smoke test CLI image"
 	@echo "  make docker-test-all     - Build + smoke test CLI + Studio images"
 	@echo ""
+	@echo "Conda Packaging:"
+	@echo "  make installer       - Build native installer for current platform"
+	@echo "  make installer-icons - Generate .ico and .icns from source PNG"
+	@echo "  make installer-env   - Create conda env with build tools"
+	@echo "  make installer-clean - Clean installer build artifacts"
+	@echo ""
 	@echo "Documentation:"
 	@echo "  make docs          - Build HTML docs (regenerates screenshots first)"
 	@echo "  make docs-screenshots - Regenerate napari plugin screenshots only"
@@ -177,6 +183,19 @@ docker-test-all:
 	@command -v docker >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo "Error: Docker is not installed."; exit 1; }
 	./docker/test-smoke.sh --all
 
+# Conda packaging (native installers via conda-constructor)
+installer: installer-icons
+	python packaging/build_installer.py --output-dir _work
+
+installer-icons:
+	python packaging/scripts/generate_icons.py
+
+installer-env:
+	conda env create -f packaging/environments/build_installer.yml --force
+
+installer-clean:
+	rm -rf _work/
+
 publish-patch: validate
 	@echo "Current version: $(CURRENT_VERSION)"
 	@command -v gh >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo "Error: GitHub CLI (gh) is required. Install from https://cli.github.com"; exit 1; }

packaging/LICENSE.rtf

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0
+{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss Helvetica;}{\f1\fmodern Courier New;}}
+{\colortbl;\red0\green0\blue0;}
+\f0\fs24
+\b BSD 3-Clause License\b0\par
+\par
+Copyright (c) 2022, Aydin\par
+All rights reserved.\par
+\par
+Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:\par
+\par
+\bullet  Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.\par
+\par
+\bullet  Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.\par
+\par
+\bullet  Neither the name of the copyright holder nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.\par
+\par
+THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.\par
+}

packaging/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+# Conda-Constructor Packaging
+
+This directory contains everything needed to build native OS installers for **Aydin Studio** using [conda-constructor](https://github.com/conda/constructor).
+
+| Platform | Format | Output |
+|----------|--------|--------|
+| Linux x86_64 | `.sh` | Shell script installer |
+| macOS ARM64 | `.pkg` | Native macOS GUI installer |
+| Windows x64 | `.exe` | NSIS-based GUI installer |
+
+## Architecture
+
+The installer creates a single conda environment containing Python, Aydin, and all dependencies. A desktop shortcut ("Aydin Studio") is created via [menuinst](https://github.com/conda/menuinst) v2.
+
+```
+packaging/
+  build_installer.py           # Generates construct.yaml and invokes constructor
+  LICENSE.rtf                  # License for installer UI (macOS/Windows)
+  conda-recipe/
+    aydin/recipe.yaml          # Conda recipe for the aydin package
+    aydin-menu/recipe.yaml     # Conda recipe for the desktop shortcut package
+  menuinst/
+    aydin-studio.json          # menuinst v2 JSON (cross-platform shortcuts)
+  icons/
+    aydin_icon.png             # Linux icon (295x295)
+    aydin_icon.ico             # Windows icon (multi-size)
+    aydin_icon.icns            # macOS icon
+  scripts/
+    generate_icons.py          # Converts source PNG to ICO/ICNS
+  post_install/
+    post_install.sh            # Unix post-install script
+    post_install.bat           # Windows post-install script
+  environments/
+    build_installer.yml        # Conda env for building installers
+```
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+1. **conda or mamba** installed (e.g., via [Miniforge](https://github.com/conda-forge/miniforge))
+2. The `aydin` and `aydin-menu` packages must be available on a conda channel (conda-forge or a custom channel like `anaconda.org/royerlab`)
+
+## Quick Start
+
+```bash
+# 1. Create the build environment (one-time setup)
+make installer-env
+
+# 2. Activate the environment
+conda activate aydin-build-installer
+
+# 3. Build the installer for your platform
+make installer
+
+# Output appears in _work/
+ls _work/AydinStudio-*
+```
+
+## Dry Run
+
+Generate `construct.yaml` without building:
+
+```bash
+python packaging/build_installer.py --dry-run
+```
+
+## Custom Channels
+
+To include a custom channel (e.g., during bootstrap before conda-forge has the package):
+
+```bash
+python packaging/build_installer.py --channels conda-forge royerlab
+```
+
+## GPU Support
+
+The installer ships **CPU-only PyTorch** to keep the download size reasonable. Users who need GPU acceleration can add CUDA support after installation:
+
+```bash
+# Activate the installed environment
+conda activate /path/to/aydin
+
+# Add CUDA support
+conda install pytorch-cuda -c conda-forge
+```
+
+## Icon Generation
+
+Icons are pre-committed to `packaging/icons/`. To regenerate from the source PNG:
+
+```bash
+# Requires Pillow: pip install Pillow
+make installer-icons
+```
+
+On macOS, the script uses `iconutil` (from Xcode Command Line Tools) for best `.icns` quality. On other platforms, it falls back to Pillow's built-in `.icns` support.
+
+## CI/CD
+
+The GitHub Actions workflow (`.github/workflows/build_installers.yml`) builds installers for all 3 platforms.
+
+- **On PRs** touching `packaging/`: runs a **dry-run** only (validates construct.yaml generation)
+- **On `workflow_dispatch`**: builds real installers and uploads as artifacts
+- **With a tag ref** (e.g., `v2026.2.18`): also attaches installers to the GitHub Release
+
+### Manual Trigger
+
+Go to Actions > "Build Installers" > Run workflow, and provide:
+- **ref**: git tag or branch (e.g., `v2026.2.18`)
+- **channels**: conda channels (default: `conda-forge`)
+
+## Code Signing (Future)
+
+Code signing is not yet enabled but the infrastructure is ready. When certificates are available:
+
+### macOS
+
+Set these GitHub Actions secrets:
+- `CONSTRUCTOR_SIGNING_IDENTITY`: Developer ID Installer certificate name
+- `CONSTRUCTOR_NOTARIZATION_IDENTITY`: Apple ID for notarization
+
+The `build_installer.py` script reads these from environment variables.
+
+### Windows
+
+Set this secret:
+- `CONSTRUCTOR_SIGNING_CERTIFICATE`: Path to PFX certificate file
+
+Without code signing, installers work but users see OS security warnings (Gatekeeper on macOS, SmartScreen on Windows).
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### "constructor not found"
+
+Activate the build environment: `conda activate aydin-build-installer`
+
+### Solver conflicts
+
+If conda's solver takes too long or fails:
+1. Ensure `conda-libmamba-solver` is installed (included in `build_installer.yml`)
+2. Try pinning fewer packages — `build_installer.py` lists explicit deps for solver reliability, but you can remove some if they cause conflicts
+
+### Icon generation fails
+
+Ensure Pillow is installed: `pip install Pillow`. For best `.icns` quality on macOS, install Xcode Command Line Tools: `xcode-select --install`.