[FWTools] fwtools as a "portable app"

[robert wood]

I didn't see this mentioned in the archvies, but if it is
an already hashed out topic, I'm sorry.

I'm wondering if there is any interest in modifying FWTools
to function from a flash drive like many of the other
"portable apps"?  I can think of a few times that I've
needed some conversion and manipulation work done
on systems that I'm not allowed to install software on.

After reading a blog entry about running qgis from a
flash drive ( 
http://www.spatiallyadjusted.com/2006/02/23/gis-in-your-pocket/ ),
I began wondering if the same could be done with
fwtools.  After playing around a bit with 1.0.0a7 (windows release)
I found I could get it to work by doing the following:

- Edit the setfw and openev batch files so that instead
   of a hard coded path, the home directory is set using %cd%
   to supply the current directory

- Copying the shortcuts into the fwtools directory and removing
   the absolute paths from them (the OpenEV icon gets lost, but
   that isn't fatal). 

When the shortucts are opened (from the FWtools directory) I get
a working shell and OpenEV comes up.  I don't use mapserver and
don't really know how to go about testing it or if it makes sense to
run it from a thumb-drive anyway.

Is this an activity worth following up?  At the very least I can write
up the details and supply a set of modified batch files.

Robert Wood