"As a B2C Java developer, I have to say it: don't distribute jars to end users. The user experience is horrific. Knowing how to make executable jars is valuable, just make sure it is the step in your ant file right before you execute your native wrapping."
I distribute jars with JotBot, a desktop app written in JRuby. It has native installers for Win 32 and OSX; jars are just more files dropped off in a folder, and the user need never think about them, since kicking off the app is handled by a some native launcher.
That sounds like a workable solution, too. Oh, that reminds me, I saw a great presentation at JavaOne about deploying JRuby apps to end users. Unfortunately I don't have my notes on me -- technically I think it was about scripting Swing apps with JRuby and their demos were amazing. (Suffice it to say I have not often seen Ruby used to run real-time 3D games.)
Anyhow, one of the footnotes was that there is this package called Rawr which gives you a Ruby option for packaging a minimal JRuby install with the application and giving it a nice native-esque packaging experience.
(Come to think of it, wasn't JotBot the sample application at that presentation? I remember it being a timetracking app but don't have my notes in front of me.)
That sounds like Logan Barnett and David Koontz, talking about Monkeybars, the main library behind JotBot (well, now I'm using my fork of Monkeybars in JotBot, but the core is the same).
Rawr is used to package up JRuby apps, including JotBot.
The apps don't have to be made with Monkeybars to use Rawr, and it may be possible to take a compiled Clojure app and make a redistributable package using Rawr. If not, I'm sure Rawr could be ported to Clojure (Cawr?) to make life easier.
I distribute jars with JotBot, a desktop app written in JRuby. It has native installers for Win 32 and OSX; jars are just more files dropped off in a folder, and the user need never think about them, since kicking off the app is handled by a some native launcher.