Glen,
I agree, documentation on this is all over the place. Unfortunately like
many open source projects any work people do on WiX is almost invariably
in their "spare" time.
My understanding is that your understanding is correct. Your MSI should
include checks (coded in Wix as as <condition> elements under the
fragment / product - i.e. a launch condition) for the prerequisites just
in case someone wants to install your product using an enterprise-wide
system management tool like Microsoft's SMS (in which case they are
likely to do so using the MSI itself, not a bootstrapper). Your
bootstrapper will make the experience for "regular" users friendlier by
ensuring those prerequisites have been met prior to triggering the
installation of your MSI.
As far as a tutorial for the bootstrapper is concerned the problem is
that there are many possible choices for creating one - from rolling
your own to using GenerateBootstrapper, and on into one of the process
driven installation tools like NSIS or InnoSetup.
MSBuild is the build technology behind Visual Studio 2005 (and the .NET
2.0 SDK, IIRC). Think of it as Microsoft's implementation of NAnt and
you won't be far wrong. VS 2005 .XXproj files are (if I understand
correctly) actually MSBuild scripts.
Hope this helps,
Regards,
Richard
________________________________
From: Glen Harvy [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 10:40 AM
To: WiX Users Group
Subject: Re: [WiX-users] prerequisites .net , sqlce etc
Hi Richard,
I appreciate your comments. So far I have always used the Setup &
Deployment project in VS20005 to create my msi and setup files. I have
always configured VS2005 to check and download the prerequisites and
they work fine.
I need now to become a bit more "professional" and find that adding
dialog boxes etc within the VS2005 IDE daunting and am unable to locate
any documentation, tutorials or active assistance in learning how to.
For well over a year I have been toying with WiX (Votive actually) but
have never reached the end of the task for various reasons. I have also
struggled with other installer packages with similar frustrations.
As I understand it, I need to create an msi for my application using Wix
and then create a setup.exe file which is in effect is a "bootstrapper"
that will check the users computer for prerequisites, download and
install them. My applications msi file will be installed by the
setup.exe file providing each other prerequisite has succeeded. The
prerequisites can be supplied by me, downloaded from me or the vendor's
site. I just need to configure the setup.exe file properly and that is
done using xml.
I believe that I can eventually get WiX working/configured OK - with a
little bit of help of course.
I have looked in several places and have been unable to find any
comprehensive but simplified tutorial on building the
setup.exe/bootstrapper file.
Terminology is (I have always found) the most confusing when trying to
learn. eg what is a msbuild project?
I also note that I am not alone! Many web references are people like me
screaming out for guidance and a tutorial - I wonder if David Thielen
ever worked it out.
Thanks for your help. I will need to concentrate on the setup.exe file
and get that under my belt before I concentrate on WiX and my msi file.
If I still have the wrong end of the stick - please let me know.
Cheers.
Glen Harvy.
On 13/09/2007 11:36 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Glen,
Some of the prerequisites you mention (specifically the .NET runtime)
are packaged using Microsoft Installer technology themselves. As a
result, you cannot automatically install them from within your MSI - all
you can do is make your MSI verify that they have been installed.
The archives of this mailing list should provide some samples of the
syntax you need to use for your tests. As far as actually downloading
and installing the prerequisites, you need something known as a
"bootstrapper" or "chainer". Searching on those terms will probably give
you the information you need. Personally, I have uses NSIS as a
bootstrapper with some success.
Regards,
Richard
________________________________
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Glen Harvy
Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 9:14 AM
To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net
Subject: [WiX-users] prerequisites .net , sqlce etc
Hi,
Where can I find some information of having a WiX project check for
prerequisites like .Net2 and SQL Compact Edition and download them from
MS and install them if not already on on a users machine.
Thanks,
Glen.
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