Re: New Groovy Windows installer

[Keegan Witt]

Yea, I've thought about renaming the repo to groovy-wix-installer for that
reason.

As for multiplatform installers, there is izpack , but
I thought it best to use a more native installer when doing things like
modifying PATH (from what I saw people were calling VB or Python scripts to
handle that with izpack -- ugly and potentially dangerous).

On Mon, Feb 18, 2019 at 6:46 AM Merlin Beedell 
wrote:

> I was a bit confused, as WIX is a web site design and hosting service:
> www.wix.com.
>
>  But now I see your link, and it is *WiX Toolset* – “The most powerful
> set of tools available to create your Windows installation experience.”
>
> That makes more sense.
>
> Though it’s a shame that a multi-platform Java based installer could not
> be used (if such a thing exists).
>
>
>
> Merlin Beedell
>
> *From:* Keegan Witt 
> *Sent:* 11 February 2019 2:24 AM
> *To:* users@groovy.apache.org
> *Subject:* New Groovy Windows installer
>
>
>
> I'm working on a new installer 
> for Windows using WIX  to create an MSI
> installer, which should be more robust for things like altering environment
> variables and make it easier to do corporate installations.
>
>
>
> I'm a total noob when it comes to Windows Installer and WIX, so I'm sure
> I've done some dumb things, but I hacked together a basic working installer
> this weekend.  I've put the initial version of the installer here
> .
> Your feedback is appreciated.
>
>
>
> Some things I'm still thinking about or working on:
>
>- The start menu shortcuts for documentation don't go into a
>subfolder, I'm not sure why.
>- Heat will generate new GUIDs for the binaries and docs folders every
>time the project is built -- I'm not sure if that's the correct thing to 
> do.
>- Would you ever want to set GROOVY_HOME without adding to PATH?  Or
>add to PATH without setting GROOVY_HOME?  Currently the installer groups
>these together in a single feature.
>- We should use registry entries to remember which features the user
>selected to install, so those are automatically selected during upgrades.
>- Desktop shortcuts.
>- Quick launch shortcuts.  I don't think people use these much
>anymore, but I can throw them in -- maybe disabled by default?
>- Should I create an exe version of the installer as well as the msi?
>
> -Keegan
>

RE: New Groovy Windows installer

[Merlin Beedell]

I was a bit confused, as WIX is a web site design and hosting service: 
www.wix.com.
 But now I see your link, and it is WiX Toolset – “The most powerful set of 
tools available to create your Windows installation experience.”
That makes more sense.
Though it’s a shame that a multi-platform Java based installer could not be 
used (if such a thing exists).

Merlin Beedell
From: Keegan Witt 
Sent: 11 February 2019 2:24 AM
To: users@groovy.apache.org
Subject: New Groovy Windows installer

I'm working on a new installer for 
Windows using WIX to create an MSI installer, which 
should be more robust for things like altering environment variables and make 
it easier to do corporate installations.

I'm a total noob when it comes to Windows Installer and WIX, so I'm sure I've 
done some dumb things, but I hacked together a basic working installer this 
weekend.  I've put the initial version of the installer 
here.
  Your feedback is appreciated.

Some things I'm still thinking about or working on:

  *   The start menu shortcuts for documentation don't go into a subfolder, I'm 
not sure why.
  *   Heat will generate new GUIDs for the binaries and docs folders every time 
the project is built -- I'm not sure if that's the correct thing to do.
  *   Would you ever want to set GROOVY_HOME without adding to PATH?  Or add to 
PATH without setting GROOVY_HOME?  Currently the installer groups these 
together in a single feature.
  *   We should use registry entries to remember which features the user 
selected to install, so those are automatically selected during upgrades.
  *   Desktop shortcuts.
  *   Quick launch shortcuts.  I don't think people use these much anymore, but 
I can throw them in -- maybe disabled by default?
  *   Should I create an exe version of the installer as well as the msi?
-Keegan

Re: New Groovy Windows installer

[Keegan Witt]

And the Quick Launch toolbar was removed in Windows 7 (although it can
be added back manually), so I think I won't bother with those
shortcuts.  I never noticed it was removed because I never used it.

On Sun, Feb 17, 2019 at 6:56 PM Keegan Witt  wrote:
>
> Update: The documentation directory on the start menu actually does
> get created -- Windows 10 just doesn't show subdirectories on start
> menu folders like previous versions of Windows did.
>
> On Sun, Feb 10, 2019 at 11:07 PM Keegan Witt  wrote:
> >
> > Oh, and one important note for those playing with the new installer:
> > uninstall the NSIS based Groovy first and make sure GROOVY_HOME,
> > %PROGRAM_FILES%\Groovy, and PATH are free from references to the old
> > installation before proceeding.
> >
> > On Sun, Feb 10, 2019 at 9:26 PM Keegan Witt  wrote:
> > >
> > > Oh, one more item
> > >
> > > Is 200 the installer version I should use?
> > >
> > >
> > > On Sun, Feb 10, 2019 at 9:24 PM Keegan Witt  wrote:
> > >>
> > >> I'm working on a new installer for Windows using WIX to create an MSI 
> > >> installer, which should be more robust for things like altering 
> > >> environment variables and make it easier to do corporate installations.
> > >>
> > >> I'm a total noob when it comes to Windows Installer and WIX, so I'm sure 
> > >> I've done some dumb things, but I hacked together a basic working 
> > >> installer this weekend.  I've put the initial version of the installer 
> > >> here.  Your feedback is appreciated.
> > >>
> > >> Some things I'm still thinking about or working on:
> > >>
> > >> The start menu shortcuts for documentation don't go into a subfolder, 
> > >> I'm not sure why.
> > >> Heat will generate new GUIDs for the binaries and docs folders every 
> > >> time the project is built -- I'm not sure if that's the correct thing to 
> > >> do.
> > >> Would you ever want to set GROOVY_HOME without adding to PATH?  Or add 
> > >> to PATH without setting GROOVY_HOME?  Currently the installer groups 
> > >> these together in a single feature.
> > >> We should use registry entries to remember which features the user 
> > >> selected to install, so those are automatically selected during upgrades.
> > >> Desktop shortcuts.
> > >> Quick launch shortcuts.  I don't think people use these much anymore, 
> > >> but I can throw them in -- maybe disabled by default?
> > >> Should I create an exe version of the installer as well as the msi?
> > >>
> > >> -Keegan

Re: New Groovy Windows installer

[Keegan Witt]

Update: The documentation directory on the start menu actually does
get created -- Windows 10 just doesn't show subdirectories on start
menu folders like previous versions of Windows did.

On Sun, Feb 10, 2019 at 11:07 PM Keegan Witt  wrote:
>
> Oh, and one important note for those playing with the new installer:
> uninstall the NSIS based Groovy first and make sure GROOVY_HOME,
> %PROGRAM_FILES%\Groovy, and PATH are free from references to the old
> installation before proceeding.
>
> On Sun, Feb 10, 2019 at 9:26 PM Keegan Witt  wrote:
> >
> > Oh, one more item
> >
> > Is 200 the installer version I should use?
> >
> >
> > On Sun, Feb 10, 2019 at 9:24 PM Keegan Witt  wrote:
> >>
> >> I'm working on a new installer for Windows using WIX to create an MSI 
> >> installer, which should be more robust for things like altering 
> >> environment variables and make it easier to do corporate installations.
> >>
> >> I'm a total noob when it comes to Windows Installer and WIX, so I'm sure 
> >> I've done some dumb things, but I hacked together a basic working 
> >> installer this weekend.  I've put the initial version of the installer 
> >> here.  Your feedback is appreciated.
> >>
> >> Some things I'm still thinking about or working on:
> >>
> >> The start menu shortcuts for documentation don't go into a subfolder, I'm 
> >> not sure why.
> >> Heat will generate new GUIDs for the binaries and docs folders every time 
> >> the project is built -- I'm not sure if that's the correct thing to do.
> >> Would you ever want to set GROOVY_HOME without adding to PATH?  Or add to 
> >> PATH without setting GROOVY_HOME?  Currently the installer groups these 
> >> together in a single feature.
> >> We should use registry entries to remember which features the user 
> >> selected to install, so those are automatically selected during upgrades.
> >> Desktop shortcuts.
> >> Quick launch shortcuts.  I don't think people use these much anymore, but 
> >> I can throw them in -- maybe disabled by default?
> >> Should I create an exe version of the installer as well as the msi?
> >>
> >> -Keegan

Re: New Groovy Windows installer

[Keegan Witt]

Oh, and one important note for those playing with the new installer:
uninstall the NSIS based Groovy first and make sure GROOVY_HOME,
%PROGRAM_FILES%\Groovy, and PATH are free from references to the old
installation before proceeding.

On Sun, Feb 10, 2019 at 9:26 PM Keegan Witt  wrote:
>
> Oh, one more item
>
> Is 200 the installer version I should use?
>
>
> On Sun, Feb 10, 2019 at 9:24 PM Keegan Witt  wrote:
>>
>> I'm working on a new installer for Windows using WIX to create an MSI 
>> installer, which should be more robust for things like altering environment 
>> variables and make it easier to do corporate installations.
>>
>> I'm a total noob when it comes to Windows Installer and WIX, so I'm sure 
>> I've done some dumb things, but I hacked together a basic working installer 
>> this weekend.  I've put the initial version of the installer here.  Your 
>> feedback is appreciated.
>>
>> Some things I'm still thinking about or working on:
>>
>> The start menu shortcuts for documentation don't go into a subfolder, I'm 
>> not sure why.
>> Heat will generate new GUIDs for the binaries and docs folders every time 
>> the project is built -- I'm not sure if that's the correct thing to do.
>> Would you ever want to set GROOVY_HOME without adding to PATH?  Or add to 
>> PATH without setting GROOVY_HOME?  Currently the installer groups these 
>> together in a single feature.
>> We should use registry entries to remember which features the user selected 
>> to install, so those are automatically selected during upgrades.
>> Desktop shortcuts.
>> Quick launch shortcuts.  I don't think people use these much anymore, but I 
>> can throw them in -- maybe disabled by default?
>> Should I create an exe version of the installer as well as the msi?
>>
>> -Keegan

Re: New Groovy Windows installer

[Keegan Witt]

Oh, one more item

   - Is 200 the installer version I should use?


On Sun, Feb 10, 2019 at 9:24 PM Keegan Witt  wrote:

> I'm working on a new installer 
> for Windows using WIX  to create an MSI
> installer, which should be more robust for things like altering environment
> variables and make it easier to do corporate installations.
>
> I'm a total noob when it comes to Windows Installer and WIX, so I'm sure
> I've done some dumb things, but I hacked together a basic working installer
> this weekend.  I've put the initial version of the installer here
> .
> Your feedback is appreciated.
>
> Some things I'm still thinking about or working on:
>
>- The start menu shortcuts for documentation don't go into a
>subfolder, I'm not sure why.
>- Heat will generate new GUIDs for the binaries and docs folders every
>time the project is built -- I'm not sure if that's the correct thing to 
> do.
>- Would you ever want to set GROOVY_HOME without adding to PATH?  Or
>add to PATH without setting GROOVY_HOME?  Currently the installer groups
>these together in a single feature.
>- We should use registry entries to remember which features the user
>selected to install, so those are automatically selected during upgrades.
>- Desktop shortcuts.
>- Quick launch shortcuts.  I don't think people use these much
>anymore, but I can throw them in -- maybe disabled by default?
>- Should I create an exe version of the installer as well as the msi?
>
> -Keegan
>