A bootstrapper is going to be an executable file that contains a "package" of your different installers. I'm currently using NSIS for a bootstrapper while burn is under development. It won't be a single MSI, but rather an executable.
Microsoft Installer supports chaining of .MSIs together as of version 4.5. You can read more about it here; http://softwareinstall.blogspot.com/2008/06/fun-with-msiembeddedchainer.html I believe installshield supports this functionality. I don't know of other tools that do. I think .Net installer is just an .exe and doesn't support chaining of MSIs. -----Original Message----- From: Kevin MacDonald [mailto:kevinmacdon...@gmail.com] Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2011 4:57 PM To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Chaining MSIs together So, dotNetInstaller is a package of .NET classes that facilitate chaining together MSIs? But, if it requires .NET then wouldn't any bootstrapper one builds with dotNetInstaller require that it be bootstrapped itself with .NET? My target computers don't necessarily have the .NET runtime installed. Sorry, perhaps I'm mis-understanding. I'm just now reading up on bootstrappers and wrapping my head around what they are. I don't think I understand them well enough yet to know if the end product of using a bootstrapper will be a single MSI that includes everything necessary for my installation. Or is it a .NET executable that internally calls one MSI after another? If that's true I'm not sure that will work for me, because my customers require an MSI. I think they need it for their systems that allow rapid deployment to multiple machine. Thanks for responding! Kevin On Thu, May 12, 2011 at 2:40 PM, John Cooper <jocoo...@jackhenry.com> wrote: > Burn is meant to provide this functionality, but it is under developed. > There are plenty of chaining/bootstrapping products out there in the > meantime. One I like is DotNetInstaller: > http://dotnetinstaller.codeplex.com/ . You could use this to install > the prerequisite Adobe AIR, if necessary, and then your product. > -- > John M. Cooper > > -----Original Message----- > From: Kevin MacDonald [mailto:kevinmacdon...@gmail.com] > Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2011 4:25 PM > To: wix-users > Subject: [WiX-users] Chaining MSIs together > > Hello, > > I have an existing installer that I wrote in NSIS that does several things. > It installs the Adobe AIR runtime by invoking an executable provided > by Adobe. It then installs our AIR application, again using > installation utilities provided by Adobe. And finally, it installs > media which our AIR application knows where to find. This all works > great. However, some of our clients require a single MSI file so that > they can do multiple installations from a central location. I started playing > with Wix in order to do this. > However, I have encountered the problem where it does not seem to be > possible to chain MSIs together. I was able to kinda get it working by > having a custom action invoke the AIR runtime installer using the code > below: > > <CustomAction Id='InstallAIRRuntimeAction' FileKey='file_AIRInstaller_0' > ExeCommand='-silent' Return='asyncNoWait' /> > > <InstallExecuteSequence> > <Custom Action='InstallAIRRuntimeAction' > After='InstallFinalize'>NOT Installed</Custom> > </InstallExecuteSequence> > > This works because the enclosing MSI doesn't wait for a response, and > the other MSI takes a few seconds to launch. This is of course very > hacky. Is there no way to do this properly? I don't mind if the two > MSIs are not chained, i.e. it would be O.K. if the AIR runtime > remained on the machine during an uninstall. > > InstallShield advertises that they can chain MSIs. I would rather go > the extra mile and use Wix or something similar, rather than fork out > $2000 for InstallShield Professional. I'm suprised that Wix can't do > the basic task of calling another MSI given how low level it is when > InstallShield is able to do it. Am I missing something? > > Thanks > > Kevin > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > -------- Achieve unprecedented app performance and reliability What > every C/C++ and Fortran developer should know. > Learn how Intel has extended the reach of its next-generation tools to > help boost performance applications - inlcuding clusters. > http://p.sf.net/sfu/intel-dev2devmay > _______________________________________________ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it > are intended exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is > addressed. 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If you have received this message > in error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and > delete all copies. > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > -------- Achieve unprecedented app performance and reliability What > every C/C++ and Fortran developer should know. > Learn how Intel has extended the reach of its next-generation tools to > help boost performance applications - inlcuding clusters. > http://p.sf.net/sfu/intel-dev2devmay > _______________________________________________ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Achieve unprecedented app performance and reliability What every C/C++ and Fortran developer should know. 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