I too am using dotNetInstaller. Seems to work OK.
My understanding of the bootstrap program generated by VS is that it is
hard-wired to invoke the MSI after it has installed the prerequisites.
This is a disadvantage for me. My setup sequence is:
1. dotNetInstaller (renamed Setup.exe)
2. MSI Launcher (renamed SetupContinuation.exe) - allows selection of
MSIs and install language.
3. MSIs with optional MSTs launched by MSI Launcher. Allows complete
localization without multiple MSIs.
dotNetInstaller can be specified to invoke an EXE when it is done, so
this works fine for me.
Rennie
________________________________
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Scott
Parker
Sent: 26. april 2007 17:35
To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net
Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Downloading and launching apps during
install
Vicente Cartas Espinel wrote:
> I've to create an installer that checks some hardware
and software
> prerequisites and then if some of those software
prereqs aren't
> present in the machine, the installer has to download
them (from a
> well-known URL) and launch them before continuing
(like a nested .msi
> install). The process should be as unanteded from the
user as possible
> and must run as a single process (cancelling the
install or telling
> the user to download them manually is not acceptable).
You want a bootstrapper. Currently the WiX bootstrapper
doesn't support
downloading packages. If you use Visual Studio 2005, you
might want to
check out its bootstrapper.
--
sig://boB
http://bobs.org
Vicente:
Another option worth investigating is dotNetInstaller (available
at http://www.devage.com/ ). It's lightweight and very quick to pick up
if you look at the examples provided with the package. It supports web
downloads like you're looking for as well as determining whether your
software package is already installed, and it took me all of about 15
minutes to go from my first run to having my bootstrapper up and
running.
FYI, if you're wondering what a bootstrapper is, it's an
external application that basically runs a series of installers. So for
instance you'd build you installer with WiX as normal, and then you'd
use a tool like VS or dotNetInstaller to create a standable .EXE that
installs your pre-requisites and then runs your installer when all is
well.
Hope that helps,
-Scott
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