Just stepping back at bit but why do you need the source of the burn install passed into your MSI?
Neil -----Original Message----- From: Christian Hausknecht [mailto:chauskne...@beracom.de] Sent: 29 August 2012 10:39 To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] How to get the SourceDir in a MSI package that is bundled within burn? Ok, my idea was good, but there is a problem with it. Burn does not support searching *during* the installation process. So even if I have the correct sequence in my chain, the RegistrySearch is always done at the beginning before any packages are executed :-( Therefore my little helper program has not been called yet when the search happens and so the key is not found. I found the answer here: http://windows-installer-xml-wix-toolset.687559.n2.nabble.com/RegistrySearch-value-created-by-first-msi-as-input-to-second-msi-in-chain-td7518069.html I did not recognize that, as I do not delete the key after uninstall. So my installer always found one as it was written in the previous installation process... So back to brainstorming... I think only a custom action can help me now? (That I can place in my MsiPackage and call it before any other actions?) Damn, I wished I could get around that... imho creating your own CA looks quite difficult... Bet regards, -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- Von: Christian Hausknecht [mailto:chauskne...@beracom.de] Gesendet: Dienstag, 28. August 2012 10:33 An: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Betreff: Re: [WiX-users] How to get the SourceDir in a MSI package that is bundled within burn? Hm... no answer yet? Are my questions not understandable or too strange? ;-) Ok, as perhaps some users might be interested in a solution, I present the way I have chosen for now: Basic Idea is to simply write a small C# Program, that gets the Path from a wix burn bundle via CLI, "shortens" it by removing the ``setup.exe``-part and write the result (the plain source path) into a defined registry key. Other components of an installer bundle can retrieve this key and use the information for further setup process. The Mini-Program look like this: namespace RegisterPath { class Program { static void Main(string[] args) { Registry.SetValue(string.Format(@"{0}\{1}", RegisterPath.Properties.Resources.root, RegisterPath.Properties.Resources.key), RegisterPath.Properties.Resources.valuename, Path.GetDirectoryName(args[0])); } } } As you can see I use resource-strings for the definition of the registry key. The fragment within the burn bundle to call the programm: <Fragment> <PackageGroup Id="RegisterPath"> <ExePackage Name="RegisterPath.exe" Id="RegisterPath_PK" SourceFile="$(var.RegisterPathPath)" InstallCommand='"[WixBundleOriginalSource]"' Cache="no" Compressed="yes" PerMachine="yes" Vital="yes"/> </PackageGroup> </Fragment> As you can see I use the ``WixBundleOriginalSource``-variable provided from burn (Which is the "heart of the problem" ;-) ). Further down in my bundle package I refer to this in order to provide the path to a Msi-Package: <Fragment> <util:RegistrySearch Id="BasePathSearch" Variable="BASEPATHPROP" Root="HKCU" Key="Software\$(var.Manufacturer)" Result="value" Value="BasePath" /> <PackageGroup Id="ClientMsi"> <MsiPackage SourceFile="$(var.ClientMSIPath)"> <MsiProperty Name="MYBASEPATH" Value="[BASEPATHPROP]\"/> </MsiPackage> </PackageGroup> </Fragment> One must take care that the Properties of the C#-Program and the attributes of the RegistrySearch within the wix bundle are equal. Normally that does not change too often, so I can live with that workaround for the moment. Of course I would appreciate a more elegant solution; the best would be a predefined variable by burn itself ;-) Best regards, -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- Von: Christian Hausknecht [mailto:chauskne...@beracom.de] Gesendet: Montag, 27. August 2012 13:00 An: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Betreff: Re: [WiX-users] How to get the SourceDir in a MSI package that is bundled within burn? Ok, I kept thinking about the problem and I have an idea, that probably could lead to the right direction. I can define a msi-property within the bundle definition to that one must assign the current path and that can be used within the MSI package definition as reference. I tried the following approach: <!-- Define MsiProperty within the burn bundle file --> <MsiPackage SourceFile="$(var.ClientMSIPath)"> <MsiProperty Name="MYSOURCEDIR" Value="[WixBundleOriginalSource]\"/> </MsiPackage> <!-- Reference the property within the MSI definition --> <Shortcut Id="Foo_ShortCut" Name="Foo" Description="Foo" Target="[MYSOURCEDIR]Foo.exe" WorkingDirectory="ProgramFilesFolder"/> That would work fine besides the wix variable `` WixBundleOriginalSource`` holds not only the path of the starting dir but the complete path *including* the exe-filename :-( Is there any way to "trim" the value or maybe another burn-variable, that holds only the path? -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- Von: Christian Hausknecht [mailto:chauskne...@beracom.de] Gesendet: Montag, 27. August 2012 11:04 An: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Betreff: [WiX-users] How to get the SourceDir in a MSI package that is bundled within burn? Hello folks, I have basically the same question as the guy here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10573135/wix-installer-how-can-i-get-setup-exes-current-directory I have created a MSI where some Shortcuts for the Menu and the Desktop are created. They are created for applications, which are already installed and therefore are not part of my installation routine. The installer itself is located in the same directory. If I just test the MSI, then ``Target="[SourceDir]Foo.exe"`` just works as expected. But when I embedd this MSI into a bundle built with burn, then [SourceDir] does not refer to the Directory, where the Installer is located. Instead it refers to "%TEMP%\{ProductID}\{Version}\Foo.exe". But I do not need this path but the one I get if I install the MSI directly. As the Path is variable, I *must* be able to refer to the actual "starting" directory of the installer.exe. Can anyone provide a solution for that? Greetings, Mit freundlichen Grüßen Christian Hausknecht Entwicklung BeraCom Beratung und Software-Entwicklung GmbH & Co. KG Weidestr. 134, 22083 Hamburg T: +49 (0)40 547 241 - DW F: +49 (0)40 547 241 - 60 M: chauskne...@beracom.de<mailto:chauskne...@beracom.de> http://www.beracom.de ============================================= Kommanditgesellschaft: Sitz Hamburg, RG Hamburg, HRA 90932 Persönlich haftende Gesellschafterin: BeraCom Beratung und Software-Entwicklung GmbH Sitz Hamburg, RG Hamburg, HRB 64844 Geschäftsführer: Arno Schaefer, Britta Kahlfuss Diese E-Mail ist vertraulich und exklusiv für den/die Adressaten bestimmt. Weiterleitung oder Kopieren, auch auszugsweise, darf nur mit ausdrücklicher schriftlicher Einwilligung des Absenders erfolgen. In jedem Fall ist sicherzustellen, dass keinerlei inhaltliche Veränderungen erfolgen. Der Absender ist von der Richtigkeit dieser Mail zum Zeitpunkt ihrer Erstellung überzeugt. 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