I'm testing a desktop app being built in Electron. Since the app’s layout is CSS/HTML based, I was hoping to do simple layout modifications without access to the source material. Even if I can't see my mods in the running app, it would be useful to extract HTML/CSS/JavaScript templates, modify these and see the results in a browser.
Question 1: Is the above possible?
Based on this question I'm assuming app.asar could be what I'm looking for, but being on Windows 10, it seems that installing asar (and Node, NPM, Python and Visual Studio) just to unarchive files is discouraged.
Question 2: Can I access the files presumed to be inside app.asar without installing all the stuff mentioned above?
Related
I have a question about the rules organizing resources into components.
What I want to do is the following; There are two files (both 64bit) with the same filename but in different source locations and with different component GUID's;
C:\data\win7\driver.sys
C:\data\win10\driver.sys
I want both included in the installer and when the installer runs decide depending on the OS which of these two files will be installed in the same location:
C:\Program Files\MyProgram\driver.sys
Is this a violation of the rules regarding the components? (the main one applying would be the first one I would say:)
"Never create two components that install a resource under the same name and target location. If a resource must be duplicated in multiple components, change its name or target location in each component. This rule should be applied across applications, products, product versions, and companies."
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/Msi/organizing-applications-into-components
Actual Answer: Yes, installing different files to the same absolute path is indeed a violation of the MSI component rules - in
theory. As you have discovered reading the documentation. However,
seeing as only one file will make it onto the box, it is all semantics
really, there will never be two files installed. Still, the MSI will
probably not validate - you will see validation errors.
I am not sure of the technical implications, but could you make the
file name different based on OS? Then you simply put the files in
separate components and use different component GUIDs and condition
the component for installation or not. Full compliance instantly.
With all that said, it seems driver files are to be installed using
INF-files in standalone packages in the future. Please read below.
Component Rules, Pragmatically: This is a well-known problem indeed. I have this old answer that might be helpful: Change my component GUID in wix? It describes how the component rules work in practice, and how the idea is that you reference count an absolute path, and not a file per-se. Please read it to make it clearer. More links in this answer.
Driver Installation: We are supposed to know how to do this, but the rules keep changing (and another answer). Essentially drivers are to be distributed via Windows Update, or at least via a standalone package without the need for an installer in the future (until Microsoft change their mind again?). Windows Hardware Dev Center dashboard. As far as I understand the installation is INF-based (as before).
Question: Are you sure about that installation location? What does the documentation say? I thought sys files should go primarily to the Windows folder? Or the WinSxS folders (side-by-side win32 assemblies). As you understand driver installations confuse us all.
Windows 10 Detection: It appears to be a challenge to detect Windows 10 due to the new "evergreen versionlessness" of Microsoft. I have this old answer written up to summarize my current understanding of it: Windows 10 not detecting on installshield. Deployment tools such as Advanced Installer does the job for you and detects Windows 10 with simple measures. Not sure what Installshield does. The linked answer lists a few approaches to detect the version yourself - not sure which is the saner approach. Please read (and also please report any interesting findings when you have a successful package).
Where I can download VSTO Office Runtime version 10.0.40820?
I need link for this specific version, NOT for the newest one (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=158918).
Why I need this specific version? I created custom InstallShield .PRQ for VSTO that download file from web and checks if file is not corrupted using MD5 hash.
If I use generic download link and MS will deploy new version of VSTO then setup will complaint about corrupted file.
InstallShield has abstractions in their PRQ file that are meant to help but I have found problematic.
First, the PRQ itself can have a URL. This means that at runtime the PRQ embedded into the setup.exe will go try to download a newer version of itself from this URL. If this happens, the new XML is used and yours is ignored. This sounds like a good idea to keep things fresh and up to date but the CM Nazi in me see's this as a man in the middle vunerability that compromises the integrity of the build.
The second is that your XML or the downloaded XML both have URL attributes on the individual files. Again the CM Nazi in me says that while this seems like a good idea, it's really inserting an external dependency that isn't under my control and again violating the integrity of the build.
If it was me, I'd never use InstallShield and/or Microsoft URL's in my PRQ files. Host the content yourself and do change management of that so you can have complete control. If longevity of the build is desired then don't use web downloads in the first place. Bake it all into the EXE.
As for the exact question you asked, I'll have to google for it. But really I'd probably just move onto the latest version and then implement the above advice starting there.
How can I create an automated Installer for a program that has a regular Installer with questions like:
Install Directory,
Accepting License,
Creating Icon on Desktop
etc...
Assuming that I am OK with building an Automated Installer for every program I want to separately, Or i want to put files in a Self Extracting Archive and run the Installer after unpacking.
Do I need a third party program for it? Should I use Command Prompt? Do I need to learn Lua? (I'm learning C#)
EDIT:
To clarify I'll use an example:
Let's say i wrote a program but that program has a requirement, like
DirectX, or Adobe Air, or Maxthon Browser.
I wrote my program in such a way that I have to be sure that that is
installed in a very specific Drive/Folder on the PC or with some
specific preferences/parameters.
I include an installer for this program, but I want to specify where
it gets installed on the PC and with what parameters.
Preferably Installing this requirement right after or during the
Installation/Extraction of my own program.
I'm looking for a way to be able to run the Installer of any given program and navigate through the install wizard of it with out the user having to/being able to change the settings I need (with the foreknowledge and permission of the user of course).
It doesn't need to be silent install or anything.
I have rewritten my answer.
Your mentioned setups requirements seem very common to me for the class of installation programs (setups) and not at all unusual.
Generally you have two options:
You write everything on your own, you create the install dialogs, the way the settings are saved, and so on. Then you are fine with C# (or any other language).
It is quite uncommon to do so, because it is time consuming, and you are reinventing things which have been solved in standard ways several times. Moreover you will fall in common setup error traps which are maybe already captured (or at minimum documented) if using tools.
If you want to use a tool, it is your first decision, if you want a tool based on MSI (Windows Installer) or not. MSI is the most powerful and most industrial-accepted setup technology in Windows, but it is a quite complicated matter, and no tool can shield this 100% from you. Google for WiX (Open Source) or InstallShield as starting points for MSI tools but there are of course more.
Some tools are already integrated or integrateable in Visual Studio for example.
Selfextracting tools are a starting point, but the following tools offer far more and are a good intermediate way between the extreme points SFX and MSI:
InnoSetup
(has also a home here on SO).
Nullsoft Scriptable Install System (NSIS) on SourceForge
One self extracting program in Windows I want to mention, because it is not widely known, that "IEXPRESS.exe" is already included in the OS.
Concerning your special question of navigating through the install wizard:
Every mentioned tool has ways to save install settings and of course is deciding which settings are changeable by the user part of the 1*1 of setup creation. With the tools you can design the install dialogs like you want consisting of the parts you want.
I hope I got your point.
P.S. While most tools have kind of a scripting language or something similar included, you are normally free to extend the installation process with your own actions written in nearly every programming language you like.
I recently finished an application based on Titanium, Javascript, HTML, CSS. I have only been a web designer to date so I have little experience in distributing applications. I was accustomed to the TiDev Community deploying app, which prepared the app for download and made it available for download at a given link.
But tidev community is no longer supported, so I use TideSDK Developer to package the app, which doesnt do all the hard work the other one did so nicely.
I am obviously a complete rookie to this.
Could anyone outline the steps I would need to take to go from the bundled application folder I have now (put together by TideSDK Developer), to a link that will allow customers to download and install the app or online? I know there is an issue with packaoging the app for platforms other than your own, and that appcelerator is working on a solution to this I think. I also realise I would probably have to pay to host the download online. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
You must use the tidebuilder.py script. to compile a installation package. To compile a binary for a Mac, you must run the script on a Mac, to compile a binary for windows, you must be on a windows box etc.
There is some documentation on how to use it here per platform. The command is very simple and works.
Once you have your application file (DMG for OSX or a MSI for Windows) then just distribute it however you see fit, email, putting it on your web server, whatever works for you.
I'm developing an "installation" like cocoa application wich needs to take care of some http request, some file system reading, copying files to /usr/share, set up cron (not launchd) and ask some information to user.
I discarded PackageMaker since I need more flexibility.
Currently everything is going well, but on my last installation step, I need to:
Delete my previously installed application folder (if exists). It's always the same path: /usr/share/MY_APP
Create again the application folder at: /usr/share/MY_APP
Copy application files to /usr/share/MY_APP
Update a cron job
It's very important that /usr/share/MY_APP keeps protected with administrative privileges, so a regular shouldn't delete it.
What would be the best approach to implement those steps?
BTW, I'm using Xcode 3.2.
Thanks a lot!
Carlos.
Between the preflight script, the postflight script, and perhaps an Installer plug-in for the custom UI, I see no reason why you can't do all of this in PackageMaker.
Note: “Installer plug-in” is a little misleading. The user does not have to install the plug-in somewhere as a separate step; you include the plug-in inside your package, and Installer will use it from there.
The relevant document is a ReadMe file in a sample code project. There's also an Installer plug-in project template in Xcode since 2.0.
Also, an Installer plug-in won't get used if the user does a command-line installation. Of course, they can't install from the command line at all (which includes remote installation onto an office or lab full of machines) if you write your own custom installer.
By the way: Why /usr/share? What are you putting there? There may be a better way to do what you're really trying to accomplish.