I have been asked to add a function to an existing WiX package.
Specifically, I need to run a small c# application and return a single int back to WiX to conditionally control further actions.
I can see from ExePackage help that there is an ExitCode, but this is an enumeration of success, error, scheduleReboot or forceReboot.
I have googled quite a bit and I am wondering if I am missing the point. I can probably implement the C# process internally within WiX to get the user to provide the information I need, but the existing package already has custom ExePackages written in C# with a particular style, so I'd like to stay with that if I can. (The existing packages don't return any needed values)
Can I do this, or do I need to try and operate entirely within WiX?
For reference, one of the existing packages looks like this:
<ExePackage
SourceFile="..."
DisplayName="License Key"
InstallSize="0"
Permanent="yes"
InstallCommand="/ignoreIfLicensed"
RepairCommand="/ignore"
UninstallCommand="/ignore"
/>
The reference to <ExePackage ...> implies you want the condition to operate in a WIX bundle. In this scenario I think your options are limited and you can only map the return value of an ExePackage to global behaviour like forceReboot.
Do you have any <MsiPackage...> references? If you have, you could move the conditional behaviour inside each <MsiPackage...> using a Custom Action to call the exe and set a property. The property can then be used as a condition in each <component...> you want to conditionally install. See Using a WiX custom action to set a property's value for more information on custom actions setting properties.
Related
If I put a hard-coded value it works fine
<Log PathVariable="C:\myProjectDir\myLogs\log.txt"/>
But if I make a separate variable and replace the hard-code, it does NOT work
<Log PathVariable="[LogLocation]"/>
<Variable Name="LogLocation" bal:Overridable="no" Type="string" Value="C:\myProjectDir\myLogs\log.txt" Persisted="yes"/>
I found something on the lines of <WixVariable Id="WixBundleLog"/> but I don't really know how to use it.
My end goal here is that I have a bootstrapper application and I want to change the location where logs of my msi and exe installation is created
I able able to change a Variable element value using _bootstrapper.Engine.StringVariables["LogLocation"] = "C:\ProjectGorilla\logs\log.txt"
Using the above code in C#, the Variable Id="LogLocation" is changed but that change is not reflected in Log element's PathVariable
So, my question is how can I put a variable in PathVariable attribute of Log element
Thanks in advance :)
According to the documentation, the PathVariable attribute is:
Name of a Variable that will hold the path to the log file. An empty value will cause the variable to not be set. The default is "WixBundleLog".
PathVariable does not specify the path where the (bundle) log will be written. It is a variable that the BA is supposed to read if it wants to copy the file somewhere else. The Burn engine never reads this variable's value so changing it during runtime won't do anything.
The (bundle) log is created (https://github.com/wixtoolset/wix3/blob/58abd6993afba08b39e37b0e76b1790161df9231/src/burn/engine/engine.cpp#L499) before loading the BootstrapperApplication (https://github.com/wixtoolset/wix3/blob/58abd6993afba08b39e37b0e76b1790161df9231/src/burn/engine/engine.cpp#L545). There is no way for the BA to change the path.
The package (MSI, EXE, etc) log locations work the same way today as the bundle log. However since they are created after loading the BA, it's theoretically possible that someone could implement a feature so that the BA can change their path.
I am using a WiX bundle with Xeam Visual Installer as a bootstrapper UI application.
What I would like to do is set some variables inside the Custom Actions that my MSI is running, and I have figured out how to do that. I can see in my logs that the variables are being set.
My problem is I hoped that I would be able to read these variable and display them on the last page of my bootstrapper UI. Out here the variables still show as empty strings.
If you are familiar with Xeam, I am trying to access them like this:
MyProp = Bootstrapper.Engine.StringVariables["MY_PROP"];
Similar to the way you read and set properties during the initial bootstrapper workflow, before everything is sent to the MSI.
Has anyone else tried to do this. Should it be possible or are there any other solutions you can suggest?
This is apparently not possible. The solution is to use the registry instead.
I am using Wix installer for an application and one of the scenarios I am trying to handle is changes to a .config file when the application is upgraded.
Essentially, I would want to add an Xml Element within another Xml Element.
For instance, the original .config file that was shipped with application looked like this
<root-element>
<sub-element-1/>
<sub-element-2/>
</root-element>
During app lifetime, it was updated to as below at some point.
<root-element>
<sub-element-0/>
<sub-element-1/>
<sub-element-2/>
</root-element>
For handling this case , where I need to add <sub-element-0/> under <root-element>, I tried this Wxs code.
<util:XmlFile Id="MyConfig"
File="[fileidOfMyConfigFile]"
Action="createElement"
Name="sub-element-0"
ElementPath="root-element"
Sequence="1"/>
The above formulation does add the sub-element-0 under root-element , however as the last item under the root-element.
like so
<root-element>
<sub-element-1/>
<sub-element-2/>
<sub-element-0/>
</root-element>
I couldn't find any resources on adding it as first element as I want it to be.
Any suggestions on how it could be accomplished?
Note: The above is a simplified version of my use case. The reason order is important in my case is due to a limitation on the framework that some elements need to occur before other elements in the .config
I've used the dark.exe to create a WXS file from my 'old' Visual Studio 2010 msi file.
When I open the created WXS file, It has binary references on the top of the file that I can't explain. Can somebody tell me about it? And where can I find some documentation about it?
<Binary Id="InstallUtil" SourceFile="C:\Temp\Binary\InstallUtil" />
<Binary Id="MSVBDPCADLL" SourceFile="C:\Temp\Binary\MSVBDPCADLL" />
<Binary Id="VSDNETCFG" SourceFile="C:\Temp\Binary\VSDNETCFG" />
<Binary Id="DefBannerBitmap" SourceFile="C:\Temp\Binary\DefBannerBitmap" />
<Binary Id="UpFldrBtn" SourceFile="C:\Temp\Binary\UpFldrBtn" />
<Binary Id="NewFldrBtn" SourceFile="C:\Temp\Binary\NewFldrBtn" />
The top three are giving me the most questions because I don't where there for and what they do.
Short answer - these files are used in ui dialogs, custom actions, all places where some files are applicable to the functionality of the setup itself, but the product it installs.
In your case, the first three are DLLs used by Visual Studio Setup Projects to perform custom actions - MSI extensibility blocks. The last three are the icons used in UI dialogs later in code.
To get the files themselves, you should use export binaries parameter for Dark.exe.
Now, your options here depend on what you want to achieve. If your task is just upgrade your setup to VS2012, quick and dirty, then use the exported files as they were, it should work.
If, however, you want to do it clean and nice, or you should update your setup with new features, then you will have to rewrite these.
For UI: if your project does not contain custom UI, I suggest switching to WIX UI library - nice and built-in. If you have custom UI, you may extend it, but it is a lot more work. There are visual UI editors for WIX.
For custom actions: custom action is something you use when MSI/WIX abilities do not give you enough. To upgrade these, you should look where these first three binaries are used, and how they are called. Usually, the meaning of custom action may be devised from its name. Then, you have to replace these custom actions with your own (or ready-made by others or WIX team) that do the same. Then you may remove the unused binaries.
In my current assignment I am having a requirement where I need to create custom eventlog during installation and uninstall this custom eventlog during uninstallation.
I am able to create custom eventlog during installation, but I am not able delete it during uninstallation. I could not find any documentation on how to delete the custom eventlog.
Can somebody please let me know is it possible or not? If possible, please guide me on how to achieve it.
I suppose you're trying to achieve this with <util:EventSource /> element. If that's the case, then the component hosting that event source should regulate its install / uninstall behavior.
If a component is scheduled for the installation, the event source will be created. If a component is to be uninstalled, it removes the event source altogether. At least, this is the way most elements work when placing inside the component.
If that's not the case, edit your question to add more details and some code, as I mentioned in the comment above.