I know this has been asked a few times in the past. And I have read all the responses and answers and none of them seem appropriate.
I've tried putting the .config in the same component and in a different component.
I've tried CompanionFile in the same component and in a different component.
I've tried CopyFile.
I've tried a Custom Action.
The component needs to be in the GAC because it is a general logging dll used by many different subsystems (services, websites, etc). But it is configured the same for all systems.
So for now I'm installing the file to a SDK directory and telling the user to copy the file.
The ONLY thing that works is copying the file manually and saying yes to "you need admin perms to do this".
<File Id="SDK.Logging.dll.config"
Source="$(var.LOGGER_DIR)\SDK.Logging.dll.config"
Vital="yes">
</File>
<Property Id="XCOPY">xcopy.exe</Property>
<CustomAction Id="Copy.SDK.Logging.dll.config"
Property="XCOPY"
ExeCommand='"[INSTALLLOCATION]SDK.Logging.dll.config" "[GAC.SDK.Logging.Dir]"' />
Related
I have Wix project in which I need a common used dll library to be installed if it's absent.
If this dll exists I should not overwrite it.
So, when I set DefaultVersion="0.0.0.0" this dll is not overwritten if it exists, its ok. But when I delete app, the dll is beeing removed. How do I prevent removing dll in the case when it existed before installation?
I don't want to make it permanent because it should be removed if it didn't exist before installation.
<Component Id="myLib.dll" Permanent="no" Directory="Shared_Dir">
<File Name="myLib.dll" KeyPath="yes"
Source="mySource\myLib.dll"
DefaultVersion="0.0.0.0"
/>
Add reference to WixUtilExtension and xmlns:util="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/UtilExtension" attribute to Wix element in your code.
Define <Property Id="Dll_Installed" Value="false"/> in Product element.
Add child <Condition>NOT Dll_Installed</Condition> to component myLib.dll.
Add that somewhere in your code:
<Fragment>
<util:FileSearch
Id="Dll_Installed"
Variable="Dll_Installed"
Path="[Shared_Dir]myLib.dll"
Result="exists"/>
</Fragment>
DefaultVersion attribute is not necessary.
The feature you are describing is reference counting. The Windows Installer reference counts with Components. Components are identified by their GUID.
So the normal way to address this requirement is to put the File in a Component and make sure the GUID of the Component is stable. The WiX Toolset should do exactly that automatically if if you do not specify the Component/#Guid attribute.
So the default behavior should just work for you.
The only other piece of the puzzle is the Windows Installer will install the latest version of a file. If the file version is the same or less the file will not be installed but will be reference counted.
Based on the details in the question it seems like you should be just fine with:
<Component Directory="Shared_Dir">
<File Source="mySource\myLib.dll" />
</Component>
One might ask why the Windows Installer use Components to reference count files. We'll, it allows you to group other resources, like registry keys, together and control their install as a unit. Much more important if you are installing COM servers than plain old files.
When uninstalling my application, I'd like to configure the Wix setup to NOT to remove few files that were added as part of the installation. It seems like the uninstaller removes all the files that were originally installed from the MSI file. How do I do that?
Here are my files which I wish to keep it forever
<Binary Id="RootCABinary" SourceFile="Assets\Certificates\RootCA.cer" />
<Binary Id="SubCABinary" SourceFile="Assets\Certificates\SubCA.cer" />
I have used WixIIsExtension.dll to install these certificates to the windows store.
Overwrite: Is it important that the file never gets overwritten? If so, add
"Never Overwrite" to your component. WiX attribute: NeverOverwrite="yes". Remember to test upgrade scenarios!
Permanent Component: As stated by Pavel, you can set a component permanent:
<Component Permanent="yes">
<File Source="License.rtf" />
</Component>
Blank GUID: Another way to do it is to set a blank component GUID. It essentially means "install and then leave alone". No repair or uninstall should be done (remember to add NeverOverwrite="yes" if the file should never be overwritten):
<Component Guid="" Feature="MainApplication">
<File Source="SubCA.cer" KeyPath="yes" />
</Component>
Read-Only Copy: I sometimes install files to a per-machine path (for example somewhere under program files) and then copy them to a per-user location (somewhere in the user-profile) on application launch, and then do operations on them that entail that the files should not be deleted. This is good in cases where you want to do something that change the files in question (they need to be writable). Then it is good to "untangle" them from deployment concerns (files will not be meddled with by installer operations at all - the installer has no knowledge of them). The original read-only copy installed to program files can be uninstalled though (no longer needed?).
Other approaches: You can also create such files using custom actions during installation (usually text files only), you can download the file in question from your web site on application launch (makes the file easy to manage and update / replace? Vulnerable to connection problems - firewalls, etc...) and the application can create the file using "internal defaults" in the main executable on launch. And there are no doubt further approaches that I can't recall.
Put your binaries in a separate WiX component and make it permanent. Have a look at this thread as well
The Wix source code that I feed to the Wix compiler to build an MSI package for my application, contains the following PermissionEx directive, part of a file component which Windows Installer should install with additional (to those that should be inherited by default) permissions:
<PermissionEx Sddl="D:AR(A;;FW;;;BU)" />
As you can surmise, I intend to install the file with inherited permissions ("AR") included in its ACL and on top of that allow members of the Built-in Users group ("BU") to be allowed ("A") to write to the file ("FW").
The code above does not have the desired effect -- the file is installed, but only that single explicit ACE is listed, none of the ACEs that are supposed to be inherited from parent folder.
In contrast, if I subsequently remove all permissions from the file and run cacls file /S:D:AR(A;;FW;;;BU), i.e. specify exactly the same SDDL string, it does work as intended -- the permissions from parent are inherited and form part of the ACL, together with the explicit non-inherited ACE.
I am using Wix 3.11.1.2318 and the Windows Installer version is 5.0.16299.611, all running on Windows 10 Enterprise 64-bit. Orca tells me the MsiLockPermissionsEx table embedded in my built MSI file is populated with the intended SDDL record. So why is the file created without inheriting permissions from its containing folder?
I tried to use "AI" in place of "AR", and both strings together, but none of it had any effect either.
Is this some known limitation or a quirk with Windows Installer? I know that people were talking a while back how the old LockPermissions table (the one specified for Windows Installer versions earlier than 5) was inadequate in this specific regard -- inherited permissions, namely -- but they also said Microsoft was out to address this very issue with the new table feature.
Otherwise what am I doing wrong?
Given your knowledge in this field, you probably have already tried this. It would also be much better to eliminate the need for permissioning, but two snippets for you - notice the Append attribute:
Create a WiX project in Visual Studio. Add the Util namespace to the WiX element:
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi"
xmlns:util="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/UtilExtension">
In Visual Studio project, right click References and add reference to "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\WiX Toolset v3.11\bin\WixUtilExtension.dll".
Permission Folder:
<Component Feature="ProductFeature" Id="Test.exe" Guid="PUT-GUID-HERE">
<File Source="C:\Test.exe" />
<CreateFolder>
<util:PermissionEx User="Power Users" GenericWrite="yes" />
</CreateFolder>
</Component>
Permission File:
<Component>
<File Source="C:\Test2.exe">
<util:PermissionEx Append="yes" User="Users" GenericWrite="yes" />
</File>
</Component>
Take a look at WiX's custom PermissionEx in the Util extension.
http://wixtoolset.org/documentation/manual/v3/xsd/util/permissionex.html
I'd like to parse merge module files into two different locations. Is it possible?
<Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
<Directory Id="MergeRedirectFolder">
<Component Id="LoggerClient" Guid="*">
<File Id="log4net" Name="log4net.dll" Source="..\..\_Release\log4net.dll" KeyPath='yes' />
<File Id="LoggerLibrary" Name="LoggerLibrary.dll" Source="..\..\_$(var.Configuration)\LoggerLibrary.dll" />
<File Id="app.config" Name="app.config.xml" Source="..\..\_Release\app.config.xml" />
<File Id="msvcr110.dll" Name="msvcr110.dll" Source="c:\windows\sysWoW64\msvcr110.dll" />
</Component>
</Directory>
</Directory>
</Module>
<Merge Id ="MergeModule.msm" Language ="!(loc.Lang)" SourceFile ="_$(var.Configuration)\MergeModule.msm" DiskId ="1" />
I want the second file to copy to a different folder than the other files.
There is a concept for that, it is called a retargetable merge module. I have avoided used it - the concept doesn't seem right to me. I have not tried to make one with Wix.
I think you could combine a Wix include file (simple sample) with the new auto-generated component guids to deploy such duplicated files reliably by adding an Include statement where appropriate. You must not hard code the guids in this case, but let them be auto generated by the Wix compiler and linker.
Also have a read of WixLibs (Wix library files): http://robmensching.com/blog/posts/2008/10/10/what-are-.wixlibs-and-why-would-you-use-them/
Wix documentation; http://wixtoolset.org/documentation/manual/v3/overview/files.html
Merge modules are for installing common runtimes and genuinly shared files. Typically C and C++ runtimes and other, similar libraries that should be available in the latest version for all applications.
Your files look like they are part of your application folder, with the exception of msvcr110.dll which you should remove and allow to be loaded from the system folder.
If the remaining files have no per-machine registration (COM for example or COM Interop), you can duplicate them in several folders without interference, yes, but why not load them from a shared location inside your own application folder structure?
%ProgramFiles%\My Company\My Shared Runtimes
%ProgramFiles%\My Company\My Apps\My App 1\
%ProgramFiles%\My Company\My Apps\My App 2\
These sample folders you "own" and you can deploy things here however you like. Not so for shared, system folders. You could make your own merge module for shared components between your applications into "My Shared Runtimes" and make your applications aware of the shared location "....\MySharedRuntimes\"
It depends on what you mean by different locations. You can build a merge module with 4 files, each in their own component and directory. One could go to the CommonFilesFolder; another to the SystemFolder; another to...you get the idea. So it's potentially easy if you make each file its own component in its own directory. However you've got them all under TARGETDIR, so you're going the wrong direction. You just define the other directory and that other component and file and you might be done, unless there's more to the question than meets the eye.
I would suggest contacting me privately for a few 30-60 minute conversation on MSI, component rules, Merge Modules and file set theory. It's too much to write. In a nutshell I would advise more merge modules.
I have a WIX installer set up for my application and it installs correctly and updates correctly except that it re-writes the default user settings (i.e. defined in properties-> settings) that are defined in my application and corresponding dll's. How can I have WIX update the application, but not update the user settings?
Whether it's ini, registry or xml the concept is simple. Only have the installer responsible for installing defaults settings. Then on first run on your application copy the default settings to the user settings one time. Now the installer will never harm user settings because it doesn't even know of their existence.
Properties -> Settings are mapped to the app.config file for your application, so you can setup the install for that particular file to NeverOverwrite, meaning updates will not overwrite your .config file.
Working example:
<Component Id="SPECTRAVIEW.WPF.MAINAPPLICATION.EXE.CONFIG" Win64="$(var.Win64)" Guid="89E2C6C0-18FB-428B-A9EE-C2FAB3418CB2" NeverOverwrite="yes">
<File Id="SPECTRAVIEW.WPF.MAINAPPLICATION.EXE.CONFIG" Name="SpectraView.WPF.MainApplication.exe.config" Source="$(var.MainApplication.TargetDir)\SpectraView.WPF.MainApplication.exe.config" KeyPath="yes" />
</Component>