I have created a bootstrpper using the dotNetInstaller tool. The created bootstrapper internally has these installers:
.NET Framework 4.0
SQL Server Express
Now through WiX, what are the steps that I need to follow to invoke the above Bootstrapper from WiX?
You should not invoke a bootstrapper from WiX - that has no sense. The idea behind the bootstrapper is to "bootstrap" the prerequisites of the installation (.NET and SQL Express in your case) and the main installation package. The main package you generate with WiX should be launched from inside the bootstrapper when the prerequisites are checked and optionally installed.
See this article for better understanding how to start with bootstrapper authoring with WiX.
If you are using WiX to create installers, I would suggest using WiX to create your bootstrapper as well.
http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix3/authoring_bundle_intro.htm
You can only invoke packages from using bootstrapper, you can't invoke it from WiX. By the use of dotNetInstaller you can easily invoke one after another. One of the process as #Yan introduced. By the help of prerequisites folder. It is a very efficient and popular process. But what can I suggest for you, invoke link instead of folder. So your installation full package wouldn't not so bulky. Whatever the msi need it can directly download from internet and install it one after another. Follow the link.
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/5116/dotNetInstaller-Setup-Bootstrapper-for-NET-Applica
Related
I created already a SQL Installation with my sqlinstalltionCommand using Wix Bootstrapper and I want to pass this exe to my WIX installer as a Prerequisite.
if I opened the SQL Installation it works very fine, but when I call it from WIX Installer it does not work. I know this is not ideal but i need it with my files. Any IDEA??
Running one installer from inside another is not supported. The bootstrapper project can run your prerequisites and your package in one. Do that instead.
I have standalone setup project created with wix. And I need some solution for auto update my application.My application should check for new version on start up and automatically download and install new version if available.What's the best solution to do this? Can anyone give me some examples?Thanks.
If you use Burn as your bootstrapper/chainer (something I definitely recommend when distributing MSI files over the internet) then you can create a custom bootstrapper application that implements the update mechanism. This is how the WiX toolset updates itself. You can see the code in WiX v3.7 (or later) branch in src\Setup\WixBA\UpdateViewModel.cs.
I have a working WiX installer with a custom UI using a WixUI_Mondo_MyApp.wxs file. I have to extend my installer to also run another exe installer. I understand Burn is the way to do this.
I created a Burn project that chains my original MSI with the custom UI (using DisplayInternalUI="yes"), and that works fine. But I don't want two UIs popping up (the Burn default UI, and my MSI UI), and I need to get some info from the MSI UI to determine if I should install the other exe (it will listed as one of the features).
I suppose the proper solution would be to migrate my UI code from my MSI to my Burn project, but I can find no docs on describing how to do this.
Thanks in advance.
There is no migration path; MSI UI is declarative using the MSI UI tables and Burn supports arbitrary code in a bootstrapper application. If you have any logic in your UI customizations, you'd have to write a custom bootstrapper application to get that in a bundle.
my application requires the microsoft visual c++ redisributable package (vcredist_x86.exe).
i have a custom action to run the vcredist_x86.exe
i want it to run only if it's not already installed. i created a registry search to check it.
the question: how do i run this action with the check? when using the InstallExecuteSequence element, as shown below, the vcredist_x86.exe crashes because you cannot run an msi while running a different msi
thanks,
Uzi
what you need is a bootstrapper that would install the VC++ redistributable before your MSI starts.
i'm using open source dotNetInstaller and it works pretty well.
Don't use the exe at all. To distribute the VC++ runtime in an msi-based install, use a merge module. No custom actions, no conditions to add, it just works.
Aaron Stebner's blog specifically talks about doing this with WiX.
http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2007/02/13/building-an-msi-using-wix-v3-0-that-includes-the-vc-8-0-runtime-merge-modules.aspx
I'm trying to find a solution for the following issue:
I have numerous programs (lets call them slaves) that all rely on a single program (master). I need to distribute an installer for each slave. This installer needs to install the master.
I want to be able to version both pieces, so multiple msi's appear to be the right solution, chained with a bootstrapper.
My problem is if a slave installer installs the same version of the master that is already installed, the .msi will run in repair/remove mode.
This is unacceptable from a user standpoint and will just cause confusion.
Is there any way to check for a version of the currently installed fiels before trying to run the msi?
I am currently using WIX's setupbld.exe as a bootstrapper.
Any other solutions greatly appreciated (I have also tried merge modules with no success, since the versioning is useless)
Instead of using setupbld.exe (which I don't really know as I can't find any documentation) you can use msbuild's generatebootstrapper task. The wix documentation already covers how to use this task to generate a bootstrapper that installs the .NET framework. See How To: Install the .NET Framework Using a Bootstrapper. This makes use of the pre-defined bootstrapper packages.
However, in this case you will also have to author your own bootstrapper packages. One way to do this is to study the existing bootstrapper packages in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\SDK\v2.0\BootStrapper\Packages\ (or the ones in the Windows SDK) and read the documentation of the Bootstrapper Manifest XML format. The bootstrapper generator tool might also be helpful.
To determine whether the package needs to be installed, you can use one of the InstallChecks to set a property, and then check the property value in a InstallCondition under the Commands element.
If you're thinking that this is all harder than it should be — I agree, but it's what I've used so far. There are some alternatives which I have not tried yet:
the poorly named dotNetInstaller
which is actually a general purpose
bootstrapper generator.
the wix 3.5 burn bootstrapper which is not yet released. I'm not sure if it is in a usable state yet.