Currently, i'm using the following installer: Microsoft Visual Studio Installer Projects 2022. I've also seen the wix installer (WIX TOOLSET). But none of the installers i've seen has the option (at least I couldn't find in the documentation) to download the full App after you run the installer. I'm developing a self-contained WPF Desktop App that is too big, so I would like the installer to be a smaller size, and then after the user downloads the installer and runs it, then it will download all the files of my WPF App. Does anyone knows a installer for that?
We call that a web installer. You can probably create it with the support for Bundles in Wix, but I don't have a complete example on this so you will need to dig more if you want to use Wix Toolset. I don't know if this is supported with the Microsoft VS Installer Project.
I work on the team building Advanced Installer (disclaimer). In this article we explain how you can create a web installer with just a few clicks. First, you need a create a Professional project (this feature is not available in the Free edition) and add your files in the project.
You can skip most of the steps from the Professional tutorial linked above if you don't need them. TO test your web installer you basically need to add the files and make the configurations described in the first article, in Builds page.
If you're application is split in multiple features, it is highly recommend you enable the option "One CAB per feature" from Builds page, so the installer will only download the binaries corespondent to the features selected by the user, thus reducing the download size and speeding up the installation.
Related
I want to create an installer file that includes installer file for SQL Server and a C# project so that user don't have to do it separately.
I have seen a few solutions but want to get recommendations for the best possible solution available in market.
Some previous answers you can check:
List View of Common Windows Installer Deployment Tools
How to create windows installer (with links to non-Windows Installer tools as well)
Commercial deployment tools Advanced Installer and Installshield have some built-in support to install various prerequisites such as SQL Server Express - a quick description here. The open source and free WiX with its Burn component also allows you to install prerequisites, but you have to write XML markup code to accomplish the task. No real GUI apart from Visual Studio as editor (or another editor for that matter).
Some Links:
How to create a MSI file which simply copies a directory to Program Files?
Wrap C# application in .msi installer
Application setup
Is there a Installer-Tool that does require any tool to be installed?
I do not have admin privileges on my build-agent (vsts hosted agent) but still want a normal installer.
I am currently using ClickOnce but that needs so many workarounds that I don't really like it.
I know of Installers like WIX or VS Setup Projects but those don't work without WIX Toolkit or Visual Studio.
I hope anyone has an idea or I will have to do it manually.
You may want to look into Squirrel. It's an open-source (free) installation and update framework for Windows desktop apps.
Advanced Installer is another solution for application packaging and deployment on Windows.
WiX can be pulled into a build server without requiring admin privs. It has a nuget package just for this purpose.
https://www.nuget.org/packages/WiX/
That will require you to not run MSI validation though so be careful.
Also note that WiX does not need VS. VS Setup does though.
I used Visual Studio 2015 InstallShield Limited Edition Project to create my application setup.
My application must be installed api.msi, .net3.5 and .net4.5 to be exeuted.
In "Specify Application Data->Redistributables", I only can add .net3.5 and .net 4.5 to my setup. but i can't add api.msi to Redistributables.
How do i add api.msi to Redistributables?
this is my Redistributables
I hope the installation steps are as follows
run setup->set install path->install .net(3.5 and 4.5) & api.msi & application.
Best way to do it is by creating merge module and add it to your project for details refer the link
InstallShield can include either merge modules or prerequisites, but the Limited and Express editions do not include the capabilities to build either. Both options are available with the Professional and higher editions, and other tools may be able to create merge modules.
You can download an eval copy of InstallShield and throw it on a VM. Build your setup prereq file (.PRQ) for it. Copy the PRQ and api.msi to your machine with InstallShield LE and consume it.
You can read more about how to author a PRQ here: (Disclosure: My blog article from 11 years ago)
http://iswix.com/2006/11/21/using-installshield-12-to-install-net-framework-3-0/
I maintain an open source project called IsWiX that creates graphical UIs for managing XML documents. I thought about creating a tool to maintain PRQ files. It would only take me a day to write it but I was concerned Flexera might get really irritated. :)
I have an Windows C# application for which I will have to create an installer
which would ask user for custom and complete installation.These custom and complete installation options are same application with different feature.
I know to provide options by using Installer UI radio buttons but how to provide control as it takes specific exe for the custom and complete installation respectively.
Or is there any way to achieve this, appreciate if you would provdie step by step procedure.
I am using Visual studio 2013 premium version, MySQL 5.5.
You have different ways, you can do it by configurate in VS. But on this I can´t say much. I would prefer to use a NSIS-File or MS-Build to create an setup.exe
With NSIS you can say all Options etc. which the installer should include.
Here is an NSIS tutorial. Hope that helps.
There is no support for custom dialogs in Visual Studio setup projects - they are limited feature setup projects that do not supply access to the full functionality of Windows Installer. Any installs you see with those Custom and Complete choices (or choices of which features to install) will not have been built with Visual Studio setup installer projects. That means you'll need to choose another tool that meets those requirements, and any others you might have for the install.
Please, Is there any book or tutorial for deploying .Net Windows Application/Assemblies.
I required In-Depth tutorial for .Net Application Deployment.
If you are looking to produce an MSI redistributable installer for your clients, or Group Policy deployment then I'd recommend learning the WiX system.
The Visual Studio Setup Project is no longer supported in VS11 (VS2012) and the free InstallShield alternative has less features than the VS10 setup project.
Go here http://wixtoolset.org/ and here: http://wix.tramontana.co.hu/tutorial/getting-started/the-software-package to learn how the XML file is constructed, then start adding your files into the WiX package.
The toolset http://wixtoolset.org/releases/v3.6/stable download includes a VS11 project template which integrates nicely with VS and whatever source control you're using.
Hope this helps a bit!
Follow this. You will be able to deploy with Setup Projects
http://documentation.devexpress.com/#xaf/CustomDocument3235
I'm on a mobile phone so I cannot provide you with a link but all you need to do is copy the executable out of the bin folder in your project.
Deploying A C# Application (Visual Studio Setup Project)