[wix-users] Changing the log file location

Fri Aug 19 12:27:59 PDT 2016

I was not so much comparing as stating that my company has the same requirements for both install types (WiX vs. InstallShield).  So I have to figure out how to get the same job done given the limitations of Windows Installer.  The limitations and the workarounds are not always clear.  Something as ridiculously simple as writing to a log file that does not work if your custom action is being called from a control event, means you have to come up with new and different ways to get simple tasks done.

-----Original Message-----
From: wix-users [mailto:wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org] On Behalf Of Edwin Castro
Sent: Friday, August 19, 2016 12:42 PM
To: WiX Toolset Users Mailing List <wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org>
Subject: EXT: Re: [wix-users] Changing the log file location

Yeah, the point I was making is that it is not fair to compare apples and steak. Yes, they're both food and will provide some level of sustenance but they don't work the same or even provide the same benefits (or lack thereof).

You can control the log location by doing the same thing InstallShield does and use a burn bootstrapper to install your MSI. Take a look at Log/@Prefix for details.

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__wixtoolset.org_documentation_manual_v3_xsd_wix_log.html&d=CwICAg&c=IV_clAzoPDE253xZdHuilRgztyh_RiV3wUrLrDQYWSI&r=oAJIeMTNC3Z6LlnozAjna4bWEZCGLInzcwB6EkZAFeU&m=aMe3BsT85T0UhALfXHhd_Rzj4LSMUD60UwFizXVlRKU&s=bagogz6fNYAqo34aWrpGnRBm2_8vjmsGfgTEFLKwFJs&e= 

On Fri, Aug 19, 2016 at 10:12 AM, Vanniekerk, Tyrel (GE Healthcare) <tyrel.vanniekerk at ge.com> wrote:
> Not sure exactly.  It creates a setup.exe and you do control stuff with the InstallShield install script, so most likely as you described it.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: wix-users [mailto:wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org] On 
> Behalf Of Edwin Castro
> Sent: Friday, August 19, 2016 11:41 AM
> To: WiX Toolset Users Mailing List <wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org>
> Subject: EXT: Re: [wix-users] Changing the log file location
>
> OR was your InstallShield projects one of those funky projects where the installer is packaged in an MSI but none of the MSI actions are used and instead the whole installation process is controlled with InstallShield's engine and InstallScripts?
>
> On Fri, Aug 19, 2016 at 9:39 AM, Edwin Castro <egcastr at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Does InstallShield control the log location with a plain MSI? Or do 
>> you have to start the installer with a setup.exe?
>>
>> On Fri, Aug 19, 2016 at 9:37 AM, Vanniekerk, Tyrel (GE Healthcare) 
>> <tyrel.vanniekerk at ge.com> wrote:
>>> That's what it's starting to look like.  Even though some people are 
>>> convinced you can change it, I am thinking that you can only change 
>>> it from a bootstrapper or by calling your installer via msiexec.
>>> Which means you cannot control the uninstall log, repair log or 
>>> modify log.  We used InstallShield for all our installers, until 
>>> they wanted a little over $48,000 to renew our license for software 
>>> that had basically the same UI, even down to the same bugs as it had 
>>> with IS 7 back in 2000'ish.  Regardless, with InstallShield we could 
>>> set the log file given the requirements we have.  They don't want 
>>> the log files to ever overwrite each other and be in a known 
>>> location with known filenames.  I am getting a bad feeling about 
>>> this... :-(
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: wix-users [mailto:wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org] On 
>>> Behalf Of Phill Hogland
>>> Sent: Friday, August 19, 2016 11:23 AM
>>> To: wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org
>>> Subject: EXT: Re: [wix-users] Changing the log file location
>>>
>>> I think MsiLogFileLocation  is a read-only property that is set by the engine to allow you to point a user to the log's location.
>>>
>>> ________________________________
>>> From: wix-users <wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org> on behalf 
>>> of Vanniekerk, Tyrel (GE Healthcare) <tyrel.vanniekerk at ge.com>
>>> Sent: Friday, August 19, 2016 10:57:05 AM
>>> To: wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org
>>> Subject: [wix-users] Changing the log file location
>>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> In a previous email someone said that you can in fact change the log level and log filename in a WiX MSI (not indirectly via a bootstrapper).  So I have tried everything, but nothing affects the log file location other than the -l option for misexec.
>>>
>>> I can see the MsiLogFileLocation property being changed, but it never really takes effect.  The same type of message is shown when the property is changed via the command line option.
>>>
>>> This is where it gets set by the command line option:
>>> MSI (c) (C4:F4) [10:43:32:450]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding MsiLogFileLocation property. Its value is 'D:\log.txt'.
>>>
>>> This is where my custom action changes it:
>>> MSI (c) (C4!F4) [10:43:32:747]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Modifying MsiLogFileLocation property. Its current value is 'D:\ log.txt'. Its new value: 'C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\Temp\MyLog-160819104332.log'.
>>>
>>> The log file is still created in the D:\log.txt, the second value is ignored.  I keep reading it's possible to change the log filename (Windows Installer 4+) and they say to change that property, but changing it in the XML does not seem to have any effect other than logging it.
>>>
>>> I also tried just setting it directly with a property, no go.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Tyrel
>>>
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>>> 3 
>>> Z6LlnozAjna4bWEZCGLInzcwB6EkZAFeU&m=igz5gTbyc-qOpuXky_HqqQf3MR1yFNbX
>>> Y t1oJ-ZMjXY&s=gSlaO4VYjKc0npGImnFUmir3nbPpQtfJi7Onc9oyY5E&e=
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>>> ____________________________________________________________________
>>> WiX Toolset Users Mailing List provided by FireGiant 
>>> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.firegiant.co
>>> m
>>> _&d=CwICAg&c=IV_clAzoPDE253xZdHuilRgztyh_RiV3wUrLrDQYWSI&r=oAJIeMTNC
>>> 3 
>>> Z6LlnozAjna4bWEZCGLInzcwB6EkZAFeU&m=igz5gTbyc-qOpuXky_HqqQf3MR1yFNbX
>>> Y t1oJ-ZMjXY&s=gSlaO4VYjKc0npGImnFUmir3nbPpQtfJi7Onc9oyY5E&e=
>>>
>>> ____________________________________________________________________
>>> WiX Toolset Users Mailing List provided by FireGiant 
>>> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.firegiant.co
>>> m
>>> _&d=CwICAg&c=IV_clAzoPDE253xZdHuilRgztyh_RiV3wUrLrDQYWSI&r=oAJIeMTNC
>>> 3
>>> Z6LlnozAjna4bWEZCGLInzcwB6EkZAFeU&m=NP2o6yQwc0cciq1xU4h0ArfaxeahNlf5
>>> 3 XU9ipmzlJs&s=wvRxk5pAo-Uw-28AM66DdqaLTqdGHK7xx7pbH7FmULw&e=
>
> ____________________________________________________________________
> WiX Toolset Users Mailing List provided by FireGiant 
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> LlnozAjna4bWEZCGLInzcwB6EkZAFeU&m=NP2o6yQwc0cciq1xU4h0ArfaxeahNlf53XU9
> ipmzlJs&s=wvRxk5pAo-Uw-28AM66DdqaLTqdGHK7xx7pbH7FmULw&e=
>
> ____________________________________________________________________
> WiX Toolset Users Mailing List provided by FireGiant 
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> LlnozAjna4bWEZCGLInzcwB6EkZAFeU&m=aMe3BsT85T0UhALfXHhd_Rzj4LSMUD60UwFi
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