[wix-users] Custom bootstrapper - package caching

[Roland K]

I have a custom bootstrapper which includes one MsiPackage (our
applications) and a few 3rd party setups defined as ExePackages. This
bootstrapper should be the successor to our current setup, which is mostly
just copying files.

Let's say a customer has already installed our software and all of the 3rd
party setups by our current setup. Now we give him the new burn
bootstrapper to install a newer version of our software. Because of the
DetectConditions defined for every ExePackage, burn detects, that all of
the ExePackages are already installed and so the MsiPackage is the only
package which gets installed. So far, so good!

BUT:

Maybe someday, the customer wants to uninstall our software? If he tries
that, he will run into serious issues. Because the 3rd party setups weren't
installed by our new bootstrapper, the packages are not cached. Same issue,
if an ExePackage doesn't get installed at the initial installation, and you
want to add it later. You can't do that, 'cause they are not available.

Originally I thought, that the smaller file, which gets cached always and
is named same as the original bootstrapper does contain the ExePackages
anyway.

So am I right, that either you set Cache to Always on every package, or you
preserve the full bootstrapper somewhere?