[wix-users] Creating complex installer with custom UI using WiX

Sergii Lytvynenko srglytvynenko at gmail.com
Fri Sep 20 10:14:27 PDT 2019


Have been looking for an answer for a week now but still can't find one.
Few words about the problem: I'm working on Windows Remote control desktop
application similar to TeamViewer and we currently using both WiX and NSIS
to create our installers. The problem is that we have an Remote control
Agent that can be installed in 3 different ways using one installer:

   1. Install as unattended service - installs the agent and adds it to
   services
   2. Install in On-Demand mode - ( detailed explanation below)
   3. Install in ReachMode mode ( update/uninstall the agent when the
   machine is outside of the LAN)

Depending on installation options. (eg. "setup.exe /ReachMode" or  "setup.exe
/service") - we have different installation UI and very different
installation configuration.

Now about On-Demand option: this option copies files into temp folder, runs
the program and than deletes the files when program is closed.(similar to
Teamviewer's on-demand agent installer that runs, gives you 6 digit number
to insert into your Remote control console that connects to the agent, and
then agent removes itself after being closed). Also when user downloading
our agent, we add a payload (via php script) to the end of .exe file and
when installing we look for a payload, read the value of the payload and
decide whether we want to install it on-demand mode or unattended service.

Currently Agents installation implemented in NSIS and main program
installation implemented in WiX. My task is to Replace NSIS with a
different installer like WiX.

My Question is: Can I accomplish custom installation like mentioned above
using WiX? Or all these custom actions should be coded in WiXSharp?

Any help/recommendation would be helpful at this point. (Also agent would
be installed on WinXP, Vista,Win7, 8 and 10)


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