[wix-users] [Question] Using Wix to pack a MSI file using exe file that depends of a folder

Bryan Dam bryand at recastsoftware.com
Tue Jul 14 09:28:25 PDT 2020


FWIW: On the SCCM side of things there should be no need for PSADT here.  You would be creating a bundle/bootstrapper/wrapper/chainer EXE that ConfigMgr will be more than happy to run and detect.

I'm a little lost on exactly what you are trying to do.  What doesn't their installer do that you're trying to work around.  My guess is that you want the same set of binary files but support different configurations in a way that their own installer does not support.  In this case I'm not sure what a bundle that simply passes through parameters gets you. I'd consider going all in on PSADT and use that to implement whatever logic you're hoping to accomplish.



-----Original Message-----
From: wix-users <wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org> On Behalf Of João Gaspar via wix-users
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2020 11:47 AM
To: Hoover, Jacob <Jacob.Hoover at greenheck.com>
Cc: João Gaspar <joao.f.r.gaspar at gmail.com>; WiX Toolset Users Mailing List <wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org>
Subject: Re: [wix-users] [Question] Using Wix to pack a MSI file using exe file that depends of a folder

Hi Jacob,
thank you for your answer.
After you speak about bundle I did a little search and found this to try the understand the concept.
https://www.advancedinstaller.com/wix-bundles.html

And I found this for SCCM to help me in the SCCM part:
https://psappdeploytoolkit.com/

Do you think this can be combined to have a reasonable solution?

Please correct me if I'm saying something wrong.

I have look for other alternative but I think for me I need more time to search and understand this option that is to build the source code from QGIS software (https://github.com/qgis with the right dependencies and 3rd providers and try to use this:
https://github.com/giddie/qt-cmake-template to create a MSI installer using Wix toolset.

I will try to keep contact as well with QGIS packaging team to understand what is the best way.

Best regards,
João Gaspar


Hoover, Jacob <Jacob.Hoover at greenheck.com> escreveu no dia terça,
14/07/2020 à(s) 15:49:

>
> http://robmensching.com/blog/posts/2012/6/25/b-is-for-bundle-and-thats
> -good-enough-for-me/
>
>
>
> Use a bundle, use SCCM and a registry detect condition. Bundles can 
> use a /layout which places dependencies in the same folder or 
> subfolder based on authoring to be a source of dependencies. Trying to 
> jam this all in a MSI is fraught with issues, such as 
> https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/concurrent-installa
> tions
> and is advised against here
> https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/windows-installer-b
> est-practices#do-not-ship-concurrent-installations
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* wix-users [mailto:wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org] *On 
> Behalf Of *João Gaspar via wix-users
> *Sent:* Tuesday, July 14, 2020 5:19 AM
> *To:* wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org
> *Cc:* João Gaspar <joao.f.r.gaspar at gmail.com>
> *Subject:* [wix-users] [Question] Using Wix to pack a MSI file using 
> exe file that depends of a folder
>
>
>
> Hi,
> I'm giving the first steps with Wix Toolset and I need some help to 
> create MSI installer.
>
> I'm using a GIS open source Desktop (QGIS) that have a network 
> installer option that can point to a remote URL with the dependencies 
> packages to install or point to a local folder where these packages 
> are already downloaded.
>
> The idea is to create a standard installation based on specific 
> packages to distribute to in different computers based on the same packages and .exe.
> So the idea is to use WiX to pack the .exe and the folder with the 
> packages inside an MSI file.
>
> The procedure that I have in mind (and I don't know if is possible) is 
> to prepare Wix configuration to run the .exe file pass the .exe 
> parameters to install the packages that are packed inside of the MSI.
>
> This can be helpful for organizations that use QGIS and need to deploy 
> a lot of installations with the same packages. In my case, my company 
> ask me if is possible to have an MSI file because of Microsoft System 
> Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) installation that they have.
>
> I read some documentation of Wix toolset and I interpreted that this 
> can be done with custom actions, this is possible? And how can I pack 
> an MSI installer using only the folder with the packages and .exe file?
>
> Please correct me if I'm saying something wrong
>
> One of my goals at the end of this process is to share this 
> configuration with the QGIS project to help others that need this type of configuration.
>
> Thank you for your help.
>
> Best regards,
> João Gaspar
>
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