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

[João Gaspar]

Hi Bryan, thank you for your answer.

I will give you more about the background process of QGIS installation.
The project has for Windows a standalone installer based on NSIS and a
Network Installer based on Cygwin.
For my case and in my work and for update versions purpose my IT department
asks me to prepare for each release an installation that will be standard
installation for all users.

The standard installation that we use needs some dependencies that can be
installed using the network installer with a previous download of the
packages. If I choose the standalone way it's can be done but needs an
extra step after installations and need the internet to download the
missing dependencies.

After read the answer of Jacob, for my needs the bundle is perhaps the best
option. I'm trying to understand how to declare on wix the folder with
packages from network installer with network installer.exe.

For example having the .exe and the folder with the packages in a C:\temp
folder I use a normal command line on Windows like this:

osgeo4w-setup-x86_64.exe -q -k -g -A -d -a x86_64 --local-install --root
"C:\\OSGeo4W64" -l "C:\\Temp\\packages" -C Libs -C Commandline_Utilities -C
Desktop

these parameters are from the installer:
https://trac.osgeo.org/osgeo4w/wiki/CommandLine

The idea is to use Wix and bundle the exe. and the folder with packages
into a single bundle.exe. My doubt is using the bundle installation, how
can I point .exe to an inside folder of packages and assume the parameters
of .exe network installer.

For parameters I read about this InstallCommand in
https://wixtoolset.org/documentation/manual/v3/xsd/wix/exepackage.html

Only need to understand how can I integrate the path to the folder inside
of bundle to the packages folder


Best regards,
João Gaspar


Bryan Dam <bryand at recastsoftware.com> escreveu no dia terça, 14/07/2020
à(s) 17:28:

> 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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