Getting started Here is what you need first: 1) On Windows XP you might need to download and install the if you have none installed on your PC. The WiX toolset requires the.NET Framework, currently this is version 3.5 SP1. The installation takes some time, time to get a coffee. 2) Download and install the following file:. WiX is a collection of free tools that builds software installers from XML documents.
You can build an installer from command line, but also use an IDE such as Visual Studio or Eclipse. Let's have a look at the tools and create an MSI file from command line. Create your first WiX file Create an XML file example.wxs as below: That's the absolutely minimum, let's add a little bit more: Create your first MSI installer Create a batch file makeinstaller.bat as below: candle example.wxs light example.wixobj @pause Run it to build the package, ignore any warnings. In case you are curious: candle is the WiX compiler (generates an object file), light is the WiX Linker (generates the final installer). There will be an example.msi in your folder now, congratulations! Double click it to install it, then go to Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel where you can find an ' Example Product Name'.
Don't forget to uninstall it, so you can later build and install a new MSI file. Create a simple application installer Copy an application into the same directory as your example.wxs, any standalone executable will do (for example C: WINDOWS system32 notepad.exe if you have nothing else available). Rename the application to example.exe. Change the following lines in your XML file example.wxs: Run makeinstaller.bat again to build the package and double click example.msi to install it.
This time there will be a directory called Example in your Program Files folder and the example.exe will be installed there. You can uninstall your application via Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel or right click on MSI file and choose Uninstall. Create a start menu entry This adds your example application to the start menu. Since a start menu entry is a shortcut and not a real file, a registry entry is needed. Change the following lines in your XML file example.wxs: Run makeinstaller.bat again, test and uninstall your example.msi. How to do software upgrades A little bit of configuration is needed for software upgrades, because some values are used repeatedly we define them as variables.
Templates and Forms Aligned with the Standard for Program Management - Second Edition (2008) Ginger Levin, Allen R. Is prepared in the direct and manage program execution process of Standard for Program Management—Second Edition (2008). Decision Log Instructions Purpose: The decision log is used. When one object makes a request of another, why do we expect that the second object's behavior correctly satisfies the first object's wishes? The need to cope with such principal-agent problems shapes programming practice as much as it shapes human organizations and economies. However, the literature about. Program alignment decision request package. The OCIO evaluates agency funding requests (received in the form of decision packages) against those values and establishes a priority ranking of all funding. Technology Strategy Alignment: The goal of these criteria is to assess the alignment of the IT proposal to the technology strategies of the state as articulated by the. When one object makes a request of another, why do we expect that the second object's behavior correctly satisfies the first object's wishes? The need to cope with such principal-agent problems shapes programming practice as much as it shapes human organizations and economies. However, the literature about such. (Online) Available from: www.lachmanconsultants.com/2016/07/fdas-program-alignment-more-questions-than-answers/. Dolmetsch, C. Program Alignment Group Recommendations – Decision. “Natural” on Food Labeling: The FDA Requests Comments on the Use of the Term “Natural” on Food Labeling.
Change the following lines in your XML file example.wxs: NOT NEWERVERSIONDETECTED Two things are important for software upgrades: increase the ProductVersion in every new release, the UpgradeCode has to stay the same for all releases! Run makeinstaller.bat again, build two packages with different ProductVersion numbers and name them example001.msi and example002.msi.
The installer will check if an old version is installed and replaces it, in case a newer version is already installed it will abort with an error message. Final touches Let's add icon and links for support information, they are are shown via Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel. Copy an icon into the same directory as your example.wxs, any graphics file with ending ico will do (for example if you have nothing else available).
Msi Wrapper Tool
Rename the file to example.ico. Change the following lines in your XML file example.wxs: NOT NEWERVERSIONDETECTED Download the final. Don't forget to replace text starting with ' 123-1234-1234' with unique in your final installer. Also check every place with text 'example' and replace it with your product/company name.
Okay, that's it. You now know the basics and are ready to make your own MSI installer!:) Find more information Once you are familiar with a simple MSI installer, you probably want to add more files and a GUI. Here's where to find further information:. Most features can be added by adding more information to the XML file and changing the make file arguments. Trouble shooting. A WiX command line tool crashes with the following error: The application failed to initialize properly (0xc0000135)?
This is a known problem on Windows XP, you need to install the Microsoft.NET Framework, see above in the 'getting started' section. A WiX command line tool gives the following error: program is not recognized as an internal or external command? You need to update the path and manually add the WiX binaries path, see. The default path for an English Windows XP is C: Program Files Windows Installer XML v3 bin.you can find the correct path for your PC in the Windows Explorer, search for the file candle.exe (the name of the WiX compiler). A WiX command line tool gives a CNDL0104 error: Not a valid source file?
Make sure your XML file is valid. Use an XML editor or for a quick check open the file in Firefox, it will show XML parsing errors in red. Installing or updating.NET Framework takes forever? Yes, better get another coffee.
There will also be one or more reboots, you will have lots of waiting time. The.NET Framework installed a Firefox add-on without asking for permission, how do I get rid of it? The easiest way is to open the Firefox menu Tools - Add-ons - Microsoft.NET Framework Assistant and click on 'Disable'. This won't uninstall it, for further information on how to completely remove it see. My example MSI file won't install and nothing happens, what can I do? MSI files require administrative privileges, make sure you are installing the MSI examples as administrator. Some of the WiX tutorial from the internet don't work, why is that?
There are different versions of WiX, the current version is WiX v3.0 (at time of writing). If tutorials and blogs give contradicting information, it's because they haven't labelled which version of WiX they used. For example v2.0 is obsolete and v3.5 is planned with new features you can't use yet. How do I generate GUIDs for my installer? There are command line tools available. You will need at least one for the UpgradeCode and one for each component in the XML file.
Conclusion Advantages:. Write a Windows installer with free tools (WiX is open source). WiX configuration can be done in any XML or text editor. Easy integration into automated build scripts. Multi language install packages are possible (via ). Active for support Disadvantages:.
GUI customisation is difficult, the default templates are usually not sufficient. Localisation is incomplete in WiX v3.0, e.g. Southmountain 25-Jul-15 10:36 25-Jul-15 10:36 I created the simple application installer and ran the installer on my Vista. After I saw the item listed on control panel, but when I try to uninstall, it took some time(long), also I missed the prompt to allow the permission to run this action. For having start menu example, after I ran installer, I detected the registry change is: HKU S-1-5-5769-1001 Software Example Company Name HKU S-1-5-5769-1001 Software Example Company Name Example Product Name I browse Program Files items, and find Example shortcut. If I click it, notepad(example.exe) does not start up. Do you know what the problem is?
Sprezzatura 27-Jun-13 3:42 27-Jun-13 3:42 This is an excellent overview. As a WiX veteran (1 week experience ) I can say that the main problem with most WiX blogs is they assume too much knowledge, and the examples they give are too terse and do not have enough 'context' (vg. Where do the tags fit, what comes above).
Any more information in this intro, and the newbie will drown in confusion. BTW I also used to like coffee, but forty years of drinking it gave me gastro-esophagus reflex disease. MicroImaging 1-Sep-10 14:16 1-Sep-10 14:16 Reason for my vote of 4 I think a little more depth would be nice, this is just my opinion. Like How do we generate GUID's How do we do something in advance of the installation, how do we do something after the installation is done. These are the first thing that i have to learn with each installation technology, and these are so complicated in Installshield I gave up long ago, and use NSIS, but am still looking for something that does make my job easier. Last Visit: 31-Dec-99 19:00 Last Update: 8-Jan-18 13:08 1 General News Suggestion Question Bug Answer Joke Praise Rant Admin Use Ctrl+Left/Right to switch messages, Ctrl+Up/Down to switch threads, Ctrl+Shift+Left/Right to switch pages.