Asp Forum - .Net deployment - is this possible? - microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.setup

Debi

3/30/2006 12:26:00 AM

I want to distribute a single msi to the user, which when launched will check
for the prerequisites, and download these from my website(without user
downloading) - will not show EULA to the user - and install these and then
commence on the application installation to a user specified directory. If
prerequisites are already installed skip to the application installation.

If this is possible and if anyone has a step by step example on how to do
this using - VS Setup and Deploy/ Null Soft NSIS/ Inno Setup, please provide
me a link.

Thanks in Advance,
Debi

5 Answers

Phil Wilson

3/30/2006 4:03:00 PM

Not in one MSI. This is the reason why bootstrappers (like the one in VS
2005) install prerequisites with a separate exe that runs before starting
the MSI. Another reason these are often kept separate is that installing
system components like the .NET framework requires admin privilege, but MSI
installs often don't, and you'll see more actions happening with minimal
privilege when Vista shows up.
--
Phil Wilson
[Microsoft MVP-Windows Installer]
Definitive Guide to Windows Installer
http://apress.com/book/bookDisplay.ht...

"Debi" <debi@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:BBB82026-70AC-4147-AFE2-EB02F7393D22@microsoft.com...
>I want to distribute a single msi to the user, which when launched will
>check
> for the prerequisites, and download these from my website(without user
> downloading) - will not show EULA to the user - and install these and then
> commence on the application installation to a user specified directory. If
> prerequisites are already installed skip to the application installation.
>
> If this is possible and if anyone has a step by step example on how to do
> this using - VS Setup and Deploy/ Null Soft NSIS/ Inno Setup, please
> provide
> me a link.
>
> Thanks in Advance,
> Debi

Debi

3/30/2006 4:28:00 PM

I'm planning to distribute a software over the net.
So by what you say, does that mean that the use has to download the
bootstrapper exe first and then the application exe. Or is it possible to
call the application download from the bootstrapper.
Will this allow the user to set the Installation directory?
Can I avoid showing the EULA to the user when installing redistributable?
Can you give me any links to examples.

Thanks a lot,
Debi

"Phil Wilson" wrote:

> Not in one MSI. This is the reason why bootstrappers (like the one in VS
> 2005) install prerequisites with a separate exe that runs before starting
> the MSI. Another reason these are often kept separate is that installing
> system components like the .NET framework requires admin privilege, but MSI
> installs often don't, and you'll see more actions happening with minimal
> privilege when Vista shows up.
> --
> Phil Wilson
> [Microsoft MVP-Windows Installer]
> Definitive Guide to Windows Installer
> http://apress.com/book/bookDisplay.ht...
>
> "Debi" <debi@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:BBB82026-70AC-4147-AFE2-EB02F7393D22@microsoft.com...
> >I want to distribute a single msi to the user, which when launched will
> >check
> > for the prerequisites, and download these from my website(without user
> > downloading) - will not show EULA to the user - and install these and then
> > commence on the application installation to a user specified directory. If
> > prerequisites are already installed skip to the application installation.
> >
> > If this is possible and if anyone has a step by step example on how to do
> > this using - VS Setup and Deploy/ Null Soft NSIS/ Inno Setup, please
> > provide
> > me a link.
> >
> > Thanks in Advance,
> > Debi
>
>
>

Phil Wilson

3/30/2006 11:08:00 PM

Section 2.2 describes how to deploy the framework silently:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/support/AdminReadme/de...
but I don't believe it's the default, so you'd need a program to launch it
silently, and that program would ave to be downloaded, yes.

I don't believe the VS 2005 setup bootstrapper has an option to silently
install the framework, so with those requirements for silence you're looking
at some custom code to check for the framework presence and install it This
might help:
http://www.codeproject.com/dotnet/dotNetIns...

--
Phil Wilson [MVP Windows Installer]
----
"Debi" <debi@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:4481874D-EF6C-4C38-B590-4D28E92D15A7@microsoft.com...
> I'm planning to distribute a software over the net.
> So by what you say, does that mean that the use has to download the
> bootstrapper exe first and then the application exe. Or is it possible to
> call the application download from the bootstrapper.
> Will this allow the user to set the Installation directory?
> Can I avoid showing the EULA to the user when installing redistributable?
> Can you give me any links to examples.
>
> Thanks a lot,
> Debi
>
> "Phil Wilson" wrote:
>
>> Not in one MSI. This is the reason why bootstrappers (like the one in VS
>> 2005) install prerequisites with a separate exe that runs before starting
>> the MSI. Another reason these are often kept separate is that installing
>> system components like the .NET framework requires admin privilege, but
>> MSI
>> installs often don't, and you'll see more actions happening with minimal
>> privilege when Vista shows up.
>> --
>> Phil Wilson
>> [Microsoft MVP-Windows Installer]
>> Definitive Guide to Windows Installer
>> http://apress.com/book/bookDisplay.ht...
>>
>> "Debi" <debi@nospam.com> wrote in message
>> news:BBB82026-70AC-4147-AFE2-EB02F7393D22@microsoft.com...
>> >I want to distribute a single msi to the user, which when launched will
>> >check
>> > for the prerequisites, and download these from my website(without user
>> > downloading) - will not show EULA to the user - and install these and
>> > then
>> > commence on the application installation to a user specified directory.
>> > If
>> > prerequisites are already installed skip to the application
>> > installation.
>> >
>> > If this is possible and if anyone has a step by step example on how to
>> > do
>> > this using - VS Setup and Deploy/ Null Soft NSIS/ Inno Setup, please
>> > provide
>> > me a link.
>> >
>> > Thanks in Advance,
>> > Debi
>>
>>
>>

Debi

3/30/2006 11:51:00 PM

Thanks for the links. I decided to go with Inno Setup :). I could do all that
I wanted to do in 2 hours with all the user support for Inno setup, and I'd
been struggling with Visual Studio for a week.

This reinstates my belief that .Net is a - half baked, too many cooks
spoiled the broth, too many functionalities but no coherent end result.......
product. :)

"Phil Wilson" wrote:

> Section 2.2 describes how to deploy the framework silently:
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/support/AdminReadme/de...
> but I don't believe it's the default, so you'd need a program to launch it
> silently, and that program would ave to be downloaded, yes.
>
> I don't believe the VS 2005 setup bootstrapper has an option to silently
> install the framework, so with those requirements for silence you're looking
> at some custom code to check for the framework presence and install it This
> might help:
> http://www.codeproject.com/dotnet/dotNetIns...
>
> --
> Phil Wilson [MVP Windows Installer]
> ----
> "Debi" <debi@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:4481874D-EF6C-4C38-B590-4D28E92D15A7@microsoft.com...
> > I'm planning to distribute a software over the net.
> > So by what you say, does that mean that the use has to download the
> > bootstrapper exe first and then the application exe. Or is it possible to
> > call the application download from the bootstrapper.
> > Will this allow the user to set the Installation directory?
> > Can I avoid showing the EULA to the user when installing redistributable?
> > Can you give me any links to examples.
> >
> > Thanks a lot,
> > Debi
> >
> > "Phil Wilson" wrote:
> >
> >> Not in one MSI. This is the reason why bootstrappers (like the one in VS
> >> 2005) install prerequisites with a separate exe that runs before starting
> >> the MSI. Another reason these are often kept separate is that installing
> >> system components like the .NET framework requires admin privilege, but
> >> MSI
> >> installs often don't, and you'll see more actions happening with minimal
> >> privilege when Vista shows up.
> >> --
> >> Phil Wilson
> >> [Microsoft MVP-Windows Installer]
> >> Definitive Guide to Windows Installer
> >> http://apress.com/book/bookDisplay.ht...
> >>
> >> "Debi" <debi@nospam.com> wrote in message
> >> news:BBB82026-70AC-4147-AFE2-EB02F7393D22@microsoft.com...
> >> >I want to distribute a single msi to the user, which when launched will
> >> >check
> >> > for the prerequisites, and download these from my website(without user
> >> > downloading) - will not show EULA to the user - and install these and
> >> > then
> >> > commence on the application installation to a user specified directory.
> >> > If
> >> > prerequisites are already installed skip to the application
> >> > installation.
> >> >
> >> > If this is possible and if anyone has a step by step example on how to
> >> > do
> >> > this using - VS Setup and Deploy/ Null Soft NSIS/ Inno Setup, please
> >> > provide
> >> > me a link.
> >> >
> >> > Thanks in Advance,
> >> > Debi
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
>

Phil Wilson

3/31/2006 3:19:00 PM

I'm not sure what .NET has to do with this. You might be thinking that
Visual Studio setups are something to do with .NET, but they are not. There
are at least 20 tools that build MSI files, and by picking Visual Studio -
the one with the least number of capabilities - you got off to a tough
start. These ngs are full of questions from people who start using Visual
Studio to build setups without realising this. It simply doesn't do what
InstallShield, Wise, Wix, Advanced Installer etc can do.
--
Phil Wilson
[Microsoft MVP-Windows Installer]
"Debi" <debi@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:BAAF0F67-B40B-4AC2-A806-693CB0A28E6A@microsoft.com...
> Thanks for the links. I decided to go with Inno Setup :). I could do all
> that
> I wanted to do in 2 hours with all the user support for Inno setup, and
> I'd
> been struggling with Visual Studio for a week.
>
> This reinstates my belief that .Net is a - half baked, too many cooks
> spoiled the broth, too many functionalities but no coherent end
> result.......
> product. :)
>
> "Phil Wilson" wrote:
>
>> Section 2.2 describes how to deploy the framework silently:
>> http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/support/AdminReadme/de...
>> but I don't believe it's the default, so you'd need a program to launch
>> it
>> silently, and that program would ave to be downloaded, yes.
>>
>> I don't believe the VS 2005 setup bootstrapper has an option to silently
>> install the framework, so with those requirements for silence you're
>> looking
>> at some custom code to check for the framework presence and install it
>> This
>> might help:
>> http://www.codeproject.com/dotnet/dotNetIns...
>>
>> --
>> Phil Wilson [MVP Windows Installer]
>> ----
>> "Debi" <debi@nospam.com> wrote in message
>> news:4481874D-EF6C-4C38-B590-4D28E92D15A7@microsoft.com...
>> > I'm planning to distribute a software over the net.
>> > So by what you say, does that mean that the use has to download the
>> > bootstrapper exe first and then the application exe. Or is it possible
>> > to
>> > call the application download from the bootstrapper.
>> > Will this allow the user to set the Installation directory?
>> > Can I avoid showing the EULA to the user when installing
>> > redistributable?
>> > Can you give me any links to examples.
>> >
>> > Thanks a lot,
>> > Debi
>> >
>> > "Phil Wilson" wrote:
>> >
>> >> Not in one MSI. This is the reason why bootstrappers (like the one in
>> >> VS
>> >> 2005) install prerequisites with a separate exe that runs before
>> >> starting
>> >> the MSI. Another reason these are often kept separate is that
>> >> installing
>> >> system components like the .NET framework requires admin privilege,
>> >> but
>> >> MSI
>> >> installs often don't, and you'll see more actions happening with
>> >> minimal
>> >> privilege when Vista shows up.
>> >> --
>> >> Phil Wilson
>> >> [Microsoft MVP-Windows Installer]
>> >> Definitive Guide to Windows Installer
>> >> http://apress.com/book/bookDisplay.ht...
>> >>
>> >> "Debi" <debi@nospam.com> wrote in message
>> >> news:BBB82026-70AC-4147-AFE2-EB02F7393D22@microsoft.com...
>> >> >I want to distribute a single msi to the user, which when launched
>> >> >will
>> >> >check
>> >> > for the prerequisites, and download these from my website(without
>> >> > user
>> >> > downloading) - will not show EULA to the user - and install these
>> >> > and
>> >> > then
>> >> > commence on the application installation to a user specified
>> >> > directory.
>> >> > If
>> >> > prerequisites are already installed skip to the application
>> >> > installation.
>> >> >
>> >> > If this is possible and if anyone has a step by step example on how
>> >> > to
>> >> > do
>> >> > this using - VS Setup and Deploy/ Null Soft NSIS/ Inno Setup, please
>> >> > provide
>> >> > me a link.
>> >> >
>> >> > Thanks in Advance,
>> >> > Debi
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>
>>

microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.setup

.Net deployment - is this possible?

Debi

Phil Wilson

Debi

Phil Wilson

Debi

Phil Wilson

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