Bootstrapper cannot find setup.ini from a .net generated install?
Robbie Powell
I finally got my msistuff.exe built...I have a couple of
issues remaining though.
One: I need to figure out how to make it detect and auto
install the .net framework.
Two: When I run it from its location (on the web) it says
it cannot find the setup.ini file and its looking in temp
internet files...I'm guessing msistuff.exe doesn't
specify that files location? Or is there somethign I'm
doing wrong?
Thanx in advance!
Phil Wilson
is called setup.exe. Because you mentioned MsiStuff.exe I was assuming you
wanted to customize it and that you were aware that the actual setup program
is setup.exe. MsiStuff puts configuration info into setup.exe's resources,
and when setup.exe runs it looks in its resources for the information and
does the downloads. That's why MsiStuff is looking for setup.exe. The source
for setup.exe is in the same general place in the installer SDK. If you were
to go the complete route, you'd customize MsiStuff to add a required
framework version and a URL for the .NET framework, and this URL would be
added into setup.exe's resources, then you'd add code to setup.exe to detect
whether that framework version is installed, and if not, download it and
install it from the specified URL.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/msi/setup/msistuff_exe.asp
--
Phil Wilson [MVP Windows Installer]
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"Robbie Powell" <crpo...@nomi.med.navy.mil> wrote in message
news:1b37d01c44fb4$1408b8c0$a101...@phx.gbl...
Robbie Powell
I said, I'm NOT a C++ programmer...I'm a visual basic
programmer, and I have a visual basic application that
I'm trying to distribute over the web...and what I'm
trying to do sounds like it would be a very common thing,
so there's got to be a easier way to get it to do this
other than hacking setup.exe through a hacked
msistuff.exe (I say hack because thats my level of
understanding)
I can live without having it autodetect and install .net,
but I can't live without making it not ask for setup.ini
in my temporary internet files...if someone could hold my
poor visual basic programming hands and tell me how to
solve this riddle I would be MOST gracious.
Thank you Phil for the attention you've given me, but I'm
afraid you're confusing me more :(
>.
>
Michael Sanford [MVP]
I sympathize with your plight, but given your requirements and constraints,
using a commercial tool might be the best alternative for you. The
bootstrappers offered by those vendors are more robust and reliable, not to
mention the fact that even if you get this working the way you want, you
won't be able to support it if customers have problems.
--
****************************************
Michael Sanford
Windows Installer MVP
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"Robbie Powell" <crpo...@nomi.med.navy.mil> wrote in message
news:1c06101c4520d$85797ac0$a501...@phx.gbl...
Robbie Powell
its .net visual basic customers hi and dry yet again?
I'm going to have to package the msi, the setup.exe, and
the setup.ini into a self extracting executable and just
have them download that because visual basic developers
(the majority of business level application developers)
can't customize a setup project? Asinine.
>.
>
Michael Sanford [MVP]
complaint...
First, VS.NET supports deployment projects which provide the same
functionality to all developers, regardless of the language they choose.
Like everything else, there is a limit to the feature-set this tool
provides. This limit is imposed on everyone, not just you.
You are looking for a way to build a bootstrapper with enhanced
functionality, and are frustrated that 1) the SAMPLE provided by Microsoft
does not do what you want, and that 2) you don't have the skills to make it
do what you want.
The bottom line is that if you want to build or customize a robust
bootstrapper, it has to be done in C or C++.
Here is a couple of links that may help:
http://www.cornerhouse.ca/en/msilaunch.html
http://www.codeproject.com/dotnet/dotNetInstaller.asp
--
****************************************
Michael Sanford
Windows Installer MVP
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"Robbie Powell" <crpo...@nomi.med.navy.mil> wrote in message
news:1c66501c45239$daf85da0$a001...@phx.gbl...
anon...@discussions.microsoft.com
can do without that. The SAMPLE is incorrect. The
SAMPLE says you can use msistuff.exe to make the
setup.exe find all it needs on a website instead of in
the setups folder. So I built it (after a lot of grief)
following te instructions provided in the sample and int
he article, and its finding everything it needs EXCEPT
the setup.ini. My primary goal here is to make setup.exe
look on my web server for everything it needs to run the
install...which is only two other files...setup.ini and
my msi file. The SAMPLE says it will do that...but it
didn't. is there a way to add setup.ini's location to
the setup.exe?
>.
>
anon...@discussions.microsoft.com
to be rude...I'm just upset that something that seems
like it would be one of the most common things to do has
been made so difficult. Please don't take offense, I
mean none.
>.
>
Michael Sanford [MVP]
So, where does the notion of a Setup.ini file come in to play here? The
Setup.exe which is configured by MsiStuff.exe does not use an .ini file at
all. It stores all of it's config data in a resource inside of the
Setup.exe.
In any case, the msistuff bootstrapper can download the files needed by your
installation, but it can not download prerequisites. In other words, it
downloads and installs files needed by your installation routine only.
Dotnetfx.exe really does not fall into that category, as it is not a file
your app needs to install, it's a prereq which needs to be run. I know it's
not what you want to hear, but what can I say... :(
Did you check out the links I sent? The one for the CodeProject project
seemed like a great one for you!
--
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Michael Sanford
Windows Installer MVP
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<anon...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1c7cc01c4524c$6eb3b640$a001...@phx.gbl...
Robbie Powell
didn't work for me from here though...I've thus forwarded
the url to my home pc...my work proxy is a nazi. (hey
that rhymed)
the setup.ini file that is generated with a installation
build actually contains the .net location. here it is:
[MSILoader]
MSIFileName=APEXInstaller.msi
[FXSection]
SupportedRuntimes=1.1.4322
InstallUrl=http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=9832
Message=1.1.4322
UseDefaultMessage=1
If I can get this information to be contained in the
setup.exe or NOT required by setup.exe then my download
will work...as of now, EVEN after following the article,
if I run the msistuff.exe commands to specify the
location of the msi file and the msi2.0 redist on my web
server...once the user runs setup.exe from the server it
can't find the setup.ini file above in the temporary
internet files. Thats currently my only problem.
>.
>