Preferred installation package
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Gracias, Senor Crafton.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
De nada Senor Smith.
¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! Real Mentats use only 100% pure, unfooled around with Sapho Juice(tm)! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF! Techno Silliness
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We're looking to buy an installation package, and I was hoping that some folks might have suggestions/tips based on experience. The deployment target is Windows-only, for .NET a app. It seems that there are two very popular choices: InstallShield and Wise. Do you have a recommendation for one or the other? Is there an even better choice? Thanks for any help.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
One other that I remember, http://www.ethalone.com/products.php[^] I remember trying out Ghost Installer several years ago and thinking it was pretty cool. I don't know what it's like today.
¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! Real Mentats use only 100% pure, unfooled around with Sapho Juice(tm)! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF! Techno Silliness
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Thanks Serhiy. Does AdvancedInstaller work well? Is it easy to use?
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
Yes, it is very easy to use. They provide great support and release updates every few weeks. I am very happy with it... You can download trial version from: http://www.advancedinstaller.com/downloads/advinst.msi
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We're looking to buy an installation package, and I was hoping that some folks might have suggestions/tips based on experience. The deployment target is Windows-only, for .NET a app. It seems that there are two very popular choices: InstallShield and Wise. Do you have a recommendation for one or the other? Is there an even better choice? Thanks for any help.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
I'd recommend anything, even xcopy in a batch file, over InstallShield. X|
--Mike-- Visual C++ MVP :cool: LINKS~! Ericahist | PimpFish | CP SearchBar v3.0 | C++ Forum FAQ Ford, what's this fish doing in my ear?
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We're looking to buy an installation package, and I was hoping that some folks might have suggestions/tips based on experience. The deployment target is Windows-only, for .NET a app. It seems that there are two very popular choices: InstallShield and Wise. Do you have a recommendation for one or the other? Is there an even better choice? Thanks for any help.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
xcopy
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Jim Crafton wrote:
consider looking into Wix.
I'm reading lots of good stuff about it. It seems very powerful and it nicely integrates with Visual Studio.
________________________________________________ Personal Blog [ITA] - Tech Blog [ENG] - My Photos ScrewTurn Wiki 2.0
I used Wix recently and there's a big learning curve, so set aside some time for that up-front. The biggest hurdle is just finding docs, at times I had to resort to looking through the XML schema to see what the elements/attributes were.
--Mike-- Visual C++ MVP :cool: LINKS~! Ericahist | PimpFish | CP SearchBar v3.0 | C++ Forum FAQ Ford, what's this fish doing in my ear?
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De nada Senor Smith.
¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! Real Mentats use only 100% pure, unfooled around with Sapho Juice(tm)! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF! Techno Silliness
Jim Crafton wrote:
De nada Senor Smith.
You made some good progress already:)
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We're looking to buy an installation package, and I was hoping that some folks might have suggestions/tips based on experience. The deployment target is Windows-only, for .NET a app. It seems that there are two very popular choices: InstallShield and Wise. Do you have a recommendation for one or the other? Is there an even better choice? Thanks for any help.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
If you can. Both tools allow you to click together a vanilla setup, but if you are a perfectionist, have non-custom wishes, or *shudder* care about end-user experience, you are into a sea of pain. Rule No. 1: Keep the Installation as simle as possible. Everything your application can do after copying some files your application should do. Keep as much logic, glue and wiring as possible out of the setup. If you need it, move it into the app. Rule No. 2: After the first "this was easy", you will hate it. You heard it from me first. Just search the lounge for posts by me that contain "stall". Suggestion: InnoSetup. Ignoring it's Pascal Script, it isn't as powerful and clicketyish, and that's definitely a good thing. And the pascal scripting is finally easier on your health than, say, InstallScript or Windows Installer.
Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers, Velopers, Develprs, Developers!
We are a big screwed up dysfunctional psychotic happy family - some more screwed up, others more happy, but everybody's psychotic joint venture definition of CP
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We're looking to buy an installation package, and I was hoping that some folks might have suggestions/tips based on experience. The deployment target is Windows-only, for .NET a app. It seems that there are two very popular choices: InstallShield and Wise. Do you have a recommendation for one or the other? Is there an even better choice? Thanks for any help.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
I'd vote again for NSIS since it's so customisable and far better than the various (recent) versions of IS I've tried out. One thing which I did do when I had to create several different installers from the same files was a relatively simple XSLT transformation from a configuration file to an NSIS script (good way to learn XSLT) and then the little batch program executed the NSIS compiler et voila! (Sorry don't have that program anymore, my employers at the time managed to hose one of their (thankfully not too important) hard drives).
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Josh Smith wrote:
I was afraid of getting that type of feedback
You wanted honest feedback. Right? You can also look at NSIS: http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Main_Page[^]
Rama Krishna Vavilala wrote:
You can also look at NSIS:
My, it's been a while since i've used that, but i sure did love it. If i ever again need to write an installer for something truly awful (like say, Crystal Reports...) NSIS is coming back out of the box.
----
It appears that everybody is under the impression that I approve of the documentation. You probably also blame Ken Burns for supporting slavery.
--Raymond Chen on MSDN
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We're looking to buy an installation package, and I was hoping that some folks might have suggestions/tips based on experience. The deployment target is Windows-only, for .NET a app. It seems that there are two very popular choices: InstallShield and Wise. Do you have a recommendation for one or the other? Is there an even better choice? Thanks for any help.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
Just FYI, another very good program: Inno Setup. (However, not sure whether it is enough for your case.) Something from its website: Inno Setup is a free installer for Windows programs. First introduced in 1997, Inno Setup today rivals and even surpasses many commercial installers in feature set and stability. http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php[^] It is really free of charge, even for commercial use.
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Rama Krishna Vavilala wrote:
You can also look at NSIS:
My, it's been a while since i've used that, but i sure did love it. If i ever again need to write an installer for something truly awful (like say, Crystal Reports...) NSIS is coming back out of the box.
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It appears that everybody is under the impression that I approve of the documentation. You probably also blame Ken Burns for supporting slavery.
--Raymond Chen on MSDN
..err folks I'm kinda surprised that no-one has mentioned WiX. Yes, it takes investment of your time to learn how to use it well but it is very nice to have full control over your installs furthermore, there are a fair number of users on the email distribution list to get help from. It also integrates nicely into continuous integration environments like CruiseControl.Net and (a big plus for me) this allows me to focus developers on maintaining the WiX files early in the project so we don't have a mad last minute panic. Tutorial here http://www.tramontana.co.hu/wix/ Source here http://wix.sourceforge.net/
You can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time.
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Never have, I've tried that free one before which was actually very good, I forget the name of it, we used it for a while until we outgrew it.
John Cardinal wrote:
I forget the name of it
Inno Setup?
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We're looking to buy an installation package, and I was hoping that some folks might have suggestions/tips based on experience. The deployment target is Windows-only, for .NET a app. It seems that there are two very popular choices: InstallShield and Wise. Do you have a recommendation for one or the other? Is there an even better choice? Thanks for any help.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
A bit late arriving for this thread but I find myself in a similar situation, going to have to make a setup for a client/server application around May time. I used Inno on previous projects and it's OK(ish). I was wondering if I could use the deployment from VS2005 for a solution (including both client and server projects) developed under VC++ 6.0 (.NET1.1), I suppose I'll just have to give it a go. If anyone has tried this and can save me time by saying it's simply impossible I'd appreciate it. The deployment option I have used in a simple C# application (.NET2.0) and I've had a few problems I think related to user privileges. It works fine for some users and not for others in different groups. Thanks y bon weekend.
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We're looking to buy an installation package, and I was hoping that some folks might have suggestions/tips based on experience. The deployment target is Windows-only, for .NET a app. It seems that there are two very popular choices: InstallShield and Wise. Do you have a recommendation for one or the other? Is there an even better choice? Thanks for any help.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
Personally I have not been pleased with Installshield. It is a very heavy application that blows installation files to a size not worthwhile. For another alternative, try Inno Setup. It a free application, but dont let that deter you. It is small, lightweight and only puts into the installation the info that it needs. It is a brilliant app and definitely worth checkingout. http://www.jrsoftware.org/
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Just FYI, another very good program: Inno Setup. (However, not sure whether it is enough for your case.) Something from its website: Inno Setup is a free installer for Windows programs. First introduced in 1997, Inno Setup today rivals and even surpasses many commercial installers in feature set and stability. http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php[^] It is really free of charge, even for commercial use.
If you are going for InnoSetup (which I also recommend), I would suggest to download the Quick Start Pack. It also contains some other helpfull tools. Especially ISTool makes development a lot easier: it has a complete gui built around all the possible options. The support on the newsgroups is also very good and the PascalScripting is also quite powerfull.
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We're looking to buy an installation package, and I was hoping that some folks might have suggestions/tips based on experience. The deployment target is Windows-only, for .NET a app. It seems that there are two very popular choices: InstallShield and Wise. Do you have a recommendation for one or the other? Is there an even better choice? Thanks for any help.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
My prefered tool for installation packages is Wix, it integrates easily into any automated build process. There is a commercial IDE called WiXAware if a design view to help build GUI of installer is needed. CET
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Given that the two top players in the Install-App field are as unpopular as they are, it's a million-dollar market out there for some smart individuals to come up with something that's simple to use and that will work out of the box :-)
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
Currently working on C++/CLI in Action for Manning Publications. (*Sample chapter available online*)Hi I have been using IS for over 5 years now and although I have to agree with other comments in regards to the quality of the product and their support (very poor), I would still recommend it, even though admittedly I have not tried Wise. The majority of the bugs and problems are within the IDE and usually have a workaround, not ideal I know. However IS is a very powerful product and I have yet to find a situation/configuration I could not create an installer for. It can be very frustrating at times to work with, but there is an excellent user base and forum full of very helpful people always willing to help out a fellow installer. If you are still set against IS there is an alternative called InstallAware that I believe was founded by ex-employees of IS when they where taken over by Macrovision. Hope that helps… Neil.
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We're looking to buy an installation package, and I was hoping that some folks might have suggestions/tips based on experience. The deployment target is Windows-only, for .NET a app. It seems that there are two very popular choices: InstallShield and Wise. Do you have a recommendation for one or the other? Is there an even better choice? Thanks for any help.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
Having been through this one myself I can strongly recommend InstallAware[^]. We bought 2 copies of InstallAware Studio after seeing it in action at a conference last year, and we haven't regretted it. It's fast, easy to use and flexible - with full scripting support and (in higher editions) the capability to import existing installers. I believe InstallAware was started by a group of disgruntled ex-Installshield developers about 10 years ago. That kinda says it all, I think! :laugh:
Anna :rose: Linting the day away :cool: Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "If mushy peas are the food of the devil, the stotty cake is the frisbee of God"
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I switched to AdvancedInstaller (www.advancedinstaller.com) when Windows Vista out... They are dedicated on Windows Installer (MSI) installers... and it costs less then Wise and InstallShield... Serhiy Horobets
We looked into that one as well, but ended up plumping for InstallAware in the end. From what I can see, Advanced Installer is pretty good for its price point though. :)
Anna :rose: Linting the day away :cool: Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "If mushy peas are the food of the devil, the stotty cake is the frisbee of God"