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dotnet setup
group:How to get a "Launch Application"?
dotnet setup:
There doesn't appear to be any "Launch Appliation" dialog box that I can add
to the User Interface End section -- is there some way I can get this to happen via VS 2005 Windows Setup project?
Ok found the solution
MsiLaunch tool - it works perfectly http://www.cornerhouse.ca/download/msilaunch.msi Why this functionality is not in VS 2005 IDE for Setup projects is beyond me -- so where do the good programmers go? Obviously not M$ -- or there again maybe the smart ones do go to M$, after all they don't have to use what they produce. [quoted text, click to view] "Rob R. Ainscough" <robains@pacbell.net> wrote in message news:OvstdMPrGHA.4444@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > There doesn't appear to be any "Launch Appliation" dialog box that I can > add to the User Interface End section -- is there some way I can get this > to happen via VS 2005 Windows Setup project? >
I spoke too soon, I was not able to get MSILaunch to work and the
documentation for it seems to indicated it was good upto VS 2003, no mention of VS 2005 support. The WROX book suggests using the custom actions "Commit" and adding Primary Output. This does indeed launch the my application, however, it also leaves the Installer "Finish" dialog box up and waiting for the user to close it. And users (bless their souls) don't understand why or what the dialog box is there for, and I tend to agree with them. Soooo...MSILaunch isn't working and I can't use the Commit Custom Action, so what are my options? Install Shield 12 at $1500 per head? Rob. [quoted text, click to view] "Rob R. Ainscough" <robains@pacbell.net> wrote in message news:OvstdMPrGHA.4444@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > There doesn't appear to be any "Launch Appliation" dialog box that I can > add to the User Interface End section -- is there some way I can get this > to happen via VS 2005 Windows Setup project? >
It seems to be a common misconception that Visual Studio setup projects have
some set of features comparable to InstallShield, Wise, Advanced Installer etc. -- Phil Wilson [Microsoft MVP-Windows Installer] [quoted text, click to view] "Rob R. Ainscough" <robains@pacbell.net> wrote in message news:u3JeDRRrGHA.4120@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... > Ok found the solution > > MsiLaunch tool - it works perfectly > http://www.cornerhouse.ca/download/msilaunch.msi > > Why this functionality is not in VS 2005 IDE for Setup projects is beyond > me -- so where do the good programmers go? Obviously not M$ -- or there > again maybe the smart ones do go to M$, after all they don't have to use > what they produce. > > "Rob R. Ainscough" <robains@pacbell.net> wrote in message > news:OvstdMPrGHA.4444@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >> There doesn't appear to be any "Launch Appliation" dialog box that I can >> add to the User Interface End section -- is there some way I can get this >> to happen via VS 2005 Windows Setup project? >> > >
Use a custom action that launches your app asynchronously. Just write code
that launches your app and then exits. Then the app is running and the MSI can complete. Doing it as a commit custom action is a bad idea. If an administrator turns off rollback (with policy) commit custom actions don't get called. -- Phil Wilson [Microsoft MVP-Windows Installer] Definitive Guide to Windows Installer http://apress.com/book/bookDisplay.html?bID=280 [quoted text, click to view] "Rob R. Ainscough" <robains@pacbell.net> wrote in message news:OdpRwpRrGHA.5008@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... >I spoke too soon, I was not able to get MSILaunch to work and the >documentation for it seems to indicated it was good upto VS 2003, no >mention of VS 2005 support. > > The WROX book suggests using the custom actions "Commit" and adding > Primary Output. This does indeed launch the my application, however, it > also leaves the Installer "Finish" dialog box up and waiting for the user > to close it. And users (bless their souls) don't understand why or what > the dialog box is there for, and I tend to agree with them. > Soooo...MSILaunch isn't working and I can't use the Commit Custom Action, > so what are my options? Install Shield 12 at $1500 per head? > > Rob. > > "Rob R. Ainscough" <robains@pacbell.net> wrote in message > news:OvstdMPrGHA.4444@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >> There doesn't appear to be any "Launch Appliation" dialog box that I can >> add to the User Interface End section -- is there some way I can get this >> to happen via VS 2005 Windows Setup project? >> > >
Phil,
InstallShield 12 is $1500 per head, we would need 4 user licese or $6000. InstallShield is essentially a glorified wrapper around MSI -- Orca (free) and VS 2005 setup projects should cover it especailly since VS 2005 is NOT free (MSDN Universal is $2500/yr). Perhaps these are things you don't need to factor in, but I do. We have two versions of InstallShield 11.5 and found them to be beyond very user un-friendly -- in other words the tool still requires a certain level of knowledge that required a higher salaried person which in turn begged the question why use it at all. But Phil, look at what I'm asking -- "Launch Application" once the install is complete -- does that sound like a mind boggling difficult task to you? Clearly it is something simple enough to put in VS 2005 Setup projects? It really should NOT be this difficult. I suspect it was not included in VS 2005 so as to keep companies like InstallShield alive (which has switch hands numerous times) -- again, this does NOT help the developer which in turn does NOT help the end user. For once, I wish Microsoft would think in terms of the "developer". Rob. [quoted text, click to view] "Phil Wilson" <pdjwilson@nospam.cox.net> wrote in message news:ejMxs2orGHA.4888@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... > It seems to be a common misconception that Visual Studio setup projects > have some set of features comparable to InstallShield, Wise, Advanced > Installer etc. > -- > Phil Wilson > [Microsoft MVP-Windows Installer] > "Rob R. Ainscough" <robains@pacbell.net> wrote in message > news:u3JeDRRrGHA.4120@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... >> Ok found the solution >> >> MsiLaunch tool - it works perfectly >> http://www.cornerhouse.ca/download/msilaunch.msi >> >> Why this functionality is not in VS 2005 IDE for Setup projects is beyond >> me -- so where do the good programmers go? Obviously not M$ -- or there >> again maybe the smart ones do go to M$, after all they don't have to use >> what they produce. >> >> "Rob R. Ainscough" <robains@pacbell.net> wrote in message >> news:OvstdMPrGHA.4444@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >>> There doesn't appear to be any "Launch Appliation" dialog box that I can >>> add to the User Interface End section -- is there some way I can get >>> this to happen via VS 2005 Windows Setup project? >>> >> >> > >
Launching an app isn't mind boggling, no, and you can do it as I described
in my other post. Editorial: The InstallShield IDE (like other tools that have full access to MSI features) does require some knowledge because MSI is more involved than I think you are aware of. As a broad generalization, the pattern seems to be that developers look at VS and its limited access to MSI (which also hides the gory details), start using it, then bemoan the lack of features. Ironically, exposing those features would probably result in an IDE that is just as complicated as InstallShield's. Why people don't evaluate and choose a tool depending on their requirements is beyond me. If cost is an issue, use Wix, but I think you'll find that's non-trivial too because it exposes all the MSI functionality. So you'll get that dratted thing about needing skilled people again. IMO, setups of any complication are a specialized skill, just like COM in C++ or writing drivers, but this generally isn't recognised by many who see it as "just copying files". The most adrenaline-inducing time for many users is when they are installing something, and that's because installations are seen as unreliable. Also, if an app breaks, the usual advice is to install it again! Ask yourself if perhaps these things are a consequence of not applying the right skills and doing things on the cheap. -- Phil Wilson [Microsoft MVP-Windows Installer] Definitive Guide to Windows Installer http://apress.com/book/bookDisplay.html?bID=280 [quoted text, click to view] "Rob R. Ainscough" <robains@pacbell.net> wrote in message news:ePcgH3yrGHA.3748@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... > Phil, > > InstallShield 12 is $1500 per head, we would need 4 user licese or $6000. > InstallShield is essentially a glorified wrapper around MSI -- Orca (free) > and VS 2005 setup projects should cover it especailly since VS 2005 is NOT > free (MSDN Universal is $2500/yr). Perhaps these are things you don't > need to factor in, but I do. We have two versions of InstallShield 11.5 > and found them to be beyond very user un-friendly -- in other words the > tool still requires a certain level of knowledge that required a higher > salaried person which in turn begged the question why use it at all. > > But Phil, look at what I'm asking -- "Launch Application" once the install > is complete -- does that sound like a mind boggling difficult task to you? > Clearly it is something simple enough to put in VS 2005 Setup projects? > It really should NOT be this difficult. I suspect it was not included in > VS 2005 so as to keep companies like InstallShield alive (which has switch > hands numerous times) -- again, this does NOT help the developer which in > turn does NOT help the end user. For once, I wish Microsoft would think > in terms of the "developer". > > Rob. > > > "Phil Wilson" <pdjwilson@nospam.cox.net> wrote in message > news:ejMxs2orGHA.4888@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... >> It seems to be a common misconception that Visual Studio setup projects >> have some set of features comparable to InstallShield, Wise, Advanced >> Installer etc. >> -- >> Phil Wilson >> [Microsoft MVP-Windows Installer] >> "Rob R. Ainscough" <robains@pacbell.net> wrote in message >> news:u3JeDRRrGHA.4120@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... >>> Ok found the solution >>> >>> MsiLaunch tool - it works perfectly >>> http://www.cornerhouse.ca/download/msilaunch.msi >>> >>> Why this functionality is not in VS 2005 IDE for Setup projects is >>> beyond me -- so where do the good programmers go? Obviously not M$ -- >>> or there again maybe the smart ones do go to M$, after all they don't >>> have to use what they produce. >>> >>> "Rob R. Ainscough" <robains@pacbell.net> wrote in message >>> news:OvstdMPrGHA.4444@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >>>> There doesn't appear to be any "Launch Appliation" dialog box that I >>>> can add to the User Interface End section -- is there some way I can >>>> get this to happen via VS 2005 Windows Setup project? >>>> >>> >>> >> >> > >
Ok we'll just have to disagree on this one. I believe deployment should be
a no-brainer process and not require large knowledge base. We started with simply copy app to XYZ dir, went back to COMs and regsvr32, now back to XCOPY .NET -- sorta sounds like a lost confused company. Anyway, that aside, I've come across more problems with MSIEXEC an uninstalling .NET 2.0 apps that are currently running. If the application is running and has a non-visible form the MSIEXEC will proceed to uninstall the app (EXE and DLLs), however the app remains running in memory. I can't tell you how frustrating this project of implementing an Auto Update feature has been, it really isn't that complex a project (relative to the other projects I've created) and yet I can't do it using a Windows Service (due to "interact with desktop" and Diagnostic.Process limiations) and now I'm finding out that there are all kinds of problems doing it as a stand alone app because MSIEXEC will not remove the app from memory if the app's only visible reference is a notification icon. It is crazy!! Serious, this is just nuts how much R&D I've had to do to get to what basically amounts to "ya should have done it is some other language/dev tool". MSIEXEC is not a good tool, it's a very bad too, it returns inaccurate error codes and appears to be EXTREMELY fragile. If there is a tool beyond MSIEXEC that is not based on or a wrapper around MSI, please let me know. Rob. [quoted text, click to view] "Phil Wilson" <pdjwilson@nospam.cox.net> wrote in message news:OfI0MOzrGHA.2452@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... > Launching an app isn't mind boggling, no, and you can do it as I described > in my other post. > > Editorial: > The InstallShield IDE (like other tools that have full access to MSI > features) does require some knowledge because MSI is more involved than I > think you are aware of. As a broad generalization, the pattern seems to be > that developers look at VS and its limited access to MSI (which also hides > the gory details), start using it, then bemoan the lack of features. > Ironically, exposing those features would probably result in an IDE that > is just as complicated as InstallShield's. Why people don't evaluate and > choose a tool depending on their requirements is beyond me. If cost is an > issue, use Wix, but I think you'll find that's non-trivial too because it > exposes all the MSI functionality. So you'll get that dratted thing about > needing skilled people again. > > IMO, setups of any complication are a specialized skill, just like COM in > C++ or writing drivers, but this generally isn't recognised by many who > see it as "just copying files". The most adrenaline-inducing time for > many users is when they are installing something, and that's because > installations are seen as unreliable. Also, if an app breaks, the usual > advice is to install it again! Ask yourself if perhaps these things are a > consequence of not applying the right skills and doing things on the > cheap. > > -- > Phil Wilson > [Microsoft MVP-Windows Installer] > Definitive Guide to Windows Installer > http://apress.com/book/bookDisplay.html?bID=280 > > "Rob R. Ainscough" <robains@pacbell.net> wrote in message > news:ePcgH3yrGHA.3748@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... >> Phil, >> >> InstallShield 12 is $1500 per head, we would need 4 user licese or $6000. >> InstallShield is essentially a glorified wrapper around MSI -- Orca >> (free) and VS 2005 setup projects should cover it especailly since VS >> 2005 is NOT free (MSDN Universal is $2500/yr). Perhaps these are things >> you don't need to factor in, but I do. We have two versions of >> InstallShield 11.5 and found them to be beyond very user un-friendly -- >> in other words the tool still requires a certain level of knowledge that >> required a higher salaried person which in turn begged the question why >> use it at all. >> >> But Phil, look at what I'm asking -- "Launch Application" once the >> install is complete -- does that sound like a mind boggling difficult >> task to you? Clearly it is something simple enough to put in VS 2005 >> Setup projects? It really should NOT be this difficult. I suspect it was >> not included in VS 2005 so as to keep companies like InstallShield alive >> (which has switch hands numerous times) -- again, this does NOT help the >> developer which in turn does NOT help the end user. For once, I wish >> Microsoft would think in terms of the "developer". >> >> Rob. >> >> >> "Phil Wilson" <pdjwilson@nospam.cox.net> wrote in message >> news:ejMxs2orGHA.4888@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... >>> It seems to be a common misconception that Visual Studio setup projects >>> have some set of features comparable to InstallShield, Wise, Advanced >>> Installer etc. >>> -- >>> Phil Wilson >>> [Microsoft MVP-Windows Installer] >>> "Rob R. Ainscough" <robains@pacbell.net> wrote in message >>> news:u3JeDRRrGHA.4120@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... >>>> Ok found the solution >>>> >>>> MsiLaunch tool - it works perfectly >>>> http://www.cornerhouse.ca/download/msilaunch.msi >>>> >>>> Why this functionality is not in VS 2005 IDE for Setup projects is >>>> beyond me -- so where do the good programmers go? Obviously not M$ -- >>>> or there again maybe the smart ones do go to M$, after all they don't >>>> have to use what they produce. >>>> >>>> "Rob R. Ainscough" <robains@pacbell.net> wrote in message >>>> news:OvstdMPrGHA.4444@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >>>>> There doesn't appear to be any "Launch Appliation" dialog box that I >>>>> can add to the User Interface End section -- is there some way I can >>>>> get this to happen via VS 2005 Windows Setup project? >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >> >> > >
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