Okay, I am trying to write an installer that installs multiple programs. The installer needs to be able to either get the files from a web server, or be able to package the files into a single installer file.
The end result I am looking for is a user hits a webpage, they can click a link to download a single installer file and the installer goes ahead and installs each of the programs. Quiet installations would be preferable but not absolutely necessary. I am trying to make this as user friendly and idiot proof as possible.
Grabbing the installers for each program from a web server would be preferable so it always grabs the latest version and I will not have to tweak the installer script each time the programs are updated.
I have looked into NSIS and MSI, and neither seem to be able to do what I need. I have entertained the idea of using Java Web Start to run a Java program that can install everything, but I am not sure the plausibility of that. If that is possible, then the user would not even need to run a file the Java Web Start would just take care of everything.
Perhaps Ninite will help.
If not, there are two possible solutions:
You can try using a MSI wrapper which installs the applications as prerequisites or through custom actions. It's dirty and complicated, but MSI is a standard.
You can write your own application which handles the installers. This is most likely the best approach.
Related
I work at a retail store, where I get new computers in all day that I need to uninstall certain programs from (like McAfee) and install certain programs on (like Java, Silverlight). Until now I have been using deCrapifier and ninite to get this done, but i was wondering if I could make a script that would automatically do this. A script that i could put on a USB and just run one time on each computer.
Could i accomplish this using a powershell script mabye?
Yes, you can! Provided you know the software you are going to install, and have administrative rights. It will take you some time to get it right as you need to detect each of the software separately and potentially follow different steps to uninstall, but nothing is impossible.
Many of your suggested examples (such as Java, and SilverLight's /q switch) have "Silent," or "Quiet" installers that do everything for you. These are simple to launch from a batch file, or even via PowerShell if you'd like.
Additionally, for uninstallations, if you know the application's name as it exists on that box (exactly), you can use PowerShell to uninstall applications, as well.
I am working on a project where we need to repeat certain steps with powershell to deploy stuff. i would like to create a process/install guidance (steps supported with UI) with WIX but after the msi has finished i have an entry in programs and features. I just need it to execute the powershell and the end without registering in windows. i might be using the wrong tooling or whatever, any suggestions are welcome.
Definitely not recommended unless you want to track the deployment of these scripts on different systems by checking the entries in ARP (Add/Remove Programs), and even then it clogs up the Add/Remove view of your computers. Most system administrators hate this approach, it is better to just write to your own registry key and read it back from every machine.
What are the scripts doing? Are you actually installing files.
Our VB6 application relies heavily on the use of scrrun.dll (Windows Scripting Host). Until a year ago we used to deploy this dll with our installer. Since the Windows Scripitng Host is supposed to be part of Windows we removed the dll from the installation package. However, now and then surface customers who have a non functional scrrun.dll on their system and we have to help them reinstall or reregister it.
So, should we put the scrrun.dll back in the installation package? Should we perform some check on installation? Or should we just live with the fact that we have to provide hands on support to some of our customers to set their systems right?
Don't try to deploy these libraries as part of a normal setup.
Microsoft Scripting Runtime must be installed through the use of a
self-extracting .exe file. For versions of Scripting Runtime mentioned
at the beginning of this article, the only way to distribute it is to
use the complete self extracting .exe file located at the following
locations...
It is possible that some users employ an older anti-malware suite, many of which tried to disable scripting. It is more likely though that some users have managed to break their Windows installation, either themselves or by using applications improperly packaged to try to include these libraries - and blindly remove them from the system on uninstall (cough, cough - Inno).
The libraries involved have been tailored code for some time. This is why the ancient .CAB file was "recalled" long ago. There is no single copy of them intended to run on any random version of Windows, and there are no redist packs for any modern version of Windows. The correct fix is a system restore or repair install.
While this can't be blamed directly on InnoSetup because it is the result of poorly authored scripts it is frustrating enough and common enough that I won't cry when its signature is added to anti-malware suites. There are just too many poorly written examples loose in the wild copy/pasted by too many people.
I spend plenty of time undoing the damage caused by uninstalls of these applications and have grown quite weary of it. Where possible I use isolated assemblies now in self-defense, which helps a lot. Windows File Protection is getting better about preventing abusive action for system files too.
But in general you are much better off avoiding any dependency on scripting tools in an application. There isn't very much that they can do as well as straight code anyway, though it may take some time to write alternative logic.
I work part-time as a computer tech at the local high school. They needed a system to keep track of all the computers in the district (things like physical location of the machines and serial numbers for inventory), and told me to keep it on a budget. I sat down and wrote a little thousand-line script in Perl/Tk, which accesses a PostgreSQL database on the local server.
I also successfully wrote a launcher in C++ and compiled it with bcc32, so they can single-click the launcher executable to start the program without having to type anything into DOS. That works fine, and I can load this program myself by manually installing all the dependencies for it by hand.
I would like to build a setup program to automatically load the PostgreSQL application, Strawberry Perl, as well as the Tk, and DBD::Pg libraries, and finally, of course, the folder my application is stored in. It'd be nice to be able to create desktop shortcuts or start menu items too.
Has anyone had any success with software to generate .MSI files for Windows Installer on Windows XP and above? If so, what did you use, and did it cost any money? Alternatively, where do I need to begin reading in order to write my own setup program?
Nullsoft Scriptable Install System
I'm not sure if this will do everything you want, but have you looked at Win32::InstallShield?
I need to make installation file (.exe), but is that possible with batch script and how?
I made installation with some software (Deployment...) but I need to do that with script. I have all necessary files for my installation.
Is that possible?
Marko
Virtually every tool for building installation packages provides ability to include arbitrary sripts to the installation process. Just inspect your tool for this capability...
Here, we often include sripts in our WIX installations. Of course, user expirience is better when you building installation package nativelly, but in some cases this is acceptable practice (mostly when there is no non-tech users planned).
With a batch script, you will not be able to make a .exe (unless you call a .exe creator from within the batch script!). Why not try Inno Setup or NSIS? ISTool helps in creating Inno Setup scripts with ease and speed.
You can't make an .exe using nothing but a batch script. You can however use a batch script to create the installation specification file(s) and then run that file through an installer creator program like the ones mentioned in the other answers here. Perhaps you could be a bit clearer about what you actually need to do?