Differences using setup.exe vs msiexec.exe

[steveO]

Hi,
When you build a setup using IA how much of the scripting is contained outside the msi and supported only installing using the bootstrap loader (setup.exe)? Some of our apps are liable to be deployed by active directory policies and this only supports deploying the msi file itself (not launching the associated setup.exe). This may be a problem for us if the msi built with IA cannot be called directly,
Thanks,
Steve

[sinan]

All the purple commands in the script are emitted directly into the MSI file. However, for correct operation of the MSI, the setup.exe bootstrapper must be called. For more details, please read the Genuine Scripting for Windows Installer whitepaper available here:

http://www.installaware.com/installawar ... taller.pdf

Working with active directory policies are easy - you can either publish the setup.exe using a ZAP file, or if you prefer to assign it, wrap the setup.exe inside an outer MSI file which does nothing other than call the setup.exe within using silent execution, advertised, and possibly other necessary command line parameters.

Remember to use either web builds or single file builds in both the above scenarios.

[steveO]

Sinan,
Thanks for the info. If I use a wrapper msi will that have any negative impact on self repair functions? For example if a user gets App2.exe assigned using App1.msi (wrapper msi assigned using active directory) I will have both app1 and app2 in Add/Remove Programs. I can use a script to remove App1 from Add/Remove programs. What happens if a user has a problem with App2 and initiates a self repair from Add/Remove programs? Presumably not everything will be repaired since some of the scripting will be in app1 which is no longer visible. Sorry for all the questions but I'm trying to find the best way to get simple conditional scripting without losing any benefits of msi technology,
Steve

[sinan]

Self-repair and advertising all work - as long as you used advertised shortcuts and file types of course, which is an MSI requirement.

The wrapper MSI should not actually install itself in Add-Remove. It should just silently launch the InstallAware installer. If you wanted to advertise the product you are launching, you'd set the ADVERTISE command line parameter to TRUE when launching, such as:

Code: Select all

setup.exe /s ADVERTISE=TRUE

This way you would also have install-on-demand working for your InstallAware setup.