Newbie: OFFLINE CONTENT / WEB AWARE blocks driving me crazy

[Earl]

Just started with the eval today. I like what I see of the package so far, but there are some idiosyncrasies.

Using a wizard, with some of my own tweaking, I've got a script working -- somewhat. At this stage of the install project, nothing is being downloaded from the web -- I'm just trying to get a simple install to work that also installs the prerequisites with a dialog showing so my users can drink their Big Gulp while watching a progress bar.

But when I try to install prerequisites of the .Net 2.0 framework, SQL Express and some SQL scripts, I cannot build unless I insert an OFFLINE CONTENT block (I really do not understand that whole WEB AWARE/OFFLINE CONTENT idea, but that's beside the point).

If I insert the OFFLINE CONTENT block at the beginning of the "Install Application Pre-requisistes" region, my prerequisites install, but the dialog does not show (when the user is sitting there waiting 15 minutes for SQLExpress to install, it would be good to let them know the system did not go on life support).

If I instead insert the OFFLINE CONTENT block right before the prereq files I want to install, then nothing installs except the main program files (no prereqs). I'm stumped -- looks straightforward, but I cannot get the sequencing I need.

[jimo]

If you used the wizard and selected the proper application runtimes the wizard will automatically create everything you need in the prerequisites section including a progess dialog. Including an Offline Web Media Block and a Default Web Media Block which you can use or not.

If you went back to the visual view and selected SQL Server Express the correct prerequisites were added and no tweaking is required.

If you added your own files they should show up by default under the Offline web media block the wizard created, again no tweaking required.

Try using the wizard project again and then adding everything from the Visual view without worrying about the MSICode Script. Build it, run it, observe it, then and only then go to the MSICOde scipt and play, oops I mean tweak .

Web Media blocks are a logical seperation of the files in your setup package. Each prerequisite should have it' s own Web Media block and all of your application specific files can be placed in 1 web media block (Web Downloadable or Offline) or be split into multiple web media blocks by feature. Web media blocks will only be created when you use a build type of web based, which wil create individual files in 7zip format for downloading from the Web as required by your setup.

The 2 Major Benefits to Web Media Blocks (IMHO):
1. Only the Features the end user chooses or the Prerequisites required are dowloaded from the distribution point to the end users machine.
2. By using Web Media Blocks the install files are cached locally which solves the biggest problem with distributing patches.

Hope this helps.

[Earl]

Thanks Jim, that was good advice. Still struggling with my SQL database not being created (even tho checked to do so), but that's topic for another thread