when setup isn't just xcopyRob Mensching on Software Installation and Open Source at Microsoft.Joining Marketplace.- October 27, 2006 As noted previously, there are some major changes going on in my life right now. Derek leaving Microsoft and the affect that would have on the WiX toolset was the first one I made public. This is the second. It was two years ago this month that I moved from the System Definition Model team to the Windows Core Operating System Division (COSD). It has been a challenging ride but we did manage to build the new servicing infrastructure for Windows Vista. I learned a lot...http://blogs.msdn.com/robmen/archive/2006/10/26/joining-marketplace.aspx Orca is to hex editor as WiX is to ...- October 23, 2006 Jonathan Perret made the following interesting comment on a previous blog entry: ...I find it worrisome that even when using such a powerful tool as WiX, one still has to memorize such oddities. I mean, if my app has a prereq it sounds obvious I don't want to require it to uninstall the app. Why can't WiX implement this for me Do you think it is a fair analogy to say that if Orca is like an hex editor then WiX would be MASM I.e. powerful for experts but every bit as dangerous I'm going to...http://blogs.msdn.com/robmen/archive/2006/10/23/orca-is-to-hex-editor-as-wix-is-to.aspx WiX v3 syntax for detecting the CLR.- October 17, 2006 Duane Johnson asked how to use WiX v3 to detect the CLR. Extensions in WiX v3 are far more powerful than they were in WiX v2. Unfortunately, to enable the new features a few things moved around. So, let's say you wanted to to ensure that the .NET Framework 2.0 is already installed. All you have to do is add the following to your setup source code somewhere under the Product element:<PropertyRef Id="NETFRAMEWORK20"> <Condition Message="The .NET Framework 2.0...http://blogs.msdn.com/robmen/archive/2006/10/17/wix-v3-syntax-for-detecting-the-clr.aspx Deciphering the MSI Directory table, part 7 (directories are properties)- October 17, 2006 In my last blog entry, I wrapped up saying that we'd talk about how to make your install directory configurable this time. I'm sorry but I lied. There is an important but confusing truth that you must understand before we continue. Directories are Properties. Some of you may have already caught on to this because the MSI SDK documentation for what I call standard directories is labeled "System Folder Properties". Also, if you at the ProgramFilesFolder directory you'll...http://blogs.msdn.com/robmen/archive/2006/10/17/deciphering-the-msi-directory-table-part-7... Deciphering the MSI Directory table, part 6 (standard directories)- October 12, 2006 Before picking up this series of blog entries on the Directory table again, I went back and re-read all the previous entries to make sure I remembered the details told up to this point. It was then that I realized the last entry on this series as posted over 11 months ago. What disturbed me even more than the fact that I didn't realize I had dropped this series for so long (I thought I had posted in the last three months) was this quote: The first paragraph of part 1 surprised.http://blogs.msdn.com/robmen/archive/2006/10/12/deciphering-the-msi-directory-table-part-6... Conflicts of Interest- October 10, 2006 Nicholas Carr has a great blog entry about conflicts of interest in blogging. It got me thinking about a silent policy I've always had for myself when blogging here. I don't blog about the many vendors in the MSI creation space except the ones that I am affiliated with. Namely I write about the WiX toolset (because I lead that effort) and sometimes VisualStudio's Setup Projects (because I work for Microsoft and I'm often asked to relate it to WiX ). I.http://blogs.msdn.com/robmen/archive/2006/10/10/Conflicts-of-Interest_3F00_.aspx Nothing.- October 8, 2006 Thus far, today I have done absolutely nothing. Sure, I cleaned off the kitchen table, put away some dishes and folded some clothes. But I didn't really do anything. I spent a few hours playing through a few demo disks DJ lent me for the new Xbox 360. But that accomplished nothing. Most recently I've been catching up on random blog entries posted by people I follow. Like Dare, Raymond and Aaron. But nothing will come of that tonight. What I've...http://blogs.msdn.com/robmen/archive/2006/10/07/Nothing_2E00_.aspx Thursday Night "Deployment Dinner Discussion" with Charlie Poole.- October 6, 2006 Tonight I traveled to Anthony's Beach Cafe in Edmonds, WA to have dinner with Charlie Poole. Charlie is the active maintainer of the NUnit project. He contacted me (via my blog, IIRC) and we set up tonight's meeting. I expected he wanted to meet because NUnit is now using the WiX toolset too. Charlie did want to talk a little about WiX but we discussed a myriad of other topics as well for the two+ hours we were there. In fact, we shut the place down. Only the..http://blogs.msdn.com/robmen/archive/2006/10/05/Thursday-Night-_2600_quot_3B00_Deployment-... The Windows Live Writer team rocks.- October 5, 2006 I installed Windows Live Writer 1.0 Beta a while ago to test a project I was working on. I didn't actually boot the application or anything, just installed it. I think this proves how much of a setup geek I am. <smile> Well, as you can see in my previous blog entry, I actually tried using Windows Live Writer. I must say, in the short time I've used it, I'm impressed. The UI is very intuitive. The HTML generated is very clean. The ability to...http://blogs.msdn.com/robmen/archive/2006/10/05/780445.aspx SharpDevelop 2.1 - the latest WiX UI Editor- October 3, 2006 I was cleaning out some old mail messages and came across this tidbit of information that several people sent me. SharpDevelop 2.1 now supports the WiX toolset. At the same time, I noticed that SharpDevelop 2.1 moved to WiX to build its setup packages. I took a quick scan through their MSI and it looks like a very well authored WiX v2 package. They even use the standard UI and NGEN CustomActions provided by the WiX toolset. Very nicely done. SharpDevelop joins...http://blogs.msdn.com/robmen/archive/2006/10/02/SharpDevelop-2.1-_2D00_-the-latest-WiX-UI-... |