CODEWITHSUNDEEP
wix
user3494389
user3494389

Reputation: 31

can i install .net using wix without creating a burn project

my boss wants me to NOT use the burn bootstrapper to install .net and other software such as crystal reports run-time. He wants the UI to come up first and ask the appropriate questions and after the UI phase is finished install .net if needed, install crystal reports run-time and then install our software. Is this possible? can .net be installed as 3rd party software? If so, how would i do that? I can't convince him otherwise on this.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 294

Answers (3)

Farrukh Waheed
Farrukh Waheed

Reputation: 2193

Although I fully agree with Rob Mensching's reply, but also wondering if we have custom actions to launch an exe at the end, why we can't use it for this ability for this scenario here: Provided that if you are using independent installers for your prerequisites. So, while having your prerequisite application installers with your msi, Here are two helpful tutorials:

  1. Running EXE within the Installation
  2. WIX: How to run application with parameters from custom action?

You just have to add detect conditions to detect if your prerequisite apps are installed or not, and depending upon these, schedule the custom actions launching your prerequisite application installer.

This is what I did in past, when Burn was not born :).

Upvotes: -1

Rob Mensching
Rob Mensching

Reputation: 35866

What you describe is exactly how Burn is designed to work. A UI is displayed (or not) to discuss with the user what to do (or to decide without user input) and create a plan. That plan describes what operations to execute against each package in the chain. Finally, the plan is then executed and the package states on the machine are updated.

Now there is an experience provided by the WiX toolset that allows you to write your UI in managed code. In that case, there is a special UI (called the mbapreq) that will be displayed if the appropriate .NET Framework is not installed to run your UI. You can avoid this experience completely by writing your UI in native code or ensuring (somehow?) that the correct .NET Framework is always installed. At FireGiant we tend to encourage native UI development (for this and other robustness reasons).

Anyway, maybe the mbapreq experience is what makes your boss think that pre-reqs are installed before the UI. Otherwise, what your boss desires is exactly how Burn was designed to work.

Upvotes: 4

Rick Bowerman
Rick Bowerman

Reputation: 1884

It's not possible for .Net as there are no merge modules.

More Info

There are or at least were Crystal Reports merge modules but a good many people have had issues with getting them to work.

Upvotes: 0

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