Due to the lack of a better solution we currently use the VS2005 bootstrapper together with our WiX projects. Basically we have one solution for every installer. That solution has two projects:
1. A VS2005 deployment project that creates the bootstrapper. 2. A wixproj project that builds our WiX installer In the deployment project we specify what shall be installed by the bootstrapper. Because this project creates a msi file that we don't use we build that project first. The msi file is then overwritten by the output of the wixproj i.e. the productive msi. This all might seem a bit strange but at least we are able to full automatically build the installer together with the corresponding setup.exe. Basically the VS2005 bootstrapper has two BIG downsides: First: It assumes that you always want to deploy prerequisite msi in quiet mode. You simply cannot change that. I have no clue why this flag has been included by default and I think this is a very questionable design choice. In general the bootstrapper is not customizable at all (no custom icon for the setup.exe, etc.) So far our prerequisite msi are wrapped by an exe file. This way they can be installed with full UI instead of quiet. Second: It does not accept all msiexec command line arguments as described in http://blogs.msdn.com/mwade/archive/2007/11/01/kicking-back-with-motley-crue-sippin-my-lowenbrau.aspx What I actually like is the xml input. It is very easy to create custom bootstrapper packages by defining two xml files. I hope the Visual Studio bootstrapper is improved in the future. The concepts behind it work, but it should be more customizable in case of the UI / icon. And of course quiet mode shall not be default. -- View this message in context: http://www.nabble.com/The-Visual-Studio-2005-BootStrapper---almost-there--tp16553317p16562743.html Sent from the wix-users mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by the 2008 JavaOne(SM) Conference Register now and save $200. Hurry, offer ends at 11:59 p.m., Monday, April 7! Use priority code J8TLD2. http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;198757673;13503038;p?http://java.sun.com/javaone _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
