Hi, thanks for sharing your steps. I am having some issues with the .dll placement upon installation and I have some questions too. You didn't mention any context in which to add the top level Component tag. Does it need to go in the Wix, Product, Package, top-level Directory (with Id="TARGETDIR") tag? Does it belong somewhere else or not matter? Also, I followed the instructions as best I could, but the .dll itself does not get installed into the C:\Windows\WinSxS folder. In fact it doesn't get copied anywhere on the system. However, the catalogs and manifests DO end up in the right folder with the right naming scheme (C:\Windows\WinSxS\Manifests). Is there another step I need to complete so that the actual .dll will be placed in C:\Windows\WinSxS? I could manually copy the files to the SxS folder but 1) this is hacky, and 2) I can't necessarily predict the correct decorated filenames that SxS comes up with (something to do with the base filename, version, some hash, some OS specific stuff, etc...).
Thanks, James ACKH wrote: > > Hi all, > > After struggling for a couple of days I have decided to write a tutorial > on how to install files into the WinSxS folder. There are some pitfalls > and I hope I can spare frustration by providing this tutorial. Well, here > it is: > > Basically the WinSxS folder is for native assemblies what the Global > Assembly cache is for managed assemblies: An option to store multiple > versions of the same file. > > Note that the WinSxS folder has been introduced with Windows XP and this > technology is therefore not available on Windows operating systems > released prior to Windows XP. > > > In order to install a native assembly into the WinSxS folder several steps > must be done: > > 1. First of all the native assembly must have a version number. If no > version number is available it is (at least to my knowledge) not possible > to install the native assembly into the WinSxS folder. > > 2. A manifest for the native assembly must be created (extension > “.manifest”). This manifest must contain the version number of the native > assembly and the public key token of the certificate that will later be > used > > 3. A verification catalog file for the native assembly must be created > (extension “.cat”). > > 4. The verification catalog must be signed with a certificate. The public > key token of this certificate must be part of the previously mentioned > manifest. Note that the key used here must be at least 2048 bit long. > > Instead of doing all these steps manually for each file that shall be > installed I have written a perl script. It is attached to this posting. In > order to run it you need a perl interpreter (free one available > http://www.activestate.com/Products/activeperl/index.mhtml here ). Please > ensure two things before running the script: Make sure the perl package > “Win32-File-Ver” is installed (possible using the perl package manager > that comes with the perl interpreter linked above) and second make sure > that the required certificate is available in a folder named > "certificate". This folder must be in the same folder as the perl script. > In order to create a dummy certificate you can execute the attached batch > file. You will then get a certificate with a 2048 bit private key. > > If this has been done execute the script with the dll that shall be > installed into the WinSxS folder as argument (e.g. > "PrepareFileForWinSxS.pl test.dll"). You will then get two additional > files: the manifest and the signed cat file. > > Once the script has successfully been executed the file is ready to be > installed into the WinSxS folder. Using Windows Installer XML the > following code snippet can be used to achive this (Note: WiX2.0 schema): > > <Component Id="test_dll" Guid="{B4ED2BF3-F2C7-4DB4-828D-72D047928937}"> > <File Id="test.dll" LongName="test.dll" Name="TEST1.dll" > AssemblyManifest="test.dll.manifest" Assembly="win32" > Source="..\test\test.dll" KeyPath="yes" Vital="yes" /> > <File Id="test.dll.manifest" LongName="test.dll.manifest" > Name="TEST2.DLL" > Source="..\test\test.dll.manifest" Vital="yes" /> > <File Id="test.dll.cat" LongName="test.dll.cat" Name="TEST3.DLL" > Source="..\test\test.dll.cat" Vital="yes" /> > </Component> > > Note the additional attribute "AssemblyManifest" that must point to the > manifest created by the perl script and that "Assembly" is set to "win32". > > Building and installing such an msi will install the file into the WinSxS > folder. > > In order to use the installed file all assemblies that shall load the this > file need to be equipped with a manifest that describes what version of > the of the file (because multiple versions can be installed in WinSxS) > actually shall be loaded. The manifest looks like this: > > <?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' standalone='yes'?> > <assembly xmlns='urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1' manifestVersion='1.0'> > <dependency> > <dependentAssembly> > <assemblyIdentity type='win32' > name='test' > version='1.0.0.0' > processorArchitecture='x86' > publicKeyToken='<same token as in the manifest of > the file installed into WinSxS>' /> > </dependentAssembly> > </dependency> > </assembly> > > For managed C++ assemblies created with Visual Studio 2005 a manifest is > already available. That manifest describes what C/C++ runtime (also > installed in WinSxS) shall be used: > > <?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' standalone='yes'?> > <assembly xmlns='urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1' manifestVersion='1.0'> > <dependency> > <dependentAssembly> > <assemblyIdentity type='win32' > name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' > version='8.0.50608.0' > processorArchitecture='x86' > publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b' /> > </dependentAssembly> > </dependency> > </assembly> > > It is possible to add the entry to that manifest. To do that open the > project properties and expand the linker properties. To the “Additional > Manifest Dependencies” in the “Manifest File” options add the string > type='win32' name='test' version='1.0.0.0' processorArchitecture='x86' > publicKeyToken='<same token as in the manifest of the file installed into > WinSxS>'. > > Once this is done compile the project. The resulting dll will get an > embedded manifest that describes both the version of the C/C++ runtime and > the version of the test.dll. > > If anything is unclear just post it here. > > Regards, > > ACKH > > http://n2.nabble.com/file/n841475/CreateCertificate.bat > CreateCertificate.bat > http://n2.nabble.com/file/n841475/PrepareFileForWinSxS.pl > PrepareFileForWinSxS.pl > > > > -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/Tutorial%3A-How-to-install-files-into-WinSxS-tp841475p3088347.html Sent from the wix-users mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Crystal Reports - New Free Runtime and 30 Day Trial Check out the new simplified licensing option that enables unlimited royalty-free distribution of the report engine for externally facing server and web deployment. http://p.sf.net/sfu/businessobjects _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
