Which installer do you use?

[Sin Jeong-hun]

With users' resistance to move to Windows Vista, the problem of
deplyoing C# application is still the .NET Framework. Many users who
are using Windows XP, need to install .NET Framework in order to run
my C# application. I can use Visual Studio's built in installer, but
it bloats the size of setup file by including .NET framework in it.
What I want is an installer that automatically detects the presence of
the .NET framework, and downloads it if and only if it is not found on
the system.

There are advanced installers which I can script them to do such a
work, but learning the script isn't that easy. Perhaps is there any
(freeware, since my C# app is a freeware too) installer that has built-
in support for this work? Actually I don't need any advanced setup
features since my C# app can be X-copy installed as long as the .NET
Framework exists. All I want is 1)Freeware 2)detecting, downloading
and installing .NET Framework 3)Supports Unicode. Which installer is
the best for this situation? Or I should write my own using Visual C++
(I once did make a crappy VC++ installer for this, but was crappy
indeed.)?

 

[Family Tree Mike]

With users' resistance to move to Windows Vista, the problem of
deplyoing C# application is still the .NET Framework. Many users who
are using Windows XP, need to install .NET Framework in order to run
my C# application. I can use Visual Studio's built in installer, but
it bloats the size of setup file by including .NET framework in it.
What I want is an installer that automatically detects the presence of
the .NET framework, and downloads it if and only if it is not found on
the system.

There are advanced installers which I can script them to do such a
work, but learning the script isn't that easy. Perhaps is there any
(freeware, since my C# app is a freeware too) installer that has built-
in support for this work? Actually I don't need any advanced setup
features since my C# app can be X-copy installed as long as the .NET
Framework exists. All I want is 1)Freeware 2)detecting, downloading
and installing .NET Framework 3)Supports Unicode. Which installer is
the best for this situation? Or I should write my own using Visual C++
(I once did make a crappy VC++ installer for this, but was crappy
indeed.)?

You won't like this, but I use the VS built in installer. There is an
option to download the framework from the MS website rather than bloating
your installer. Others rave about some of the other available installers but
I have not tried those. My only complaint with Visual Studio's installer is
that it makes java tool installs difficult. Just my opinion...

 

[Michael Nemtsev [MVP]]

Hello Sin Jeong-hun,

Look at NSIS installer. Really good and has a lot of predefined scrips to
do different deploymend actions

---
WBR,
Michael Nemtsev [.NET/C# MVP] :: blog: http://spaces.live.com/laflour

"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we
miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it" (c) Michelangelo


S> With users' resistance to move to Windows Vista, the problem of
S> deplyoing C# application is still the .NET Framework. Many users who
S> are using Windows XP, need to install .NET Framework in order to run
S> my C# application. I can use Visual Studio's built in installer, but
S> it bloats the size of setup file by including .NET framework in it.
S> What I want is an installer that automatically detects the presence
S> of the .NET framework, and downloads it if and only if it is not
S> found on the system.
S>
S> There are advanced installers which I can script them to do such a
S> work, but learning the script isn't that easy. Perhaps is there any
S> (freeware, since my C# app is a freeware too) installer that has
S> built-
S> in support for this work? Actually I don't need any advanced setup
S> features since my C# app can be X-copy installed as long as the .NET
S> Framework exists. All I want is 1)Freeware 2)detecting, downloading
S> and installing .NET Framework 3)Supports Unicode. Which installer is
S> the best for this situation? Or I should write my own using Visual
S> C++
S> (I once did make a crappy VC++ installer for this, but was crappy
S> indeed.)

 

[RobinS]

If you application is really that lightweight, why don't you try out the
ClickOnce deployment built in to Visual Studio 2005/2008? It lets you set
the .Net framework as a prerequisite, and if it needs to, it will go out and
get it from the microsoft site automatically and install it before
installing the ClickOnce application.

RobinS.
GoldMail, Inc.

 

[Sin Jeong-hun]

Really? I saw ClickOnce, but I thought it would only run iff the .NET
Framework is already installed on the client system. I'll try that.
Thanks.