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Skit3000 Admin Team
Joined: 11 May 2002 Posts: 2166 Location: The Netherlands
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Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:51 am Post subject: Create installation packages with Windows XP |
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For all people who use Windows XP and want to make installation packages quick, you can try out the program called "iexpress.exe" which is in your Windows\System32 directory. When making the installation file, you can choose to run programs automaticly, so you don't have to struggle with other tools, etc...
Besides the features mentioned above, you can also add license agreements, set a title for the installation window, choose if the installation window should be shown or hidden and some more options. The installations packages made with it work with all Windows 9x and higher operating systems... _________________ [ Add autocomplete functionality to your VDS IDE windows! ]
Voor Nederlandse beginners met VDS: bekijk ook eens deze tutorial! |
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jules Professional Member
Joined: 14 Sep 2001 Posts: 1043 Location: Cumbria, UK
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Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:31 am Post subject: |
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Well spotted! On investigation, it appears that it is only present on Windows XP Professional. It also requires you to create an .inf file (pretty hard) or write an installation program to do the actual installation (it just extracts into a temporary folder) and provide uninstall support.
If you're interested in simple setup builders I rather like Little Install Builder http://www.pablovandermeer.nl/install_builder.html. It creates the .inf file for you that even has uninstall support, displays a normal setup type interface while you run it. But it doesn't cater for displaying a license file nor does it support installing components into other than the program folder.
I've mentioned before that I use AGInstaller (http://www.agentix.org) which is about the smallest really functional setup builder, but I've had reports that it barfs when run on Japanese versions of Windows, and the developer has not responded to them. _________________ The Tech Pro
www.tech-pro.net |
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Skit3000 Admin Team
Joined: 11 May 2002 Posts: 2166 Location: The Netherlands
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Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:35 am Post subject: |
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jules wrote: | Well spotted! On investigation, it appears that it is only present on Windows XP Professional. It also requires you to create an .inf file (pretty hard) or write an installation program to do the actual installation (it just extracts into a temporary folder) and provide uninstall support. |
Julian, over here it works on both Windows XP Home Edition as the Professional Edition.
Edit: Removed some text. Didn't read Julian's post properly... _________________ [ Add autocomplete functionality to your VDS IDE windows! ]
Voor Nederlandse beginners met VDS: bekijk ook eens deze tutorial! |
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jules Professional Member
Joined: 14 Sep 2001 Posts: 1043 Location: Cumbria, UK
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Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 1:33 pm Post subject: |
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I'm sure it works, but according to some Microsoft docs I found it's only supplied with XP Pro (and 2K Pro.) But if you have the Home edition and the file's there, perhaps the docs are wrong. _________________ The Tech Pro
www.tech-pro.net |
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Hooligan VDS Developer
Joined: 28 Oct 2003 Posts: 480 Location: California
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PGWARE Web Host
Joined: 29 Dec 2001 Posts: 1562
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Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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I prefer using InnoSetup http://www.jrsoftware.org. I've purchased several setup installer programs including Installshiled and found them all to be buggy, installshield being the buggiest and cost close to $1000!!!
Inno is free and appears to have most bugs fixed. I haven't gotten complains about the installer; whereas when using other installers problems occur on international versions of Windows, crashing during install, can't find required files during uninstall, etc. - this has not happened with Inno.
The only problem with Inno is the stub exe is pretty big and packs on around 200+ kb of overhead. |
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jules Professional Member
Joined: 14 Sep 2001 Posts: 1043 Location: Cumbria, UK
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Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 4:38 pm Post subject: |
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If you find a place that documents how to create .inf files for setups, I'd be interested in knowing it. _________________ The Tech Pro
www.tech-pro.net |
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jules Professional Member
Joined: 14 Sep 2001 Posts: 1043 Location: Cumbria, UK
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Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 4:50 pm Post subject: |
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PGWARE wrote: | I prefer using InnoSetup http://www.jrsoftware.org. I've purchased several setup installer programs including Installshiled and found them all to be buggy, installshield being the buggiest and cost close to $1000!!!
Inno is free and appears to have most bugs fixed. I haven't gotten complains about the installer; whereas when using other installers problems occur on international versions of Windows, crashing during install, can't find required files during uninstall, etc. - this has not happened with Inno.
The only problem with Inno is the stub exe is pretty big and packs on around 200+ kb of overhead. |
I cannot understand why anyone uses InstallShield!
I use Inno myself but the overhead of the latest version is more like 400Kb. It's more noticeable if you already UPX-compress programs so the overhead isn't masked by Inno's built in compression.
I was interested in a much smaller installer to distribute some of my utilities written in VDS which are very small, especially the add-ins and updates where the user already has the VDS runtime so it isn't included. That's how I came to be using AGInstaller, but I'm always looking for a better solution.
It really should be possible to make a nice installer for VDS in VDS that works using the copy of the run-time that is included in the self extracting archive, or already on the user's computer. I've thought many times of developing something along those lines, but it's not a trivial exercise to come up with something that works reliably, and it's easier and more cost-effective to fork over 20 bucks and use someone's ready-made product. It's hard enough to sell shareware without having an installer that falls over before they even manage to try the program. So using Inno means one less thing to worry about. _________________ The Tech Pro
www.tech-pro.net |
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Hooligan VDS Developer
Joined: 28 Oct 2003 Posts: 480 Location: California
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jules Professional Member
Joined: 14 Sep 2001 Posts: 1043 Location: Cumbria, UK
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Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 6:38 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks.
Definitely something to read with an ice-pack on one's head, I think! _________________ The Tech Pro
www.tech-pro.net |
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Hooligan VDS Developer
Joined: 28 Oct 2003 Posts: 480 Location: California
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Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 6:50 pm Post subject: |
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I prefer a little scotch when I read M$ docs...
Hooligan _________________ Hooligan
Why be normal? |
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