I'm terribly late to the party, but is there a way to block downgrade of the 4th number of the version? I've been trying to do this for a while and I can't find a way to make it happen...
Thanks for the great info! I have a question, our install folder is LocalAppDataFolder (per user), we also need to install windows service. We have a hard time installation the service under standard user account due to insufficient privilege. We have admin account id/pwd to use programmingly, we do not want to expose them to standard user. We wish the standard user could launch the installation as an admin temporarily to write to HKLM registry and install the windows service. How can we do it? Help appreciated!
Yes. HarvestFile and all the other advanced harvesting features work great in WiX v5. The new Files element is a simplified version of the feature with the intent of getting rid of heat.exe in a future version of WiX. You can see a comparison of the features here: www.firegiant.com/docs/heatwave-build-tools/harvesting/comparisons/
What if you declare your REMEMBERCUSTOMER properties with the default value AND RegistrySearch? After that you can override it with the CUSTOMER property if it is set (from the command line). In that case, the REMEMBERCUSTOMER property will have the final value you need to store and use.
Using LocalService is better than LocalSystem. However all services get their own virtual service account, which is ideal for giving a service just enough access. In the package I created the following to grant the virtual service account the logon as a service right at the correct time (has to happen after the service is created, as the account doesn't exist until then): <InstallExecuteSequence> <Custom Action="override Wix4ConfigureUsers_X86" After="InstallServices" /> </InstallExecuteSequence> Then in the component section I had the following: <Component> <File Source="$(var.QControlServer.TargetDir)QControlServer.exe" /> <ServiceInstall Id="QControlServerService" Name="QControlServer" DisplayName="QControl Server" Description="QControl server application" Start="auto" Type="ownProcess" ErrorControl="normal" Account="NT Service\QControlServer" Vital="yes" Interactive="no"/> <util:User UpdateIfExists="yes" CreateUser="no" Name="NT Service\QControlServer" LogonAsService="yes" /> <ServiceControl Id="QControlServerService" Name="QControlServer" Start="install" Stop="both" Remove="uninstall" Wait="yes"/> <CreateFolder Subdirectory="Logs" > <util:PermissionEx User="NT Service\QControlServer" GenericWrite="yes" GenericRead="yes" /> </CreateFolder> </Component> This creates the service using the virtual service account, the name you specify in the "Name" field must match the account field after "NT Service\", if they don't it won't work. This also grants the account permissions to a logs folder within the application directory, but that is totally optional and unrelated. Hopefully someone trying to get Virtual Service Accounts working with Wix4 finds this useful!
This is the video that made me realize that I never had a clue how my .NET solutions were being built lol, simply because Visual Studio makes it all very magical. Thanks for the debrief on MSBuild-- inspired me to deep dive on the Microsoft build engine. This series also clears up the confusion I've had in trying to use WiX to create an installer for a Windows service. Thanks!
Hi Rob, After harvesting I am getting error Error WIX0094 The identifier 'WixComponentGroup:Empower_Web_Files' could not be found. Ensure you have typed the reference correctly and that all the necessary inputs are provided to the linker. Empower Web Installer D:\Repos\Windows11_Wix500\Web\Empower Web Installer\Product.wxs 113 can you please help me on this.
The Deployment Dojo shows are serial. That means they are designed to be watched from the beginning. If you jump into the middle of the series you may be missing some very important steps. Go back and watch a few more episodes. Everything is done live so you will see it happen before your very eyes. :)
Hi, thanks for the content. I've followed the tutorial until the end of the video. But I can't figure it out about the.cmd file. Can you explain how to make the.cmd file? Thank you
The Deployment Dojo shows are serial. That means they are designed to be watched from the beginning. If you jump into the middle of the series you may be missing some very important steps. Go back and watch a few more episodes. Everything is done live so you will see it happen before your very eyes. :)
Not that it's important, but the video intro says this is Episode 2. Awesome episode, I shared this one with friends who don't build Windows Installers.
Yeah, those were the early days and I was still working lots of bugs in the system. Live shows are challenging. There is no ability to fix mistakes. :)
The repo is created in S1:E19 - Introducing GitHub to the Deployment Dojo. This series really is designed to be watched front to back and you'll be missing context by jumping around. You can also find the TH-cam playlist and GitHub links on the Deployment Dojo page on my website robmensching.com/deployment-dojo/
After upgrading to v4 from v3, in build pipeline, getting Error MSB4064: The "ErrorIfLinkFails" parameter is not supported by the "Copy" task. Msbuild version is v15. Could you please help here?
I'd recommend creating a new .wixproj from scratch using HeatWave and then building up from there. You probably have some old cruft from customizations in your v3 code that aren't supported in v4. Good luck!
FireGiant provides documentation for its advanced harvesting at: www.firegiant.com/docs/heatwave-build-tools/harvesting/ I haven't looked to see if anyone has documented the hard path. That isn't the option I'd choose so I've not invested in it outside the contrast I've shown in this and the next Deployment Dojo episode.
I tried following this. All I get is this Error: Error WIX0231 The component 'guid' has a key file with path 'TARGETDIR\fileName'. Since this path is not rooted in one of the standard directories (like ProgramFilesFolder), this component does not fit the criteria for having an automatically generated guid. (This error may also occur if a path contains a likely standard directory such as nesting a directory with name "Common Files" under ProgramFilesFolder.
Downgraded to NuGet WixToolSet.Heat 4.0.0 in order that my generated wxs file started with <DirectoryRef Id="INSTALLFOLDER"> as in the video to get rid of the error. Later versions give you a newer element syntax with TARGETDIR which doesn't want to work with the project template that Visual Studio gives you. Now I'm struggling with the xsl file.
Thanks for the great videos. I had been using one of the free MSI installers from Microsoft in my .NET 6 solution. The installer recognizes that it has a dependency on the .NET 6 and .NET 6 desktop frameworks and will download those dependencies and install. That's great. But i have a client (military) that doesn't want a net connection so I'd like to bundle those two installers with my application. Is that possible to do with Wix 4?
The Deployment Dojo is actually designed to be watched serially. Think about how much you've learned by working from the beginning. You should have a much more solid foundation of how things work "under the hood".
Hi Rob, first of all, thanks for these great tutorials, I was really struggling with harvesting and learned a lot from your videos. Second, I have one query. I am using wix v3, I have to harvest some dlls, config file with a specific match and place under a same CMPG so I was using Targets with something like below code it was able to harvest all the matching files by generating individual harvested files for every match with same CPMG name. So in my product.wxs when I call CMPG ref I got a duplicate CPMG error. So, I have to somehow generate a single output harvested file or merge them into one with a new CMPG but I don't know how?? <HarvestFile Include="$(SourcePath)\ABC.*.Test.dll*"> <ComponentGroupName>CMPG_HARVESTED_FILES</ComponentGroupName> .....
I don't know. Try following the steps I did in the episode. It worked correctly for me. Or check out the next episode (Episode 53) for much easier to use harvesting technology if you have a FireGiant subscription.
How can i make my installer runs with administrative privilege always in wix 4, Also is there is any possibility that i can make my application to run as administrator always after installing through my msi. Need some help here🥲
We talk about this a little bit when introducing the Sandbox to the Deployment Dojo but it isn't covered in depth. Maybe something I'll add to a future episode.
Hard to say. The Deployment Dojo is a live show so you can see the exact steps I take in the video. There are no cuts to hide any steps. So, maybe double check you did each one. Or watch the next video and see an easier option, after signing up for FireGiant support.
I have a doubt we can remove our application by clicking the exe (bundle) or by using control panel right. But how can a bundle can differentiate between them. Is any variable is set there. I need some help😭
A bundle is provided information about its current state via the command-line and during the Detect phase. That information is how you can handle all these different scenarios.
@@meschineI started working on a Wix bundle project, and I managed to create a custom bundle using C#. Everything worked perfectly. But my problem is that when I convert it to Wix version 4 and run the exe file, I get a new UI similar to the original UI of Bootrapper Saying. .Net Framework is needed for the installation, and it had an install button, but when you click on it, it says failed and is not showing. My needed UI needs some help here.
Sounds like you have a bug or two to sort out. There is information on the WiX Toolset website listing all the changes you need to make in a custom BootstrapperApplication. There's a quote few important changes.
I really like your videos, but it's not that easy to find out the exact topic. Do you have a video on how to add a runtime environment to your .msi-file? Really appreciate your work!
The Deployment Dojo is a show, a live show in fact, that progresses a story each week. It isn't training material indexed and organized into lessons like a class. However, I am thinking about building such a class since people seem to be interested in that style of learning. As for your question, I don't know what you mean by "runtime environment". We do introduce how to manipulate environment variables in a later episode.
I've been watching the videos in this playlist for a couple of days now and have learned so much. Thank you for this! I have a question regarding the "Publish" attribute of the "ProjectReference" element that tells msbuild to publish the project instead of just building it. Is there a way to pass a publish profile to that? I use a pubxml file to set options for publishing and use this file in the CI pipeline as well.
Ok I found a solution by myself but I don't know if there's another way of doing it: <ProjectReferece Include="..." Properties="PublishProfile=path/to/file.pubxml" Publish="yes" />
@@meschine Many thanks for your efforts! I think I know why he wants to use the publish profile; it contains settings like single file deployment, self contained, etc. I ran into a problem with the Properties solution. Strange errors probably related to the project being ASP Core. Finally resolved it by creating a PropertyGroup in the .csproj file and dropping the Properties from the project reference. Example from my .csproj file - <PropertyGroup> <RuntimeIdentifier>win-x86</RuntimeIdentifier> <PublishSingleFile>true</PublishSingleFile> <PublishReadyToRun>true</PublishReadyToRun> <SelfContained>true</SelfContained> </PropertyGroup> Now I can publish, harvest, and build the Windows service installer! One small thing - it be nice to see the whole Filter.xsl file. I created a transform and couldn't get it to work until it dawned on me I need the correct xmlns related to Wix. Saw my problem when I zoomed into the paused video. Best regards, Steve
Hi thanks for video. Curious why the hate on services. A "windowless app" seems hacky imo. also would be cool if you do these videos without such tight coupling to visual studio. Showcasing your tool from the CLI would have the best reach. For example if I'm making a flutter app and do not use visual studio, yet I still need an installer. Is this tool appropriate for me? im not sure - because this tool seems to use visual studio.
You need to watch the first few episodes of the Dojo. Visual Studio isn't introduced for several episodes. When I finally do introduce Visual Studio, we've explored its benefits and motivated its continued use. But, I still drop back to just command line options to show how it can all be done without MSBuild and Visual Studio. I also explained in this episode or the beginning of the next why services should be avoided unless necessary. There are technical reasons when to use a service.
I don't know. It works correctly in the episode. Maybe follow the steps a little closer? All the work gets published to GitHub so you can experiment with that as well.
Using EnableProjectHarvesting just ends up in an error. "error HEAT5313: Build error during harvesting: ProjectNameHere.csproj : error MSB4057: Target "BuiltProjectOutputGroup" doesn't exist in the project." Is it cause of .Net core?
I'm pretty sure that is the exact issue I call out about Heat-based project harvesting in this episode. Check out the next episode to see my solution for project harvesting.
Hi. I am get the following error "failed to start service Make sure you have Sufficient Priviledges to start system services" what could be the reason for this Also in installer log I cannotfind "serviceInstall"
In this episode or one of the next, I hit a problem while installing and show how to diagnose this very issue. Watch closely and you can learn how I tackle this problem.
Could a "manual" 4-part version upgrade check (custom action) be implemented which checks that 1.0.0.1 to 1.0.0.2 is allowed, but 1.0.0.2 to 1.0.0.1 is disallowed?
Just have caught up the Season 1 and BOOM! It's already finished! So now armed with all this wisdom i'm ready to bring setup to some of my pet projects. Thank you. Can't wait season 2 to start!
First, I want to thank you for the comprehensive tutorial series on the Wix toolset. It's clear a lot of effort went into these videos. However, I feel that the series might benefit from a more focused approach. While the detailed exploration of what the MSBuild targets is doing under the hood is informative, it often feels like a distraction from the core features and functions that beginners like myself are eager to learn. I've noticed a significant focus on manually running Wix commands to demonstrate how things were done in the past. While I understand the value of understanding historical context, as someone eager to learn current practices and quickly apply them, I find these sections to be less relevant to my learning goals. The series is quite extensive, with 51 episodes at 45 minutes each, and as someone trying to grasp the basics efficiently, I find myself sifting through a lot of material that seems tangential to my immediate learning goals. Perhaps these detailed aspects could be separated or summarized to help streamline the learning process for those of us who are time-constrained and looking to quickly get up to speed with the most essential features of Wix. Thanks for considering this feedback and for your dedication to teaching this toolset.
All of those are good points and none of them apply to my goals for the Deployment Dojo. The Dojo is a live show where we explore software installation topics using the WiX Toolset. I do the Dojo for free because it takes near zero prep and it's fun. The Dojo is NOT a carefully crafted online course like what you are asking for. I am seriously considering taking what I've learned from hosting the Dojo and applying more curation with added depth and/or breadth where appropriate to craft just such a thing. But, I have a couple things I want to finish before I spend my time in that direction. I'm glad you've enjoyed all of this education for free. It took me a couple of decades to learn it all and there is still much that could be covered... nevermind organized.
Thank you for your response and for explaining the concept behind the Deployment Dojo. I respect that this format offers a certain value and enjoyment for you as the creator. However, I would like to express a different viewpoint on what could be more beneficial for a significant portion of the audience, especially beginners like me. In my experience, and possibly for others as well, a more structured and focused approach to learning the Wix toolset would be immensely valuable. A series that cuts through to the essential, practical knowledge needed to use the tool effectively, without the historical context or exploratory side tracks, would be highly appreciated. It could also potentially attract a wider audience seeking efficient and direct learning. I believe that aligning the content more closely with the audience's needs can not only enhance the learning experience but also elevate the impact of your company in the community. A balance between what is enjoyable to produce and what is most beneficial for the audience could be a powerful strategy for growth and influence. Thank you again for your dedication to teaching the Wix toolset, and I hope my feedback is taken as a constructive perspective aimed at mutual benefit.@@meschine
I also want to bring up an important consideration about the broader impact of learning resources on the adoption of tools like the Wix toolset. The current scarcity of clear and concise guides or tutorials makes it difficult to justify choosing Wix over other solutions that offer more user-friendly learning materials. This is a critical factor for me and likely for many others in deciding which tools to adopt. Your tutorial series has a great potential to fill this significant gap. However, the present format, while rich in content, doesn’t align well with the needs of users seeking straightforward, practical guidance. In the fast-paced environment we work in, efficiency in learning is not just a preference, but a necessity. It’s worth noting that competitors are offering more accessible learning resources, making their tools more appealing to new users. By providing clear, focused, and practical learning materials, these competitors are not just selling a product; they are ensuring a smoother learning curve for their users. This leads to my next point - I am willing, and even eager, to financially support content that meets these needs. For instance, I have subscribed to channels like 'Java Brains' for quality, structured content. I see a significant opportunity for the Wix toolset in this space. A subscription-based, structured tutorial series that demystifies Wix and makes it more approachable could be incredibly valuable. I’d be more than willing to par for such content, as it would significantly impact my decision to use Wix as a solution.@@meschine
The type of content you are asking for is expensive and time-consuming to produce. The WiX v3 tutorial accumulated content over several years, making it disjoint. At FireGiant, we are invested in a new WiX v4 Tutorial at www.firegiant.com/docs/wix/tutorial/. It takes concentrated time and effort to write documentation. Unfortunately, by necessity, tutorial work comes second to actual FireGiant customer demands. So, I understand what you are asking for, but it is not as easy an undertaking as most assume. It is a work in progress.
Please point me to those WiX competitors you mention so I can better understand what you see as a smoother learning curve? Also, channels like "Java Brains" are not like-for-like comparisons. Learning channels providing $9/mo subscriptions contribute nothing to the development of the project they teach about. Finally, if you want to treat the WiX Toolset like a product, check out the FireGiant support program. You'd be directly supporting the developers that implement the WiX Toolset and are writing the documentation you desire: www.firegiant.com/services/
Hi. I am catching up the course and I have a question for this episode. You use named bindpaths generated for you by "msbuild", right? Seems like these names are generated using names of compiled files. What would happen if "dev team" change names? I guess you have to change them in .wxs manually together with filenames. Though there is an insignificant chance to make a mistake correcting string "!(bindpath.NativeDLL1.x64)\NativeDll1.dll". But anyways, the question is: is it safe to rely on generated bindpaths? Thx.
The names are based on project files, not the output of project files. Could a dev update a dependent project, such as changing its name? Absolutely. And then the .wixproj build will break pointing out that the old name is missing. WiX does not read developers minds but it tries very hard to clearly tell you when you did something wrong. PS: The fact that the error happens in the build right away is fundamental to WiX's design. Bring setup in to the development process so breaking changes are found as soon as possible.
I am try to upgrade a v3 project to v4, currently using WixToolset.Sdk/4.0.3 & WixToolset.Heat 4.0.3. Just adding Publish="true" didn't publish the .Net 4.8 Class Library (Web project)?
Just started this series today since I am working on using WIX for an angular application and it has been great so far. Roughly what time do you go live each week?
Season 1 just wrapped with Episode 54, so no live episodes planned for the next few months. Like @stefani2e says, "Subscribe to be notified when Season 2 starts."
I simply want to ask you a question. For a Wixbootstrapper update, it shows the install button again. I want to change that to the upgrade button, but during initial installation, it should remain the same as install. Whether I can do it using a theme file that is already present or by using a custom bootstrapper application (I need some help.)
The comments in TH-cam aren't a great place to try to get help on complex topics. Check out the support options for WiX listed by FireGiant: www.firegiant.com/support-options/
@@meschine its like command line capability to explicitly use of heat to generate was and with some switch\parameters to exclude files like you did in this video .. all the operation which you have performed in file using GUI I'm looking for in command line in wix 4.0, which will help us in CICD pipeline to once we build project and get the artefacts folders on top of we'll use the powershell with wixv4.0 to generate msi.
I may have missed it in a previous vid, but does WiX have anything as far as secrets management goes? I am trying to build an installer with WiX that will have the user enter in a token or secret. I have read a few things on writing code to interact with the Windows secret manager API but was wondering if WiX had any built in things for that.
@@meschine Thanks for the reply, would writing a script for WiX to interact with the Windows Secret Manager API be a possible solution to manage secrets then?
Script is a vague term. You'll be implementing a Custom Action. You can implement Custom Actions in many different languages and a few different ways but the specifics are defined by Windows Installer's design for Custom Actions.
Fore some reason all your examples show how to include ConsoleApp.exe and ConsoleApp.exe.config into installer. This is quite far from reality. Do we need to define mannualy all the assets (.exe, .dll, folders, subfolders) we want to include into installer or there is some simpler approach? Something simple like "bin\*"
Yes, I did so for a very specific reason. The concept you're looking for is called "harvesting" and the series about harvesting _just_ started in Episode 52.
I'm terribly late to the party, but is there a way to block downgrade of the 4th number of the version? I've been trying to do this for a while and I can't find a way to make it happen...
Boli maga
Great video. Do you have instructions on using a locally built dev build?
Thanks for the great info! I have a question, our install folder is LocalAppDataFolder (per user), we also need to install windows service. We have a hard time installation the service under standard user account due to insufficient privilege. We have admin account id/pwd to use programmingly, we do not want to expose them to standard user. We wish the standard user could launch the installation as an admin temporarily to write to HKLM registry and install the windows service. How can we do it? Help appreciated!
Does that file harvest feature described at 16:12 still work in Wix v5 with the <File> and <Files> feature?
Yes. HarvestFile and all the other advanced harvesting features work great in WiX v5. The new Files element is a simplified version of the feature with the intent of getting rid of heat.exe in a future version of WiX. You can see a comparison of the features here: www.firegiant.com/docs/heatwave-build-tools/harvesting/comparisons/
What if you declare your REMEMBERCUSTOMER properties with the default value AND RegistrySearch? After that you can override it with the CUSTOMER property if it is set (from the command line). In that case, the REMEMBERCUSTOMER property will have the final value you need to store and use.
Using LocalService is better than LocalSystem. However all services get their own virtual service account, which is ideal for giving a service just enough access. In the package I created the following to grant the virtual service account the logon as a service right at the correct time (has to happen after the service is created, as the account doesn't exist until then): <InstallExecuteSequence> <Custom Action="override Wix4ConfigureUsers_X86" After="InstallServices" /> </InstallExecuteSequence> Then in the component section I had the following: <Component> <File Source="$(var.QControlServer.TargetDir)QControlServer.exe" /> <ServiceInstall Id="QControlServerService" Name="QControlServer" DisplayName="QControl Server" Description="QControl server application" Start="auto" Type="ownProcess" ErrorControl="normal" Account="NT Service\QControlServer" Vital="yes" Interactive="no"/> <util:User UpdateIfExists="yes" CreateUser="no" Name="NT Service\QControlServer" LogonAsService="yes" /> <ServiceControl Id="QControlServerService" Name="QControlServer" Start="install" Stop="both" Remove="uninstall" Wait="yes"/> <CreateFolder Subdirectory="Logs" > <util:PermissionEx User="NT Service\QControlServer" GenericWrite="yes" GenericRead="yes" /> </CreateFolder> </Component> This creates the service using the virtual service account, the name you specify in the "Name" field must match the account field after "NT Service\", if they don't it won't work. This also grants the account permissions to a logs folder within the application directory, but that is totally optional and unrelated. Hopefully someone trying to get Virtual Service Accounts working with Wix4 finds this useful!
This is the video that made me realize that I never had a clue how my .NET solutions were being built lol, simply because Visual Studio makes it all very magical. Thanks for the debrief on MSBuild-- inspired me to deep dive on the Microsoft build engine. This series also clears up the confusion I've had in trying to use WiX to create an installer for a Windows service. Thanks!
Hi, source code, please...
You can see the GitHub repo available at the end of most episodes and the homepage for deploymentdojo.com has a link to GitHub as well.
Hi Rob, After harvesting I am getting error Error WIX0094 The identifier 'WixComponentGroup:Empower_Web_Files' could not be found. Ensure you have typed the reference correctly and that all the necessary inputs are provided to the linker. Empower Web Installer D:\Repos\Windows11_Wix500\Web\Empower Web Installer\Product.wxs 113 can you please help me on this.
The Deployment Dojo shows are serial. That means they are designed to be watched from the beginning. If you jump into the middle of the series you may be missing some very important steps. Go back and watch a few more episodes. Everything is done live so you will see it happen before your very eyes. :)
Hi, thanks for the content. I've followed the tutorial until the end of the video. But I can't figure it out about the.cmd file. Can you explain how to make the.cmd file? Thank you
The Deployment Dojo shows are serial. That means they are designed to be watched from the beginning. If you jump into the middle of the series you may be missing some very important steps. Go back and watch a few more episodes. Everything is done live so you will see it happen before your very eyes. :)
Not that it's important, but the video intro says this is Episode 2. Awesome episode, I shared this one with friends who don't build Windows Installers.
Yeah, those were the early days and I was still working lots of bugs in the system. Live shows are challenging. There is no ability to fix mistakes. :)
Kinda like "so viewers can do in our repo" but where the url to the repo?
The repo is created in S1:E19 - Introducing GitHub to the Deployment Dojo. This series really is designed to be watched front to back and you'll be missing context by jumping around. You can also find the TH-cam playlist and GitHub links on the Deployment Dojo page on my website robmensching.com/deployment-dojo/
After upgrading to v4 from v3, in build pipeline, getting Error MSB4064: The "ErrorIfLinkFails" parameter is not supported by the "Copy" task. Msbuild version is v15. Could you please help here?
I'd recommend creating a new .wixproj from scratch using HeatWave and then building up from there. You probably have some old cruft from customizations in your v3 code that aren't supported in v4. Good luck!
nice outro soundtrack 😃 appreciating your efforts ...
Is there any written documentation about all of this?
FireGiant provides documentation for its advanced harvesting at: www.firegiant.com/docs/heatwave-build-tools/harvesting/ I haven't looked to see if anyone has documented the hard path. That isn't the option I'd choose so I've not invested in it outside the contrast I've shown in this and the next Deployment Dojo episode.
412 Subs, woo!
I tried following this. All I get is this Error: Error WIX0231 The component 'guid' has a key file with path 'TARGETDIR\fileName'. Since this path is not rooted in one of the standard directories (like ProgramFilesFolder), this component does not fit the criteria for having an automatically generated guid. (This error may also occur if a path contains a likely standard directory such as nesting a directory with name "Common Files" under ProgramFilesFolder.
Downgraded to NuGet WixToolSet.Heat 4.0.0 in order that my generated wxs file started with <DirectoryRef Id="INSTALLFOLDER"> as in the video to get rid of the error. Later versions give you a newer element syntax with TARGETDIR which doesn't want to work with the project template that Visual Studio gives you. Now I'm struggling with the xsl file.
XSL files are frustrating. That's why I recommend the advanced harvesting that is part of the HeatWave Build Tools all the time.
Very helpful. I had to slow it down a bit in places. If you play this half speed Rob sounds sozzled.
Heh, heh. Everyone sounds "sozzled" when slowed down. Some of us more than others. ;)
Thanks for the great videos. I had been using one of the free MSI installers from Microsoft in my .NET 6 solution. The installer recognizes that it has a dependency on the .NET 6 and .NET 6 desktop frameworks and will download those dependencies and install. That's great. But i have a client (military) that doesn't want a net connection so I'd like to bundle those two installers with my application. Is that possible to do with Wix 4?
Absolutely.
Hi, really good video. Is the FireGiant License Free of charge?
Today you get a license file as part of your FireGiant support contract: www.firegiant.com/services/support-programs/
Been following your guides from video 1 and wish I would have found this video first? Should I be skipping to video 30 or something next? 😅
The Deployment Dojo is actually designed to be watched serially. Think about how much you've learned by working from the beginning. You should have a much more solid foundation of how things work "under the hood".
Hi Rob, first of all, thanks for these great tutorials, I was really struggling with harvesting and learned a lot from your videos. Second, I have one query. I am using wix v3, I have to harvest some dlls, config file with a specific match and place under a same CMPG so I was using Targets with something like below code it was able to harvest all the matching files by generating individual harvested files for every match with same CPMG name. So in my product.wxs when I call CMPG ref I got a duplicate CPMG error. So, I have to somehow generate a single output harvested file or merge them into one with a new CMPG but I don't know how?? <HarvestFile Include="$(SourcePath)\ABC.*.Test.dll*"> <ComponentGroupName>CMPG_HARVESTED_FILES</ComponentGroupName> .....
I don't know. Try following the steps I did in the episode. It worked correctly for me. Or check out the next episode (Episode 53) for much easier to use harvesting technology if you have a FireGiant subscription.
How can i make my installer runs with administrative privilege always in wix 4, Also is there is any possibility that i can make my application to run as administrator always after installing through my msi. Need some help here🥲
We talk about this a little bit when introducing the Sandbox to the Deployment Dojo but it isn't covered in depth. Maybe something I'll add to a future episode.
thankyou sir@@meschine
After adding harvestdirecory tag in project file, still I on project rebuild wxs file is not generating, can anyone help me what can be wrong here?
Hard to say. The Deployment Dojo is a live show so you can see the exact steps I take in the video. There are no cuts to hide any steps. So, maybe double check you did each one. Or watch the next video and see an easier option, after signing up for FireGiant support.
amazing !
Do i need to pay to get this tool
The HeatWave Build Tools are available as part of a FireGiant Support Contract. You can read more about it here www.firegiant.com/services
I have a doubt we can remove our application by clicking the exe (bundle) or by using control panel right. But how can a bundle can differentiate between them. Is any variable is set there. I need some help😭
A bundle is provided information about its current state via the command-line and during the Detect phase. That information is how you can handle all these different scenarios.
thank you
What about starting a new tutorial in wix bundle
Yes! Bundles are a very interesting and deep topic. Maybe something for Season 2 of the Deployment Dojo.
@@meschineI started working on a Wix bundle project, and I managed to create a custom bundle using C#. Everything worked perfectly. But my problem is that when I convert it to Wix version 4 and run the exe file, I get a new UI similar to the original UI of Bootrapper Saying. .Net Framework is needed for the installation, and it had an install button, but when you click on it, it says failed and is not showing. My needed UI needs some help here.
Sounds like you have a bug or two to sort out. There is information on the WiX Toolset website listing all the changes you need to make in a custom BootstrapperApplication. There's a quote few important changes.
I really like your videos, but it's not that easy to find out the exact topic. Do you have a video on how to add a runtime environment to your .msi-file? Really appreciate your work!
The Deployment Dojo is a show, a live show in fact, that progresses a story each week. It isn't training material indexed and organized into lessons like a class. However, I am thinking about building such a class since people seem to be interested in that style of learning. As for your question, I don't know what you mean by "runtime environment". We do introduce how to manipulate environment variables in a later episode.
I've been watching the videos in this playlist for a couple of days now and have learned so much. Thank you for this! I have a question regarding the "Publish" attribute of the "ProjectReference" element that tells msbuild to publish the project instead of just building it. Is there a way to pass a publish profile to that? I use a pubxml file to set options for publishing and use this file in the CI pipeline as well.
Ok I found a solution by myself but I don't know if there's another way of doing it: <ProjectReferece Include="..." Properties="PublishProfile=path/to/file.pubxml" Publish="yes" />
That's it. I'm curious why you are using a publish profile? What's in it that you need to set?
@@meschine Many thanks for your efforts! I think I know why he wants to use the publish profile; it contains settings like single file deployment, self contained, etc. I ran into a problem with the Properties solution. Strange errors probably related to the project being ASP Core. Finally resolved it by creating a PropertyGroup in the .csproj file and dropping the Properties from the project reference. Example from my .csproj file - <PropertyGroup> <RuntimeIdentifier>win-x86</RuntimeIdentifier> <PublishSingleFile>true</PublishSingleFile> <PublishReadyToRun>true</PublishReadyToRun> <SelfContained>true</SelfContained> </PropertyGroup> Now I can publish, harvest, and build the Windows service installer! One small thing - it be nice to see the whole Filter.xsl file. I created a transform and couldn't get it to work until it dawned on me I need the correct xmlns related to Wix. Saw my problem when I zoomed into the paused video. Best regards, Steve
Thanks for the valuable content Rob. It helps a lot. Cheers.. :)
Hi thanks for video. Curious why the hate on services. A "windowless app" seems hacky imo. also would be cool if you do these videos without such tight coupling to visual studio. Showcasing your tool from the CLI would have the best reach. For example if I'm making a flutter app and do not use visual studio, yet I still need an installer. Is this tool appropriate for me? im not sure - because this tool seems to use visual studio.
You need to watch the first few episodes of the Dojo. Visual Studio isn't introduced for several episodes. When I finally do introduce Visual Studio, we've explored its benefits and motivated its continued use. But, I still drop back to just command line options to show how it can all be done without MSBuild and Visual Studio. I also explained in this episode or the beginning of the next why services should be avoided unless necessary. There are technical reasons when to use a service.
Why am i ending up with "The HarvestDirectory task was not found." ? The WixToolset.Heat nuget is included.
I don't know. It works correctly in the episode. Maybe follow the steps a little closer? All the work gets published to GitHub so you can experiment with that as well.
Using EnableProjectHarvesting just ends up in an error. "error HEAT5313: Build error during harvesting: ProjectNameHere.csproj : error MSB4057: Target "BuiltProjectOutputGroup" doesn't exist in the project." Is it cause of .Net core?
I'm pretty sure that is the exact issue I call out about Heat-based project harvesting in this episode. Check out the next episode to see my solution for project harvesting.
Hi. I am get the following error "failed to start service Make sure you have Sufficient Priviledges to start system services" what could be the reason for this Also in installer log I cannotfind "serviceInstall"
In this episode or one of the next, I hit a problem while installing and show how to diagnose this very issue. Watch closely and you can learn how I tackle this problem.
Hello! were you able to solve this? I'm getting the same issue
Would be great to have heat with wix command like wix heat
We're doing better than that in WiX v5. The WiX Online Meeting 271 has first details.
Could a "manual" 4-part version upgrade check (custom action) be implemented which checks that 1.0.0.1 to 1.0.0.2 is allowed, but 1.0.0.2 to 1.0.0.1 is disallowed?
Yeah, you should be able to write a custom action to check for the downgrade but it won't be able to trigger the Windows Installer upgrade behavior.
Just have caught up the Season 1 and BOOM! It's already finished! So now armed with all this wisdom i'm ready to bring setup to some of my pet projects. Thank you. Can't wait season 2 to start!
First, I want to thank you for the comprehensive tutorial series on the Wix toolset. It's clear a lot of effort went into these videos. However, I feel that the series might benefit from a more focused approach. While the detailed exploration of what the MSBuild targets is doing under the hood is informative, it often feels like a distraction from the core features and functions that beginners like myself are eager to learn. I've noticed a significant focus on manually running Wix commands to demonstrate how things were done in the past. While I understand the value of understanding historical context, as someone eager to learn current practices and quickly apply them, I find these sections to be less relevant to my learning goals. The series is quite extensive, with 51 episodes at 45 minutes each, and as someone trying to grasp the basics efficiently, I find myself sifting through a lot of material that seems tangential to my immediate learning goals. Perhaps these detailed aspects could be separated or summarized to help streamline the learning process for those of us who are time-constrained and looking to quickly get up to speed with the most essential features of Wix. Thanks for considering this feedback and for your dedication to teaching this toolset.
All of those are good points and none of them apply to my goals for the Deployment Dojo. The Dojo is a live show where we explore software installation topics using the WiX Toolset. I do the Dojo for free because it takes near zero prep and it's fun. The Dojo is NOT a carefully crafted online course like what you are asking for. I am seriously considering taking what I've learned from hosting the Dojo and applying more curation with added depth and/or breadth where appropriate to craft just such a thing. But, I have a couple things I want to finish before I spend my time in that direction. I'm glad you've enjoyed all of this education for free. It took me a couple of decades to learn it all and there is still much that could be covered... nevermind organized.
Thank you for your response and for explaining the concept behind the Deployment Dojo. I respect that this format offers a certain value and enjoyment for you as the creator. However, I would like to express a different viewpoint on what could be more beneficial for a significant portion of the audience, especially beginners like me. In my experience, and possibly for others as well, a more structured and focused approach to learning the Wix toolset would be immensely valuable. A series that cuts through to the essential, practical knowledge needed to use the tool effectively, without the historical context or exploratory side tracks, would be highly appreciated. It could also potentially attract a wider audience seeking efficient and direct learning. I believe that aligning the content more closely with the audience's needs can not only enhance the learning experience but also elevate the impact of your company in the community. A balance between what is enjoyable to produce and what is most beneficial for the audience could be a powerful strategy for growth and influence. Thank you again for your dedication to teaching the Wix toolset, and I hope my feedback is taken as a constructive perspective aimed at mutual benefit.@@meschine
I also want to bring up an important consideration about the broader impact of learning resources on the adoption of tools like the Wix toolset. The current scarcity of clear and concise guides or tutorials makes it difficult to justify choosing Wix over other solutions that offer more user-friendly learning materials. This is a critical factor for me and likely for many others in deciding which tools to adopt. Your tutorial series has a great potential to fill this significant gap. However, the present format, while rich in content, doesn’t align well with the needs of users seeking straightforward, practical guidance. In the fast-paced environment we work in, efficiency in learning is not just a preference, but a necessity. It’s worth noting that competitors are offering more accessible learning resources, making their tools more appealing to new users. By providing clear, focused, and practical learning materials, these competitors are not just selling a product; they are ensuring a smoother learning curve for their users. This leads to my next point - I am willing, and even eager, to financially support content that meets these needs. For instance, I have subscribed to channels like 'Java Brains' for quality, structured content. I see a significant opportunity for the Wix toolset in this space. A subscription-based, structured tutorial series that demystifies Wix and makes it more approachable could be incredibly valuable. I’d be more than willing to par for such content, as it would significantly impact my decision to use Wix as a solution.@@meschine
The type of content you are asking for is expensive and time-consuming to produce. The WiX v3 tutorial accumulated content over several years, making it disjoint. At FireGiant, we are invested in a new WiX v4 Tutorial at www.firegiant.com/docs/wix/tutorial/. It takes concentrated time and effort to write documentation. Unfortunately, by necessity, tutorial work comes second to actual FireGiant customer demands. So, I understand what you are asking for, but it is not as easy an undertaking as most assume. It is a work in progress.
Please point me to those WiX competitors you mention so I can better understand what you see as a smoother learning curve? Also, channels like "Java Brains" are not like-for-like comparisons. Learning channels providing $9/mo subscriptions contribute nothing to the development of the project they teach about. Finally, if you want to treat the WiX Toolset like a product, check out the FireGiant support program. You'd be directly supporting the developers that implement the WiX Toolset and are writing the documentation you desire: www.firegiant.com/services/
Hi. I am catching up the course and I have a question for this episode. You use named bindpaths generated for you by "msbuild", right? Seems like these names are generated using names of compiled files. What would happen if "dev team" change names? I guess you have to change them in .wxs manually together with filenames. Though there is an insignificant chance to make a mistake correcting string "!(bindpath.NativeDLL1.x64)\NativeDll1.dll". But anyways, the question is: is it safe to rely on generated bindpaths? Thx.
The names are based on project files, not the output of project files. Could a dev update a dependent project, such as changing its name? Absolutely. And then the .wixproj build will break pointing out that the old name is missing. WiX does not read developers minds but it tries very hard to clearly tell you when you did something wrong. PS: The fact that the error happens in the build right away is fundamental to WiX's design. Bring setup in to the development process so breaking changes are found as soon as possible.
Half hour is better - only essentials.
Yeah, whatever gets you up and running for free faster, am I right?
I am try to upgrade a v3 project to v4, currently using WixToolset.Sdk/4.0.3 & WixToolset.Heat 4.0.3. Just adding Publish="true" didn't publish the .Net 4.8 Class Library (Web project)?
Thanks Sir, for this video. I'm bit more curious now that does WIX will have powershell module as well to support the CICD pipeline.
Why? MSBuild is the standard for building MSFT software today. That's integrated in every notable CICD system today.
Just started this series today since I am working on using WIX for an angular application and it has been great so far. Roughly what time do you go live each week?
Season 1 just wrapped with Episode 54, so no live episodes planned for the next few months. Like @stefani2e says, "Subscribe to be notified when Season 2 starts."
I simply want to ask you a question. For a Wixbootstrapper update, it shows the install button again. I want to change that to the upgrade button, but during initial installation, it should remain the same as install. Whether I can do it using a theme file that is already present or by using a custom bootstrapper application (I need some help.)
The comments in TH-cam aren't a great place to try to get help on complex topics. Check out the support options for WiX listed by FireGiant: www.firegiant.com/support-options/
Is it time to start the Wix bundle?
Bundles will be a great topic to cover in the future. Maybe even Season 2.
do we have command capability for harvesting the directory in WIX v4.0?
Do you mean like running `wix build`?
@@meschinethat will build whole project, Looking for heat.exe type command in v4.0.
@@meschine its like command line capability to explicitly use of heat to generate was and with some switch\parameters to exclude files like you did in this video .. all the operation which you have performed in file using GUI I'm looking for in command line in wix 4.0, which will help us in CICD pipeline to once we build project and get the artefacts folders on top of we'll use the powershell with wixv4.0 to generate msi.
Cool. I think I got it and I hope I answered your question in Episode 54.
I may have missed it in a previous vid, but does WiX have anything as far as secrets management goes? I am trying to build an installer with WiX that will have the user enter in a token or secret. I have read a few things on writing code to interact with the Windows secret manager API but was wondering if WiX had any built in things for that.
Nothing built-in. No. We've done custom projects at FireGiant for customers that had specialized needs. But haven't developed anything generic, yet.
@@meschine Thanks for the reply, would writing a script for WiX to interact with the Windows Secret Manager API be a possible solution to manage secrets then?
Script is a vague term. You'll be implementing a Custom Action. You can implement Custom Actions in many different languages and a few different ways but the specifics are defined by Windows Installer's design for Custom Actions.
Fore some reason all your examples show how to include ConsoleApp.exe and ConsoleApp.exe.config into installer. This is quite far from reality. Do we need to define mannualy all the assets (.exe, .dll, folders, subfolders) we want to include into installer or there is some simpler approach? Something simple like "bin\*"
Yes, I did so for a very specific reason. The concept you're looking for is called "harvesting" and the series about harvesting _just_ started in Episode 52.
@@meschine Ah, thanks.