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Distribution

Build configurations​

A build configuration provides a way to customize the way your installation is built and specify what will be included with your MSI file. You can have more than one build configuration, each one suited for a specific purpose or release type. For example, you can make a build configuration for your English, CD-ROM release and another build configuration for your French, Web release. You must set up at least one build configuration before you can build an installation package.

Creating new configurations​

To create a new configuration, right-click the list labeled Build Configurations and select New Configuration from the menu. The Build Configuration Wizard comes up. Follow the instructions in the wizard.

The default configuration​

The default configuration is used when you build the project. It is shown in bold text in the build configuration list. You can set a different default build configuration by right-clicking it and choosing Set Default in the menu.

The Wise Installation Studio bootstrapper​

The Wise Installation Studio bootstrapper is an executable file (usually Setup.exe) that runs before the actual installation of the product begins. The bootstrapper's role is to make sure that the user's system has all the components required by the application being installed. If a component is missing, the bootstrapper can install it if it is configured to do so.

To enable the bootstrapper, follow these steps:

  1. Select a build configuration for which to enable the bootstrapper.
  2. Expand the Bootstrapper category in the property grid.
  3. Set the Enable property to True.

Specifying required components​

Many applications depend on external components. These can range from the latest version of Internet Explorer to the .NET Framework runtime. In Wise Installation Studio, you can tell the bootstrapper (if enabled) to search for specific components and install them if they cannot be found. The install location can be a web URL or a local path.

To configure required components for the selected build configuration, follow these steps:

  1. In the property grid, under the category Bootstrapper, select Required components and click the [...] button on the far right.
  2. A window will pop up showing a list of the current requirements. Any requirements added by the project wizard have a URL for their installer path.

To add a new requirement, click the arrow next to the Add button and choose RequirementFromTemplate to add a predefined component, or CustomRequirement to add your own custom requirement. Template-based requirements have a URL for their installer path, meaning that they will automatically be downloaded by the bootstrapper.

To specify a local install path for a requirement, so that the bootstrapper doesn't have to download it, set the Installer path properties to @@SrcPath##\YourRequirementPath. @@SrcPath## references the path where the MSI installation is located. Don't forget to include the redistributable as a support file if you choose to have a local install path. You can also use @@WinDir## for the windows directory or @@SysDir## for the system directory. These special paths can also be referenced for the Search file property of a requirement.

Localizing bootstrapper strings​

Localization can also be done for the bootstrapper interface. To localize the strings for a specific build configuration, follow these steps:

  1. In the property grid, under the category Bootstrapper, select Strings and click the [...] button on the far right.
  2. Select a string to view its ID and value and edit the value to change the string.
  3. You should never change the ID of a string in this list. You should also never need to add or remove strings.

You should also configure the bootstrapper strings for the English language, since some strings, like the operating-system error message, may not exactly apply to your installation.

Creating web installers​

A web installer differs from a regular installer in that the user downloads only the bootstrapper which downloads the rest of the setup files which are located on a web server. A web installer is also usually digitally signed.

To configure a web installer for any build configuration, follow these steps:

  1. Select the build configuration in the list.
  2. In the property grid, expand the Bootstrapper category.
  3. Set the Enable property to True along with the Enable web installer property.
  4. Set the Base URL property to the web folder where your installation files will be located. For example: http://www.server.com/~app . Don't forget to upload your CAB files and your MSI file to that location when you release your installer.
  5. Collapse the Bootstrapper category and expand the Distribution media category.
  6. Set the CAB compression property to LZX. This makes your cabinet files as small as possible.
  7. Set the File storage method to Compressed, in external CAB files.
  8. Build your configuration and test it.

Don't forget to distribute only the bootstrapper and related files to your users. Don't include the cabinet files or MSI file with your web installer. Instead, upload them to the specified web location.

Creating single-file installers​

A single-file installer is ideal for distribution on the web. Users can simply download a single executable file which contains all of the files necessary to install your application. If this is your preferred method of distribution, follow the steps below to learn how to create a build configuration for a single-file installer.

  1. In the Distribution section, create a new Network build configuration using the wizard.
  2. On the bootstrapper configuration page, browse down the property grid until you find Single-file installer. Set that property to True.
  3. To give your single-file executable a more meaningful name, browse down to the Setup.exe filename property and change that to the name of your self-extracting executable file, as you want it to be seen by your users when they download your file.
  4. Make sure you do not set a per-disk size limit. That is, make sure your installation is configured to be built to only one disk. This is the default for the Network configuration type.
  5. Set your other preferences, such as output path, as you would normally.

The new build configuration you've created will now be built directly to the output path (not the DISK1 subdirectory), and the output will consist of only one file: your self-extracting executable file.

Digitally signing installations​

You should digitally sign your installation, especially if you are distributing it over the web. Wise Installation Studio makes it easy for you to digitally sign the bootstrapper, MSI file, and cabinet files in your installation.

To sign the bootstrapper:

  1. Select a build configuration in the list.
  2. In the property grid, expand the Bootstrapper category.
  3. Set the Certificate file property to a path to a .spc file or browse for a .spc file by clicking the [...] button to the far right.
  4. Set the Private key property to a path to a .pvk file or browse for a .pvk file by clicking the [...] button to the far right.

To sign the MSI file and cabinet files:

  1. Select a build configuration in the list.
  2. In the property grid, expand the Main configuration category.
  3. Set the Certificate file property to a path to a .spc file or browse for a .spc file by clicking the [...] button to the far right.
  4. Set the Private key property to a path to a .pvk file or browse for a .pvk file by clicking the [...] button to the far right.

Using the updater​

To find out how to use WiseUpdate, click here.

Support files​

Support files are copied to the root directory of the first disk of the installation at build time. Typically support files include redistributables, readme files, and other files that will not be installed with the product but are required during installation.

To add support files to your installation, follow the steps below:

  1. Go to the Support Files tab in the Distribution section.
  2. Right-click the list on that tab page and choose Insert Files... from the menu.
  3. Select the files you wish to add and click Open.

Upgrades​

The Upgrades tab shows a list of the upgrades recognized by your product. To find out more about upgrades, see the Windows Installer documentation.