[WiX-users] WixBundleInstalled in Managed Bootstrapper Application

Discussion:

Alasdair King

2014-04-12 21:16:18 UTC

I'm working on a C# Managed Bootstrapper Application. I don't quite
understand how my bundle is identified as already-installed or not.

Examples I have read simply check the installed state (PackageState) of one
of the MSI packages - for example,
http://bryanpjohnston.com/2012/09/28/custom-wix-managed-bootstrapper-application/
This is then used as the install state of the bundle.

I have two problems with this:

1 It isn't correct, is it? What if a user has PackageA.msi installed, but
not through my bundle, and my MBA tests for PackageA.msi - this logic will
identify that the Bundle is installed when it isn't.

2 The WiX help says there is a property:
WixBundleInstalled - gets whether the bundle was already installed and will
be set to 1 once the bundle is installed.

So my question is:
Why use the MSI package install state rather than "WixBundleInstalled"?

(Testing indicates that this property is not in fact set for installed
bundles. So is the answer "because WixBundleInstalled doesn't work
properly"?)

Thanks!
Alasdair

--
Alasdair King

Sean Hall

2014-04-13 00:22:21 UTC

Permalink

It depends on what you mean by installed. The engine will install the
bundle when it runs Apply. So if .NET gets installed but your MSI fails,
your bundle is still considered as installed.

If you want to know whether your bundle is installed, then you should be
able to rely on the WixBundleInstalled property. If you're having problems
with it, please file a bug at http://wixtoolset.org/issues and provide the
log. You could also use the fInstalled parameter of the OnDetectBegin
event.

Sean

Post by Alasdair King
I'm working on a C# Managed Bootstrapper Application. I don't quite
understand how my bundle is identified as already-installed or not.
Examples I have read simply check the installed state (PackageState) of one
of the MSI packages - for example,
http://bryanpjohnston.com/2012/09/28/custom-wix-managed-bootstrapper-application/
This is then used as the install state of the bundle.
1 It isn't correct, is it? What if a user has PackageA.msi installed, but
not through my bundle, and my MBA tests for PackageA.msi - this logic will
identify that the Bundle is installed when it isn't.
WixBundleInstalled - gets whether the bundle was already installed and will
be set to 1 once the bundle is installed.
Why use the MSI package install state rather than "WixBundleInstalled"?
(Testing indicates that this property is not in fact set for installed
bundles. So is the answer "because WixBundleInstalled doesn't work
properly"?)
Thanks!
Alasdair
--
Alasdair King
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Put Bad Developers to Shame
Dominate Development with Jenkins Continuous Integration
Continuously Automate Build, Test & Deployment
Start a new project now. Try Jenkins in the cloud.
http://p.sf.net/sfu/13600_Cloudbees
_______________________________________________
WiX-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users

Alasdair King

2014-04-13 07:26:39 UTC

Permalink

Thanks Sean! However, I don't understand the discrepancy between your
suggestions and what appears to be common practice in third-party sample
code.

My understanding is that a Burn bundle is a set of MSI windows installers
packaged together inside a wrapper that handles the UI and logic. So it
seems to me that you could have a Burn bundle installed but none of its MSI
packages installed. Conversely, you could have the MSI packages in a bundle
installed, but not the bundle*.

So when I write "installed" I mean that the Burn *bundle* is installed, but
not necessarily any of its packages.

However, my model isn't reflected in most of the sample code I've seen,
which checks for the presence or absence of an MSI in the
DetectPackageComplete event.

Actually, I realise now the significant exception to this is the MBA code
in the WiX 3.8 source code! This uses the DetectBegin event and the
Installed parameter, as you suggest. (Does Installed map to
WixBundleInstalled?)

SUMMARY: third-party sample code checks for the status of one of the MSIs
to determine the installed state of the bundle, which seems to be incorrect
to me. The WiX code checks for DetectBegin and Installed, which makes more
sense. Neither uses WixBundleInstalled, though perhaps this is set by
Installed after Detect. Is there any guidance on the recommended approach?

* Delving into the registry seems to support this: the "Uninstall" entry
(HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall)
points to the bundle executable, not the cached MSI in the Package Cache -
as I'd expect. Meanwhile I can see my MSI package in
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installers (with the
"SystemComponent" value set.)
--
Many thanks,
Alasdair

Post by Sean Hall
It depends on what you mean by installed. The engine will install the
bundle when it runs Apply. So if .NET gets installed but your MSI fails,
your bundle is still considered as installed.
If you want to know whether your bundle is installed, then you should be
able to rely on the WixBundleInstalled property. If you're having problems
with it, please file a bug at http://wixtoolset.org/issues and provide the
log. You could also use the fInstalled parameter of the OnDetectBegin
event.
Sean

one

Post by Alasdair King
of the MSI packages - for example,

http://bryanpjohnston.com/2012/09/28/custom-wix-managed-bootstrapper-application/

Post by Alasdair King
This is then used as the install state of the bundle.
1 It isn't correct, is it? What if a user has PackageA.msi installed, but
not through my bundle, and my MBA tests for PackageA.msi - this logic

will

Post by Alasdair King
identify that the Bundle is installed when it isn't.
WixBundleInstalled - gets whether the bundle was already installed and

will

Post by Alasdair King
be set to 1 once the bundle is installed.
Why use the MSI package install state rather than "WixBundleInstalled"?
(Testing indicates that this property is not in fact set for installed
bundles. So is the answer "because WixBundleInstalled doesn't work
properly"?)
Thanks!
Alasdair
--
Alasdair King

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Post by Alasdair King
Put Bad Developers to Shame
Dominate Development with Jenkins Continuous Integration
Continuously Automate Build, Test & Deployment
Start a new project now. Try Jenkins in the cloud.
http://p.sf.net/sfu/13600_Cloudbees
_______________________________________________
WiX-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Put Bad Developers to Shame
Dominate Development with Jenkins Continuous Integration
Continuously Automate Build, Test & Deployment
Start a new project now. Try Jenkins in the cloud.
http://p.sf.net/sfu/13600_Cloudbees
_______________________________________________
WiX-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users

--
Alasdair King

Alasdair King

2014-05-15 10:07:58 UTC

Permalink

OK, done some testing:

* WixBundleInstalled does indeed report the installed state of the bundle,
before and after DetectBegin.

* A bundle can indeed install zero MSI packages and be installed. The
installation state of the bundle is independent of the installation state
of the MSIs contained within it.

The most common approach in sample code therefore appears to be slightly at
odds with how Burn works: that is, people writing Bootstrapper Applications
appear to be targeting installed/uninstalled MSI packages, not the Burn
package. (I suspect this is from trying to use Burn as a bootstrapper!)

Alasdair

Post by Alasdair King
Thanks Sean! However, I don't understand the discrepancy between your
suggestions and what appears to be common practice in third-party sample
code.
My understanding is that a Burn bundle is a set of MSI windows installers
packaged together inside a wrapper that handles the UI and logic. So it
seems to me that you could have a Burn bundle installed but none of its MSI
packages installed. Conversely, you could have the MSI packages in a bundle
installed, but not the bundle*.
So when I write "installed" I mean that the Burn *bundle* is installed,
but not necessarily any of its packages.
However, my model isn't reflected in most of the sample code I've seen,
which checks for the presence or absence of an MSI in the
DetectPackageComplete event.
Actually, I realise now the significant exception to this is the MBA code
in the WiX 3.8 source code! This uses the DetectBegin event and the
Installed parameter, as you suggest. (Does Installed map to
WixBundleInstalled?)
SUMMARY: third-party sample code checks for the status of one of the MSIs
to determine the installed state of the bundle, which seems to be incorrect
to me. The WiX code checks for DetectBegin and Installed, which makes more
sense. Neither uses WixBundleInstalled, though perhaps this is set by
Installed after Detect. Is there any guidance on the recommended approach?
* Delving into the registry seems to support this: the "Uninstall" entry
(HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall)
points to the bundle executable, not the cached MSI in the Package Cache -
as I'd expect. Meanwhile I can see my MSI package in
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installers (with the
"SystemComponent" value set.)
--
Many thanks,
Alasdair

one

Post by Alasdair King
of the MSI packages - for example,

http://bryanpjohnston.com/2012/09/28/custom-wix-managed-bootstrapper-application/

Post by Alasdair King
This is then used as the install state of the bundle.
1 It isn't correct, is it? What if a user has PackageA.msi installed,

but

Post by Alasdair King
not through my bundle, and my MBA tests for PackageA.msi - this logic

will

Post by Alasdair King
identify that the Bundle is installed when it isn't.
WixBundleInstalled - gets whether the bundle was already installed and

will

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--
Alasdair King

Ed Tenholder

2014-05-15 15:30:40 UTC

Permalink

unsubscribe

-----Original Message-----
From: Alasdair King [mailto:***@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2014 5:08 AM
To: General discussion about the WiX toolset.
Subject: Re: [WiX-users] WixBundleInstalled in Managed Bootstrapper Application

OK, done some testing:

* WixBundleInstalled does indeed report the installed state of the bundle,
before and after DetectBegin.

* A bundle can indeed install zero MSI packages and be installed. The
installation state of the bundle is independent of the installation state
of the MSIs contained within it.

The most common approach in sample code therefore appears to be slightly at
odds with how Burn works: that is, people writing Bootstrapper Applications
appear to be targeting installed/uninstalled MSI packages, not the Burn
package. (I suspect this is from trying to use Burn as a bootstrapper!)

Alasdair

one

Post by Alasdair King
of the MSI packages - for example,

http://bryanpjohnston.com/2012/09/28/custom-wix-managed-bootstrapper-application/

Post by Alasdair King
This is then used as the install state of the bundle.
1 It isn't correct, is it? What if a user has PackageA.msi installed,

but

Post by Alasdair King
not through my bundle, and my MBA tests for PackageA.msi - this logic

will

Post by Alasdair King
identify that the Bundle is installed when it isn't.
WixBundleInstalled - gets whether the bundle was already installed and

will

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--
Alasdair King