Re: [WiX-users] Managed custom action return values
Hi Phil, I think you're forgetting that not all custom actions run inside the setup process (I assume you're referring to msiexec.exe). Custom actions can be external executables that run in their own process. Well, at another abstraction of sight, they run in the setup process. ;-) I think you're reading this: http://robmensching.com/blog/archive/2007/04/19/Managed-Code-CustomActions-no-support-on-the-way-and-heres.aspx and assuming it applies to external managed code executables (Rob could clarify). The issue here is with managed code custom actions that run on msiexec.exe that tattoo your process, to use that MSI team phrase, because they are in an msiexec.exe process. There's nothing wrong with an external managed code custom action executable that was explicitly designed for and can be configured to run with a specific version of the framework. For example, a custom action type 18 is fine as a managed code executable. There's nothing wrong with it, but it is not recommended, cause of what is with the setup, if no CLR is on the system. For me, that's is no problem, cause our whole solution is a CLR project, but what about those out there, that have native software, and wish only to use a managed custom action on install (whoever think to need that combination ;-)) The first I read about WiX and managed custom actions was about that the CLR is needed otherwise the setup won't run. That could be easily checked in the conditions. The next point was, that the installer team mentioned a problem in the CLR implementation, if one uses the 1.1 CLR and wishes directly after that to use the 2.X CLR, he would get the already loaded 1.1 version. And that's why managed custom actions are not officially supported by windows installer, cause this behavior could lead to errors. For our solution this isn't a problem either, we only use CLR 2.X for our whole project, including the custom actions, which use some of our project code. Sure, it is no problem, to run a managed custom action inside setup-process, even those like we use here, but only if you know, what you're doing. Do not try to use code for different CLR versions in one setup and check if the CLR is installed correctly before. Additionally you'll have to sign your managed code, otherwise it surely won't run on the target system. Oliver From: Friedrich, Oliver [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mailinglist Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 12:41 AM To: Wilson, Phil; wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: RE: Re: [WiX-users] Managed custom action return values Hi, To say writing managed custom actions is not supported is a rather broad brush statement. There's nothing wrong with running managed code executables that run in their own process space. It's the installer class custom actions that are not supported by WiX - I don't believe WiX cares if you fire off a managed code executable as a custom action. WiX at all doesn't care anything other than its own XML. But the Windows-Installer-Team does not support managed custom actions, for certain reasons, that can be easily found on this Mailinglist. To get to the point, custom actions are made, to run inside the setup-process and to enhance the windows-installer capabilities. Oliver - This SF.net email is sponsored by: Microsoft Defy all challenges. Microsoft(R) Visual Studio 2005. http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/vse012070mrt/direct/01/___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
Re: [WiX-users] Managed custom action return values
I think you're forgetting that not all custom actions run inside the setup process (I assume you're referring to msiexec.exe). Custom actions can be external executables that run in their own process. I think you're reading this: http://robmensching.com/blog/archive/2007/04/19/Managed-Code-CustomActio ns-no-support-on-the-way-and-heres.aspx and assuming it applies to external managed code executables (Rob could clarify). The issue here is with managed code custom actions that run on msiexec.exe that tattoo your process, to use that MSI team phrase, because they are in an msiexec.exe process. There's nothing wrong with an external managed code custom action executable that was explicitly designed for and can be configured to run with a specific version of the framework. For example, a custom action type 18 is fine as a managed code executable. Phil Wilson From: Friedrich, Oliver [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mailinglist Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 12:41 AM To: Wilson, Phil; wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: RE: Re: [WiX-users] Managed custom action return values Hi, To say writing managed custom actions is not supported is a rather broad brush statement. There's nothing wrong with running managed code executables that run in their own process space. It's the installer class custom actions that are not supported by WiX - I don't believe WiX cares if you fire off a managed code executable as a custom action. WiX at all doesn't care anything other than its own XML. But the Windows-Installer-Team does not support managed custom actions, for certain reasons, that can be easily found on this Mailinglist. To get to the point, custom actions are made, to run inside the setup-process and to enhance the windows-installer capabilities. Oliver - This SF.net email is sponsored by: Microsoft Defy all challenges. Microsoft(R) Visual Studio 2005. http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/vse012070mrt/direct/01/___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
Re: [WiX-users] Managed custom action return values
Hello, Writing managed custom actions is not supported. A standalone executable will not see anything of the setup around. I took two half ready projects and used them, to build up something that gives you the possibility to write managed custom actions and access the current setup from within your managed code, so you can e.g. post a return value to a property in your setup. You can fetch the code and the samples under the following link: http://www.forestwalk.de/?p=31 sorry, my entry is just in German, but it's the latest link in the post you need. The source and comments are in English though. If you need help in using this, feel free to ask back to me. Oliver From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Rachna Khune Sent: Sonntag, 9. September 2007 04:53 To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: [WiX-users] Managed custom action return values Hi there My custom action is a managed exe and I am attempting to do one of the two choices below: 1) Show the exception messages from the custom action or be able to return some error codes which I can log 2) Change the message that pops up when the custom action fails. The default is There is a problem with this windows Is there any way of changing this default message? The Error attribute cannot coexist with the ExeCommand attribute in the CustomAction element: Current implementation: CustomAction Id=InstallRepository FileKey=RepositorySetupCustomActions.exe ExeCommand=create123 /InstallDir:quot;[INSTALLLOCATION]\quot; Return=check Impersonate=no Execute=deferred / Seems as if writing managed custom actions is not preferred due to messages popping up and not having access to the MSI thread. Thanks Rachna SDE Repository Modeling Team, CSD Microsoft 425.705.6966 [EMAIL PROTECTED]mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Cell: 425.533.1626 - This SF.net email is sponsored by: Microsoft Defy all challenges. Microsoft(R) Visual Studio 2005. http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/vse012070mrt/direct/01/___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
Re: [WiX-users] Managed custom action return values
Thanks so much Oliver I will take a look at it and ping you if I have any questions danke rachna From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mailinglist [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, September 10, 2007 12:29 AM To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Managed custom action return values Hello, Writing managed custom actions is not supported. A standalone executable will not see anything of the setup around. I took two half ready projects and used them, to build up something that gives you the possibility to write managed custom actions and access the current setup from within your managed code, so you can e.g. post a return value to a property in your setup. You can fetch the code and the samples under the following link: http://www.forestwalk.de/?p=31 sorry, my entry is just in German, but it’s the latest link in the post you need. The source and comments are in English though. If you need help in using this, feel free to ask back to me. Oliver From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Rachna Khune Sent: Sonntag, 9. September 2007 04:53 To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: [WiX-users] Managed custom action return values Hi there My custom action is a managed exe and I am attempting to do one of the two choices below: 1) Show the exception messages from the custom action or be able to return some error codes which I can log 2) Change the message that pops up when the custom action fails. The default is “There is a problem with this windows…”. Is there any way of changing this default message? The Error attribute cannot coexist with the ExeCommand attribute in the CustomAction element: Current implementation: CustomAction Id=InstallRepository FileKey=RepositorySetupCustomActions.exe ExeCommand=create123 /InstallDir:quot;[INSTALLLOCATION]\quot; Return=check Impersonate=no Execute=deferred / Seems as if writing managed custom actions is not preferred due to messages popping up and not having access to the MSI thread. Thanks Rachna SDE Repository Modeling Team, CSD Microsoft 425.705.6966 [EMAIL PROTECTED]mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Cell: 425.533.1626 - This SF.net email is sponsored by: Microsoft Defy all challenges. Microsoft(R) Visual Studio 2005. http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/vse012070mrt/direct/01/___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
Re: [WiX-users] Managed custom action return values
Just to clarify, this behavior of executables is nothing to do with the code being managed or not. Any executable that returns a non-zero exit code to a custom action that checks the result will cause the There is a problem with this installer package message and a rollback. It's important to note that this is a result of the exit code, so just make sure that an executable returns a zero exit code if it is successful. The executable might work fine, but if it returns a non-zero exit code it will fail the install. To say writing managed custom actions is not supported is a rather broad brush statement. There's nothing wrong with running managed code executables that run in their own process space. It's the installer class custom actions that are not supported by WiX - I don't believe WiX cares if you fire off a managed code executable as a custom action. Phil Wilson From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Rachna Khune Sent: Monday, September 10, 2007 8:43 AM To: Mailinglist Cc: (wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net) Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Managed custom action return values Thanks so much Oliver I will take a look at it and ping you if I have any questions danke rachna From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mailinglist [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, September 10, 2007 12:29 AM To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Managed custom action return values Hello, Writing managed custom actions is not supported. A standalone executable will not see anything of the setup around. I took two half ready projects and used them, to build up something that gives you the possibility to write managed custom actions and access the current setup from within your managed code, so you can e.g. post a return value to a property in your setup. You can fetch the code and the samples under the following link: http://www.forestwalk.de/?p=31 sorry, my entry is just in German, but it's the latest link in the post you need. The source and comments are in English though. If you need help in using this, feel free to ask back to me. Oliver From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Rachna Khune Sent: Sonntag, 9. September 2007 04:53 To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: [WiX-users] Managed custom action return values Hi there My custom action is a managed exe and I am attempting to do one of the two choices below: 1) Show the exception messages from the custom action or be able to return some error codes which I can log 2) Change the message that pops up when the custom action fails. The default is There is a problem with this windows Is there any way of changing this default message? The Error attribute cannot coexist with the ExeCommand attribute in the CustomAction element: Current implementation: CustomAction Id=InstallRepository FileKey=RepositorySetupCustomActions.exe ExeCommand=create123 /InstallDir:quot;[INSTALLLOCATION]\quot; Return=check Impersonate=no Execute=deferred / Seems as if writing managed custom actions is not preferred due to messages popping up and not having access to the MSI thread. Thanks Rachna SDE Repository Modeling Team, CSD Microsoft 425.705.6966 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cell: 425.533.1626 - This SF.net email is sponsored by: Microsoft Defy all challenges. Microsoft(R) Visual Studio 2005. http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/vse012070mrt/direct/01/___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
