Setup project with managed custom actions. Big heck of a headache

Question

I'm trying to create a setup project and I can't believe how painful it could be. Non of the tools that I've tried to use, haven't satisfy me. How come? Well, let's see:

First and easiest option: Setup project built in Visual Studio. Easy and fast. you can easily implement custom actions, even if you're code was written in c# or vb.net. Exactly what I wanted. But this approach has some drawbacks and the major one is unbelievably painful way to implement custom dialogs. For example if I need to ask for DB credentials, authorize the user and proceed with the rest of installation. But no. There is no way to build custom setup dialog in VS. Actually there is a way, but it's not an easy one. I mean what, are you kidding me? I have to spent a day to create a couple of simple dialogs?

Second option: Use some kind of a tool. Like InstallShield. You have to pay for it, yes, fortunately it's damn cheap. Only $5500. Not a big deal, right? Well maybe, but for me it's like "dude, forget about it"

Third option: Use WIX Nice, has many options. Not so easy to use like the one built-in VS but has many much better features. The only problem - I spend a few hours trying to convince that thing to run my code written in c#. I failed. Nothing helped and I give up.

Now. Please, please my fellow experts, all knowing developers. Help me. What should I do? What's the best way to solve my problem (believe me my boss will kill me, he likes to achieve results over dead bodies of his employees).

Tell me is there any better way to edit .wid files. Using Orca tool, isn't an easy solution. Or show me a real example of setup project built with WIX which can run managed c# code.

Thank you!

Answer 1

I implemented a custom dialog by simply displaying a form in my custom action. This is a straightforward thing to do.

Answer 2

You should check out NSIS. It is free, open source and has a long and stable history. And that's where i've turned every time another install system has failed me.

The script is a little terse but there are (free) 3rd-party UIs to help manage it if you need to.

Answer 3

I don't suggest using either "Setup Projects" ( aka Visual Studio Deployment Projects ) or Managed Custom Actions ( in your context you are referring to InstalUtil custom actions ).

For managed custom actions I use Windows Installer XML - DTF ( Deployment Tools Framework ). This builds and packages your CA to look and feel to MSI like a C++ CA which means you can then consume it using InstallShield, WiX, Wise and so on.

I also don't suggest using CA's as fake dialogs. If you want a fancier UI write an external UI handler ( not a simple task ). I suspect your real problem though is that VDRPOJ doesn't expose this very well, that WiX is lot's of writing in XML. InstallShield gives you a drag drop IDE for working on custom dialogs. But then that would be one of the many reasons it isn't free.