Is there a relatively easy way for a hybrid .Net exe (console app/Windows service) to install and start itself as a service?

Question

Suppose an executable named ConsoleOrService.exe is written in C#. It currently is a hybrid. I can just start it on the command line, or I can install it using the .Net's installutil ConsoleOrService.exe and then start the service. I would like a third option: running it on the command line like so: ConsoleOrService.exe --install and have it do all of the work.

1. Is this possible?
2. Is this hard?
3. How can I get started?

Thank you, and let me know if there are questions please.

Answer 1

It's actually quite simple. I've used it in many of my own services (in fact, ALL of my services are capable of doing their own install/uninstall. I control it with a command-line switch, such as /install or /uninstall.

The installation is performed like this:

private static void InstallService()
{
 var ti  = new System.Configuration.Install.TransactedInstaller();
 var si  = new MyServiceInstaller();
 var cl  = new string[] { string.Format(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, "/assemblypath={0}", System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location) };
 var ctx = new System.Configuration.Install.InstallContext(null, cl);

 ti.Installers.Add(si);
 ti.Context = ctx;
 ti.Install(new Hashtable());
}

The uninstallation is the same, except that you call ti.Uninstall(null); instead of ti.Install(...);.

My MyServiceInstaller is a class that inherits from the System.Configuration.Install.Installer class (as you would normally have in a service).