Comments on: WiX, MSBuild v2.0, and x64 systems http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/ Bob Arnson on setup and servicing with WiX and MSI Sun, 24 Jul 2011 04:35:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bob Arnson http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-7782 Bob Arnson Tue, 04 May 2010 13:31:08 +0000 http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/#comment-7782 Gerhard, 64-bit apps require 64-bit installers but WiX can build them on a 32-bit machine. Gerhard,

64-bit apps require 64-bit installers but WiX can build them on a 32-bit machine.

]]> By: Gerhard Junker http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-7781 Gerhard Junker Tue, 04 May 2010 12:20:25 +0000 http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/#comment-7781 Please bring more light in this! VS is a 32 application. WiX integration can reduced to 32bit, if we can build our installations. ...the built installation is 32bit... Can a 32bit setup install 64bit applications, where are the traps and borders? Win7 will be the last 32bit OS, I think. Can you write something about the differences of 32/64bit installers and installing 32/64bit applications? I used the 64bit msi version. Nice to get it again. Please bring more light in this!

VS is a 32 application. WiX integration can reduced to 32bit, if we can build our installations.

…the built installation is 32bit…

Can a 32bit setup install 64bit applications, where are the traps and borders?

Win7 will be the last 32bit OS, I think.

Can you write something about the differences of 32/64bit installers and installing 32/64bit applications?

I used the 64bit msi version. Nice to get it again.

]]> By: Christopher Painter http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-7770 Christopher Painter Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:32:52 +0000 http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/#comment-7770 I find it dissapointing that this wasn't a priority. x64 is starting to become mainstream and I see problems ahead. For example, PowerShell 2.0 has installers for each combination of platform and language. It's then a setup prereq for other things like SQL 2008. This really needlessly makes the chaining and servicing story very messy. As ISVs make the jump from x86 to x64, I see a lot of confusion and chaos coming. I find it dissapointing that this wasn’t a priority. x64 is starting to become mainstream and I see problems ahead. For example, PowerShell 2.0 has installers for each combination of platform and language. It’s then a setup prereq for other things like SQL 2008. This really needlessly makes the chaining and servicing story very messy.

As ISVs make the jump from x86 to x64, I see a lot of confusion and chaos coming.

]]> By: Bob Arnson http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-7765 Bob Arnson Mon, 05 Apr 2010 13:44:08 +0000 http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/#comment-7765 It's consistent with the "only 64-bit packages can touch 64-bit stuff" rule, however; they'd have to do something to redirect the file system or else anything done via custom actions would likely be broken. The alternative would be to have an opt-out but they didn't seem too interested in enabling multi-platform packages. It’s consistent with the “only 64-bit packages can touch 64-bit stuff” rule, however; they’d have to do something to redirect the file system or else anything done via custom actions would likely be broken. The alternative would be to have an opt-out but they didn’t seem too interested in enabling multi-platform packages.

]]> By: Christopher Painter http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-7761 Christopher Painter Sun, 04 Apr 2010 20:00:43 +0000 http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/#comment-7761 You have to understand, I'm a Texan. We don't like hearing 'it can't be done.'. :-) Shouldn't be done is one thing, but can't be done is just an invitation to figure out how to do it out of spite. Seriously, the part that is disturbing to me is that while I can understand MSI providing different answers for ProgramFilesFolder depending on context, I don't like that MSI would go out of it's way to transform a path that I specifically set to be what I expect it to be. I'm not even sure where that behavior is documented. I agree on the need for a CA. You could also condition it to fire only if SFN isn't disabled. This way if the property never gets set, FileCopy won't do anything. You have to understand, I’m a Texan. We don’t like hearing ‘it can’t be done.’. :-) Shouldn’t be done is one thing, but can’t be done is just an invitation to figure out how to do it out of spite.

Seriously, the part that is disturbing to me is that while I can understand MSI providing different answers for ProgramFilesFolder depending on context, I don’t like that MSI would go out of it’s way to transform a path that I specifically set to be what I expect it to be.

I’m not even sure where that behavior is documented.

I agree on the need for a CA. You could also condition it to fire only if SFN isn’t disabled. This way if the property never gets set, FileCopy won’t do anything.

]]> By: Bob Arnson http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-7760 Bob Arnson Sun, 04 Apr 2010 17:50:00 +0000 http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/#comment-7760 I don't know what's more disturbing: That it works or that you discovered it. :) We'd need a custom action to find it (since it might be PROGRA~1 or PROGRA~2), though, and it might not work anyway, since short filename generation can be turned off. I don’t know what’s more disturbing: That it works or that you discovered it. :) We’d need a custom action to find it (since it might be PROGRA~1 or PROGRA~2), though, and it might not work anyway, since short filename generation can be turned off.

]]> By: Christopher Painter http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-7759 Christopher Painter Sat, 03 Apr 2010 23:12:48 +0000 http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/#comment-7759 Hmmm, I pasted an XML example but it was filtered. Basically I found through observation that if you set a property to C:\PROGRA~1 that FileCopy would work. The reply to this is probably it's a windows installer bug and don't rely on the behavior, but I did observe that a Type 1 custom action to resolve the fully qualified short name path of the 64bit MSBuild folder could sneak past MSI and get the file duplicated to the correct location. Hmmm, I pasted an XML example but it was filtered. Basically I found through observation that if you set a property to C:\PROGRA~1 that FileCopy would work.

The reply to this is probably it’s a windows installer bug and don’t rely on the behavior, but I did observe that a Type 1 custom action to resolve the fully qualified short name path of the 64bit MSBuild folder could sneak past MSI and get the file duplicated to the correct location.

]]> By: Christopher Painter http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-7758 Christopher Painter Sat, 03 Apr 2010 23:09:49 +0000 http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/#comment-7758 This is probably a bug in the Windows Installer but I did find a way to beat it into submission: <!-- costing seems to remap C:\Program Files but nut C:\PROGRA~1" ->--> <!-- write a type 51 custom action that resolves the proper fully qualified short path of the 64bit msbuild directory and let MSI handle it from there. --> This is probably a bug in the Windows Installer but I did find a way to beat it into submission:


]]> By: Christopher Painter http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-7755 Christopher Painter Fri, 02 Apr 2010 03:02:19 +0000 http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/#comment-7755 Hmmm, I'd have to find some free time to play with this. Until then, VS2008 and soon VS2010 rocks. We don't use VS2005 anymore and I have no need to support it on x86 let alone x64. 2005/2.0 was a nice combination but 3.5 is just that much better. Hmmm, I’d have to find some free time to play with this. Until then, VS2008 and soon VS2010 rocks. We don’t use VS2005 anymore and I have no need to support it on x86 let alone x64. 2005/2.0 was a nice combination but 3.5 is just that much better.

]]> By: Bob Arnson http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-7749 Bob Arnson Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:32:03 +0000 http://www.joyofsetup.com/2010/03/27/wix-msbuild-v2-0-and-x64-systems/#comment-7749 In a 32-bit package, paths under "Program Files" are translated to "Program Files (x86)" for back-compat. In a 32-bit package, paths under “Program Files” are translated to “Program Files (x86)” for back-compat.

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