.netinstallationwixbootstrapping

Self updating application install with WIX?


I am writing an application that needs to be installed on a large number of desktops and also needs to update itself. We are looking at WIX for creating the installation. I have used ClickOnce and it is not a good solution for this install. WIX seems to fit, but there is no good process for auto update that I have found.

I have looked at ClickThrough, but it doesn't seem ready for prime time yet. Does anyone have another good solution to use with WIX (or maybe another install program) to auto update an application install?


Solution

  • Update Aug, 18, 2023:

    ClickThrough is no longer a part of the WiX Toolset. The features of it were integrated into the update feed feature available in the Burn engine, but the remainder of this answer is no longer relevant in the WiX Toolset.

    Original comment:

    Yeah, ClickThrough really is what you're looking for here. There are bits and pieces in it that work. You might be able to dissect the code and use it yourself without all the extra "UI + build integration". Most of the bugs are in the higher levels. At the root, the RSS update and executable bootstrapper work fine.