Package Rust Binary and Visual C++ libraries without merge modules

[feschber]

I have a rust binary that depends on the Visual C++ runtime dlls amongst other things.

Apparently Microsoft has deprecated merge modules for distributing those (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/redistributing-visual-cpp-files?view=msvc-170). So the recommended way is now what they call "central deployment": https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/deploying-visual-cpp-application-by-using-the-vcpp-redistributable-package?view=msvc-170

As a result, the only way I see of "correctly" distributing the VC runtime is to build my msi installer without the dlls included (which admittedly does make sense) and then either tell the users to manually install the VC_redist.x64.exe from microsoft or use burn to create a bundle that pulls the VC_redist.x64.exe for me.

You can see my current efforts at the later approach here but it all seems way to cumbersome for a problem that should be extremely common.

Therefore my question is: Is there an easier way to do all of this?

[robmen]

A Bundle is the way to solve. You can simplify the authoring quite a bit using the BundlePackage element and directly referencing the VC redist bundle, if it available in your build process. Otherwise, you do need all that information to refer to the VC redist "remotely".