Project Idea

[IrakliLomidze]

Nowadays software became more complex and channeling to update.
Wix was primarily based on MSI which is not use by Microsoft on it own product.
Office use C2R Installer
Visual Studio use own non MSI installer.

Current Wix toolset, has rich extension tooling for specific install actions.
I want just rise a discussion, how do you see future of Wix Toolset. Will it remain MSI only ?
or Start Building something better ?

[robmen]

Wix was primarily based on MSI which is not use by Microsoft on it own product.

That's not true. Many Microsoft tools use MSI (and WiX) including popular installs like .NET, PowerShell, and PowerToys. Also, there are many, many MSIs that are part of the Visual Studio install. So, it is not correct to say that Microsoft does not use it.

Office use C2R Installer

True. Did you know they use WiX to build that packages for it? Office has one of the largest (if not the largest) .wxs codebase out there.

Visual Studio use own non MSI installer.

Not exactly. Visual Studio wrote a custom chainer to control many, many different installation technologies. This became a bigger challenge for them as they continued to absorb more technologies--like needing to install Android VMs for phone development. So, it made sense that they hit a point where they needed their own system to manage it. They used to use Burn but their requirements outstripped even its capabilities, which is just how insane the set of stuff they have to install is. As noted above, they still install many, many MSIs as part of their "Installer".

Will it remain MSI only ?

At FireGiant, we already offer an extension that builds MSIX packages from WiX code. I entertain building for other installation technologies, but the problem is that even with all the problems with MSI, there aren't other installation technologies that provide a comprehensive solution to all problems. MSIX was supposed to be the future, but Windows abandoned it before finishing it. So it's limited.

or Start Building something better ?

I've entertained creating a modern installation engine many times. It'd be a lot of work, and nobody would pay for it (I've asked 😄). So, it's a hard sell right now. Maybe when I retire and don't have to feed and clothe my kids, I'll tip at that windmill. But until the economics change it doesn't make sense. I mean, Windows just tried to create a new installation engine, and it is generally considered a pretty colossal failure.

So... yeah, it'd be cool but...

[IrakliLomidze]

Whole Ideas to build more interesting installer are:

MSI is partially transactional animal. Especially when you have custom actions.
I would be happy to have followed in my installation ability:

1. Installation Orchestrate,
   controlling installing process,
   Having ability to control integrity
   having ability to heal. (e.g. sequence and decency of windows services and components)
2. Detect updates
   Download it and install it silently. In case of ... ability to roll back.
3. VS Installer and C2R seem to ideally support that.
   I like using wix It gives me sense of control under process.
4. Regarding new version
   • Wix is still best for packaging.
   • I am missing old harvesting tools (regardless I have 2-3 mb wxs files all listed separately).

I asked Microsoft to open-source VS Installer. I'm not sure they will.
That why I asked to build Installer that will have more control over installation process.

I Understand that is nonpaying job, however it could bring huge benefit for the community, if it could be possible to build up team for that project.

[robmen]

MSI is partially transactional animal. Especially when you have custom actions.

You should write your custom actions to participate in the transaction.

VS Installer and C2R seem to ideally support that.

VS Installer doesn't have strong transaction guarantees. It operates more like Burn and depends on the underlying packages for transactionality. C2R is a very different beast.

I Understand that is nonpaying job, however it could bring huge benefit for the community, if it could be possible to build up team for that project.

I think "could" and "if" are doing the heavy lifting in that sentence. Like I said before: "Maybe when I retire and don't have to feed and clothe my kids, I'll tip at that windmill. "

[IrakliLomidze]

In my opinion best things that C2R and VS Installer have. Is the Present of Install Agent that already installed on PC and cares of integrity and install stall.