How to set the installation package to automatically install the .NET Framework environment in the .NET automatic installation package project (Visual Studio Installer Projects)
foreword
Microsoft Visual Studio Installer Projects is a set of tools for creating installers, which is an extension of Microsoft Visual Studio. These tools allow developers to create and customize installers within Visual Studio to package and distribute their applications to users.
Using Visual Studio Installer Projects, developers can configure various settings of the installer through a visual interface, and can use custom scripts and custom operations to meet specific installation needs. The tool is integrated in the Visual Studio development environment, enabling developers to develop applications and create installers in the same environment.
Visual Studio Installer Projects supports the creation of several types of installers, including MSI (Microsoft Installer) and ClickOnce. MSI is a common installer format that provides more advanced features and flexibility to perform more complex installation operations. ClickOnce is an easier way to install and is suitable for deploying and updating smaller applications.
This article mainly introduces how to set up the installation package to automatically install the .NET Framework environment in the .NET automatic installation package project (Visual Studio Installer Projects).
Create a new .NET WinForm project
For the convenience of demonstration, here I create a new WinForm APP (.NET Framework) console program. as the picture shows:
Just put some controls on it. easy to demonstrate
Install the Installer Project plugin
VS -> Extensions -> Manage Extensions -> Online -> Search "Install project" -> Select Microsoft Visual Studio Installer Projects to download and install:
Create a new installation project (Setup Project)
VS -> Right click on the solution -> Add -> New Project -> Search template "Installer"
| Package type | use |
|---|---|
| Setup project | Create a Windows Installer project that can add files |
| Web setup project | Create a Windows Installer Web project that can add files |
| Merge Module Project | Create a Windows Installer merge module project that can add files |
| Setup Wizard | Create a Windows Installer project with the help of the Setup Wizard |
Here we choose Setup Project.
Set WinForm Project output to Setup Project
This step mainly demonstrates the association between the .net project and the installer. Here I take the project output as an example to demonstrate. During the packaging process of the final installation package, the release output files such as DLL and EXE generated by the .net project will be automatically output to the installation package. Of course, according to your business needs, you can also add other types of files, assemblies, etc. to the installation package.
VS -> Right-click Setup -> Add -> Project Output
Set the configuration as follows, the output type selects Primary output (main output)
NET Framework installation package
VS -> Right-click Setup -> Properties -> Enter the Setup property page dialog box -> Debug -> Prerequisite (prerequisite)
Note: Debug and Release need to set the same prerequisites to avoid errors.
Enter the prerequisites dialog
Select the .Net environment you want -> Specify the installation location of the system prerequisites: Download the system prerequisites from the same location as my application -> OK -> Apply -> OK
Generate the installation package
VS -> Select Release mode -> Right click Setup -> Generate
Generate error report and cause analysis:
The following error will appear when generating for the first time.
There are two main problems here, one warning and one error. Let's solve it separately:
1. Solution to Warning
The warning message is as follows:
WARNING: The version of the .NET Framework launch condition ‘.NET Framework 4.7.2’ does not match the selected .NET Framework bootstrapper package. Update the .NET Framework launch condition to match the version of the .NET Framework selected in the Prerequisites Dialog Box.
Solution:
VS -> Right-click Setup -> Open the folder in File Explorer -> Open Setup.vdproj with a text editor -> Search for 4.7.2, change to 4.8 -> Regenerate, the warning disappears
The running results are as follows. You can see that the Warning disappears and only Error remains.
2. Error resolution
The error message is as follows:
ERROR: To enable ‘Download prerequisites from the same location as my application’ in the Prerequisites dialog box, you must download file ‘DotNetFX48\NDP48-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe’ for item ‘Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 (x86 and x64)’ to your local machine. For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=616018.
ERROR: General failure building bootstrapper
ERROR: Unrecoverable build error - 0x80004005
Analysis of the cause of the error:
Microsoft official explanation: How to: Include Prerequisites with a ClickOnce Application
Before you can distribute prerequisite software with a ClickOnce application, you must first download the installer package for these prerequisites to your development computer. When you publish an application and choose to download the prerequisites from the same location as my application, if the installation package is not in the package folder, you will get an error.
Solution:
Add the installer package using Package.xml
View the .NetFramework PackageFile information that needs to be installed
Open the Packages folder
By default, the path is on 64-bit systems C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\ClickOnce Bootstrapper\Packages. as shown in the picture
View configuration information for prerequisite folders
Open the folder of the prerequisites to be added, the folder corresponding to .net framework 4.8: DotNetFX48.
Then open it with a text editor Product.xmlto view the files we need to download manually.
As shown in the figure, we can see that we need to manually download two PackageFile files:
NDP48-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exeandNDP48-Web.exe
Download .NET Framework PackageFile
We can go to Baidu and download a few files and put them in the DotNetFX48 directory.
You can also go to Microsoft's official address to download: Download .NET Framework 4.8
Download the Chinese language pack
Go to zh-Hansthe folder:
In a text editor, open the Package.xml file:
Let's continue to .NET Framework 4.8 to download the Chinese (Simplified) language pack and put it \Packages\DotNetFX48\zh-Hansin the directory
Regenerate, the error disappears.
After it is generated, there will be an additional DotNetFX48 folder.
In this way, the installation package will automatically install the .Net Framework environment.