[wpkg-users] GetMSIProperties

[Marco Schmidt]

On 15.10.2014 23:44, Stefan Pendl wrote:
> Am 15.10.2014 um 23:25 schrieb Marco Schmidt:
>> 1. the one you use to install
>> This means to keep many old versions of the installer (at least if the
>> version number is part of the msi-filename).
>
> I only keep the latest release of the installer, since the old release
> is always replaced by the new one.

This does not work on my side, because the wpkg keeps the "remove" 
command from the time of the installation. If I remove the old "msi" 
files from the install repository, the nodes where still an old version 
is installed can not access the msi for removal.

>> 3. sometimes the msi is packed in an exe file used to install
>> This means (1) could not be used and thus it is needed to find the
>> UUID to uninstall or to find the uninstall msi like described in (2).
>>
>
> Some EXEs support uninstall command line switches, so there are only
> rare cases where one needs to know the UUID.

Same as above. If the exe is deleted (cleanup of old installer 
versions), the nodes with an reference to it in the wpkg database can 
not uninstall if needed.

Using the msi or exes for uninstall could blow the size of the software 
repository if the msi/exe has the version number in the filename.
Keeping the whole bunch of msi/exe files is not needed because a copy of 
it is "hidden" in the windows directory.

One could argue, that "remove" is is not used very often and thus this 
problem rarely comes up. But with this argument no "remove" part is 
needed in packages.xml anymore.

>
> In my case I need the UUID for instance for JRE and a hand full of other
> applications.

Java has a UUID which can be calculated from the version number. Thus 
there is no need to read the UUID from the msi or the registry.

> On the other hand the flash player EXE supports the -uninstall command
> line switch and removes any release of flash.

For Flashplayer a seperate uninstall executable is available. Which does 
not change with the version.

Greetings ...
  Marco