[wpkg-users] Installer types

Joel Levin levin at u.washington.edu
Thu Apr 3 16:34:12 CEST 2008


Tomasz Chmielewski wrote:
> Joel Levin schrieb:
>> Tomasz Chmielewski wrote:
>>> Joel Levin schrieb:
>>>> Is is safe to say that any application installer with a .exe would 
>>>> use the .exe silent installer package? I am wondering if some 
>>>> applications may say they are .exe, but are actually msi. How would 
>>>> you know?
>>>
>>> Windows distinguishes file types by file extensions.
>>>
>>> So if you have some_installer.exe, it is 100% exe installer, not MSI 
>>> (unless someone did something stupid and change the file extension).
>>>
>>>
>>> However, sometimes these .exe files contain a compressed image, 
>>> containing a MSI, which is later started via msiexec upon 
>>> decompression.
>>>
>>> One such example is Adobe Reader, AFAIR.
>>>
>>>
>> Thank you for that--it helps Tomasz. Is there some way (perhaps in 
>> get info--or in properties) to test an installer to know what type of 
>> installer it actually is?
>
> Please reply to the list.
>
> I don't there is any other than starting the installer, looking at its 
> temporary files etc. Or googling, checking installation manual, 
> documentation, deployment instructions etc.
>
> Why do you need to know if there is a hidden MSI inside?
>
>
When I go to the WPKG site, and look under the silent installer link, 
there are different scripts for the various types of installers. I 
experienced some problems when I used the wrong type of script with the 
wrong installer.

Best,
Joel

-- 
J o e l   L e v i n
 
 

University of Washington
 
School of Public Health and Community Medicine

Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences

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Room 301-D

Seattle, WA 98105
 
Telephone (206) 616-8108




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