[RESOLVED] Package and deployment VB question

[StevenHickerson]

I've looked in the setup1.vbp to try and figure this out, but I'm having a little trouble with it this morning.

First my situation:
I need to write an Autorun program for a custom project CD, not merely autorunning a setup program this is going to be a GUI for the CD basically.

The problem I know I'm going to run into is if a person tries to run my CD on a computer that does not have VB runtimes or any of the non basic controls I may use in the interface.

Now I know the Package and Deployment wizard has a way of copying over and registering all controls previous to running the installation program, this is the code I was looking for. I figured if I could incorporate it into my program then I could just have it copy and register the files and then run my executable as normal.

This is the part where I get confused, in setup1.vbp for the package and deployment wizard, the program is set to start on frmSetup1.. so of course I go there and look in the Form_Load sub, and only thing I can find is this note:

'
    ' The Setup Bootstrapper (SETUP.EXE) copies SETUP1.EXE and SETUP.LST to
    ' the end user's windows directory.  Information required for setup such
    ' as setup flags and fileinfo is read from the copy of SETUP.LST found in
    ' that directory.
    '

So am I assuming correctly that there is another application that pre runs before the actual Setup file that this program creates? Is there anywhere I can access the source for that application, or can someone tell me a way to duplicate it's actions?

[randem]

I imagine you can do that but PDW isn't the best option for that. What you would need to do is to create two setups and a seperate program. One would run the other one after installing the VB Runtime files and what else you wanted to accomplish.

[GaryMazzone]

I actuall worte a small C program that did that for use. I did the build with all required parts in the exe (it was preety small). That started first then called the installation routines for the choice that the user would make.

[StevenHickerson]

I thought about doing just that Gary, was contemplating it since I made that post earlier today... the problem is I have littel knowledge in c coding. I can usually read it and follow it but have never created my own program in it. So I'd be doing a lot of research and code copying in order to get that done in C on my own at this point

And Randem sorry I think I misconveyed my message to you, I realize it would take 2 seperate installations. VB unfortunately apparently has no way of creating a executable that requires no runtime files to be installed on the system in order to install the runtimes that the other executable would need. I'd have to do it through C++ or have someone do it for me. I was using the PDW purely because it was the only VB app that I knew of that I thought accomplished this task in VB only, but apparently I was wrong because their initial setup.exe is not VB.

Thanks for the reply's, if anyone feels like helping me on a simple app to copy and register a list of files and then shell out another file I'm open to the help!

[randem]

Use Inno Setup... No program coding involved. Just use the scripting language to do it. Really simple...

[StevenHickerson]

You still arn't understanding it Randem... I dont want a full setup file. I want a simple application to load without any setup crap.

You pop the cd in your computer it autoruns loads the dlls it needs and loads the GUI program for the CD, I dont want the user to have to install the GUI.

Now if inno setup has a way to do this without going through a full setup then yeah that could work but I was under the impression that it was just like any other installer and would run a full fledged installation.

[randem]

What do you think would be in the installation besides what you put in it???

If all you want to load are dll's and the GUI... Just load that.

You could even run it silently...

[StevenHickerson]

I got inno setup to do what I wanted it to do thanks for the suggestion Randem. I had just never used it and didnt realize I could do it where there would be no user interaction which is the main thing I was after. And it's even capable of running the exe file from the CD using the {src} constant... pretty nice. I'll prob use inno setup more often now, it was easier than using Wise to setup Windows Installer.

[randem]

Great!! A powerful yet simple tool...