[Scribus] [Inkscape-devel] MSI Packages

[Craig Ringer]

Jon Phillips wrote:

> Hi tOnY, there is already a windows installer for Inkscape at least. I
> hope you can use that. It is NSIS-based, which is an open source
> installer. MSI is not an open source installer. Thus, you can see why we
> use NSIS, which many consider more effective...

I suspect the trouble is that MSI is automatically deployable and 
updatable across Active Directory networks, while other package formats 
are not.

It's possible to re-package apps into MSI format ones self if the 
original packager doesn't provide an MSI, but not everybody knows that 
or knows how to do it. It's also a lot more fuss.

Python is packaged as an MSI installer, as are a few other OSS apps. I'd 
be interested in knowing how they do it, actually, because Scribus could 
benefit from using the format eventually too.

This site has a whole bunch of info on Windows Installer and MSI:

http://www.appdeploy.com/techhomes/windowsinstaller.asp

Notably, WiX is listed under the "packaging tools" section, and it's OSS 
(CPL) .

Hope this is helpful.

--
Craig Ringer