Question

I have been evaluating the wide range of installation and web deployment solutions available for Windows applications. I will just clarify here (without too much detail, these tools have been covered in other questions) my understanding of the options:

• NSIS – Free tool that generates setup executables. Small binary. Specialized, sometimes obtuse, scripting language.
• Inno Setup – Free tools for setup executables. Various binary compression schemes. Pascal scripting engine.
• WIX – Free toolset to generate MSI binaries. XML definitions language.
• WIX ClickThrough – Additional tools for packaging, web download and auto update detection (now part of WIX core).
• InstallShield – Commercial development environment for installation packaging. Generates MSI binaries. C-like InstallScript language.
• Wise – Commercial development environment for installation packaging. Generates MSI binaries.
• ClickOnce – Visual Studio supported framework for publishing applications to a webserver, with automatic detection of updates. No support for custom installation requirements (INI files, registry etc …). Packages setup as an MSI binary.
• Install Aware – Commercial development environment for installation. Generates MSI binaries. Automatic Update framework (Web Update).

If I have missed any, please let me know.

And found some useful discussions of these technologies on StackOverflow:

• Best Simple Install System
• Best choice for Windows installers
• Alternatives to ClickOnce

I have worked with a few of these solutions, as well as a handful of proprietary internal installation solutions. They are mostly concerned with packing installations and providing a framework for developers to access the run time environment. With the growing requirement for web deployment and automatic software updates, I expected to find more of a consensus among developers on a framework for web delivery of software and subsequent updates, I haven’t really found that consensus. There are certainly solutions available (ClickOnce, ClickThrough, InstallShield Update Service), but they each have considerable limitations (please correct me if I mis-represent any of these). I would be interested in a framework that provided some of the following:

• Third party hosting/management of updates.
• Access to client environment (INI files, registry, etc..).
• User registration/activation.
• Feedback/Error reporting

This is leaving me with the strong impression that the best way to approach the web deployment problem is through a custom built proprietary solution (possibly leveraging existing installer packaging). I have seen this sort of solution work well for a number of successful applications:

• FileZilla – HTTP request to update.filezilla-project.org to check for updates, downloads an NSIS binary (I think) and then shuts down to run the install.
• Automatic updates for Massively Multiplayer games are entirely necessary and universally implemented using proprietary systems.

So, at last, to my questions:

• Have I missed a web deployment framework that will provide the functionality I need?
• Are my requirements too specific to reasonably expect a third party framework to deliver?
• Should I buy or build?

Answer 1

• If your specific requirements are core to your business; ie part of your business is to provide a smooth and user-friendly deployment/installation and you feel that none of the available deployment libraries can let you achieve this, then certainly go ahead and build your own.
• If your specific requirements would be nice to have but they do not make a significant part of your business; ie the end user will not typically be expecting or needing a smooth installation procedure, or will never need to do that themselves (ie they pass that step onto their IT department), then the need to build your own just for your own specific requirements is likely to be outweighed by the extra effort that would involve.

I think that your impression that you will be needing a custom solution is a sound one; it seems like your requirements are going to be key to the experience of your product, especially if you need really smooth automatic updates and feedback.