How can I allow MSI features to be selected in a WiX burn bootstrapper?

Question

I have just started playing around with Burn to try and chain multiple MSI files. I am using WiX v3.6.2705.0.

The chaining is working but I'm now trying to get optional features to work. I was hoping that it would just be a case of setting EnableFeatureSelection to "yes" for my MsiPackage tags but it doesn't make any difference whether it is turned on or off.

Is there anything else that needs to be done to get optional features working or is this a known issue?

Thanks, Alan

Fractional

Answer 1

If you want to display the features in a UI for the user to select then there are two options:

1. Create a custom bootstrapper application using Burn to collect information from the user, and then pass that information to the msi when you launch it. Custom WiX Burn bootstrapper user interface? wix-burn-3-6-beta-custom-ui-examples

2. If you have authored a UI into your MSI and you want Burn to display that UI in addition to the Burn UI, then in your MsiPackage, set DisplayInternalUI="yes".

Prefix

Thanks for that Bryan. I'll need to study the source for the WiX installer itself as you suggest. The DisplayInternalUI flag looks interesting. – Fractional

What if the installation of MSI Y depends on the selection of a feature in the MSI X UI that is shown via DisplayInternalUI="yes"? How do you get that information out of MSI X to conditionally install MSI Y? – Sombrous

I don't think you can @KevinWong. I don't think you can pass that info from the installer back to the bootstrapper during install. I prefer the practice of having a single bootstrapper UI and then collect all the information needed from the user before installation. – Prefix

Incidentally, it seems you can't just port your MSI UI code to the Burn boostrapper, as it uses a different UI stack (https://mcmap.net/q/751103/-migrate-wix-ui-to-burn/…) – Sombrous

Answer 2

You ca use the MsiProperty element to populate the ADDLOCAL property with the features you want installed by default.

NOTE: MsiProperty ADDLOCAL - Removed in Wix 4, warning and ignored in Wix 3.11

Ian

Thanks. I was actually looking to allow the user to choose which features to use, rather than by default. Do you know if this is possible? – Fractional

Alan is right, but as I was actually looking for exactly this aspect, I would like to thank @ciprian for this answer! :-) – Pleopod