How can I make a setup of my application that installs PostgreSQL if it is not installed?
I've made a setup with SQLServer pre-requisite. It was easy, because i used Setup Project of VS2008.

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Get a life. Go party!

Hi JobaDiniz,

Since PostgreSQL is not Microsoft product, it is not clear to us the installation process. VS2008 doesn't built-in support to install it as prerequisites. But you can give BMG a try. Here is the sample of BMG.
http://www.codeproject.com/KB/aspnet/Add_Custom_Prerequisite.aspx

BMG(Bootstrapper Manifest Generator) is a tool let you create your own prerequisite. After you follow the step to create a custom prerequisite, you can open VS to see it. It is list under prerequisite selection Window.

If you have any problem in doing this, please feel free to update this thread. We as well as other members can learn from it.

Sincerely,
Kira Qian

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Hi JobaDiniz,

After you create your own prerequisite, can you find it under following path?
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v6.0A\Bootstrapper\Packages

If you can find it, please try to reboot VS to see if it appear. Or you can try to reboot your computer. I have once met the same situation as yours, it appear at last after I reboot my computer.

If you cannot find it, may be the step you have taken is not totally correct. If you use Vista/Win2008/Win7, you need to run BMG as administrator in order to have permission to write system partition.

If you still have any question, please feel free to follow the thread.

Sincerely,
Kira Qian

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Please mark the replies as answers if they help and unmark if they don't.

Hi JobaDiniz,

Since PostgreSQL is not Microsoft product, it is not clear to us the installation process. VS2008 doesn't built-in support to install it as prerequisites. But you can give BMG a try. Here is the sample of BMG.
http://www.codeproject.com/KB/aspnet/Add_Custom_Prerequisite.aspx

BMG(Bootstrapper Manifest Generator) is a tool let you create your own prerequisite. After you follow the step to create a custom prerequisite, you can open VS to see it. It is list under prerequisite selection Window.

If you have any problem in doing this, please feel free to update this thread. We as well as other members can learn from it.

Sincerely,
Kira Qian

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Please mark the replies as answers if they help and unmark if they don't.

In this project, it only teaches you how to add your own prerequisite, but how could I do the prerequisite?
I mean, how do I check if the Postgre is installed? And how do I install the Postgre if it is not installed? Do I have to use class ProcessInfo and Process to run the line command?


These are just some question I have regarding how do I actually do that.

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Get a life. Go party!

Anybody can help with that?

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Get a life. Go party!

Hi JobaDiniz,

Once you create your own prerequisite, it will be listed in VS prerequisites window. Check it as prerequisite and build your package. You do not need to check if it is installed by yourself. Bootstrapper will do the work for you. So when your user click setup.exe to install the application, it will check user's computer for the PostgreSQL, if not exist, it will be installed, then go on to install your application.

I recommend you select "Download prerequisites from the same location as my application" radiobutton since PostgreSQL is your own prerequisite.

Please try the above solution and tell me if you have any problem.

Sincerely,
Kira Qian

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I understood.
However, I followed that tutorial to add your own prerequisite, and it seemed easy, but it didnt work.

I chose the PostgreSQL's .exe and built it as the tutorial said, but when I created a new Setup Project in VS, this new prerequisite didnt appeared on the list.

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Get a life. Go party!

Hi JobaDiniz,

After you create your own prerequisite, can you find it under following path?
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v6.0A\Bootstrapper\Packages

If you can find it, please try to reboot VS to see if it appear. Or you can try to reboot your computer. I have once met the same situation as yours, it appear at last after I reboot my computer.

If you cannot find it, may be the step you have taken is not totally correct. If you use Vista/Win2008/Win7, you need to run BMG as administrator in order to have permission to write system partition.

If you still have any question, please feel free to follow the thread.

Sincerely,
Kira Qian

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No. It saves in another path.
But thanks, I'll just change the folder location.

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Get a life. Go party!

Please inform me the result. Either solve it or not.

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It successfully worked. Nevertheless, it is possible to install PostgreSQL with my parameters? I mean, I want to set the password and not allow the user do that.
Is is possible?

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Get a life. Go party!

Hi JobaDiniz,

I think it won't. Bootstrapper will do the work to check the prerequisite and install it. It doesn't know what kind of prerequisite and its installation step. And also I don't know anything about PostgreSQL since it is not MSFT's product. If you have any question about its installation, please contact its company for detail support.

Sincerely,
Kira Qian

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Okay.
So, is it very difficult to make a custom action that installs Postgre by command line?
I read that I can make a class that inherits from Installer, but I have some concerns about it:

1) I'm not quite sure how to call this class when the installation starts.
2) How do I actually put that file class into the Setup Project.
3) Into this class, after I install the Postgre, I must restore the database. For that, I made a backup of my database into a file named "database.backup". So, I'd add that file into the Setup Project's Application Folder. But how would I mention this file in the class? I mean, how would I get the path of this file to use it to restore the database?

Thanks so far.

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Get a life. Go party!

Hi JobaDiniz,

Custom action cannot install PostgreSQL for you. You cannot start another MSI from an MSI. So please use bootstrapper.

Sincerely,
Kira Qian

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Oh...that's bad. Unfortunately I cannot install my application allowing the user pass the parameters of Postgre's installation such as password.

Well, my last call is to at the first time the app is started, I install the Postgre, restore the database and restart the app.
I have a pretty good idea in how to do that.


Thanks anyways.

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Get a life. Go party!