Python’s msilib Module for Creating Microsoft Installer (.msi) Files

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This module allows you to create and manipulate MSI files using Python code.

MSI (Microsoft Installer) is a popular format used by Microsoft Windows to distribute and manage software installations. It’s an XML-based file format that can be easily customized, making it ideal for creating complex installation packages with multiple components and dependencies.

The `msilib` module provides a set of functions for working with MSI files in Python. You can use this module to create new MSI files from scratch or modify existing ones. Here’s an example that shows how you can install a simple application using the `msilib` module:

# Import necessary modules
import os
from msilib.schema import *

# Define the installation properties
productName = "My Application" # Name of the application
version = "1.0" # Version of the application
upgradeCode = "{A5E6D9F2-C7B4-438A-ABCD-EFGHIJKLMNOPQ}" # A unique GUID for the application
manufacturer = "Your Company Name" # Name of the company
description = "This is a simple Python application." # Description of the application
language = 1033 # English (US) language code

# Define the installation features and components
featureName = "My Application Feature" # Name of the feature
componentName = "My Application Component" # Name of the component
sourcePath = os.path.join("C:\\", "Program Files", productName, componentName + ".exe") # Path to the source file
destinationDir = os.path.join("C:\\", "Program Files", productName) # Destination directory for installation

# Create a new MSI file and add the installation properties
installation = Installation(id=upgradeCode) # Set the unique GUID for the application
installation.Product = Product()
installation.Product.Name = productName
installation.Product.Version = version
installation.Product.UpgradeCode = upgradeCode
installation.Product.Manufacturer = manufacturer
installation.Product.Description = description
installation.Product.Language = language

# Add the installation features and components to the MSI file
feature = Feature(id=upgradeCode + "_Feature") # Set a unique GUID for the feature
feature.Title = "My Application"
feature.Description = description
feature.ParentFeature = None
installation.Features.append(feature)

component = Component()
component.ComponentId = upgradeCode + "_" + componentName
component.KeyPath = "yes" # Set the key path for the application to ensure it's always installed on startup
component.Condition = "NOT (VersionNT >= 601 AND NOT VersionNT64)" # Exclude Windows Server 2008 R2 and later versions from installation
component.InstallCondition = "NOT (VersionNT >= 601 AND NOT VersionNT64)" # Same as above, but for uninstallation
component.Remove = "ALL" # Remove all files when the application is uninstalled
component.SourceName = componentName + ".exe"
component.SourcePath = sourcePath
component.DestinationDir = destinationDir
component.InstallExecuteSequence = 1001 # Set the installation sequence for the component
feature.Components.append(component)

# Save the MSI file to disk and run it using msiexec.exe
outputFile = "my-application.msi"
with open(outputFile, 'wb') as f:
    msi = MSI()
    msi.saveFeaturesAndComponentsToStream(f)
    
    # Run the installation package using msiexec.exe
    import subprocess
    subprocess.run(['msiexec', '/i', outputFile])

In this example, we’re creating a new MSI file with an ID of `{A5E6D9F2-C7B4-438A-ABCD-EFGHIJKLMNOPQ}` and setting the installation properties such as product name, version, upgrade code, manufacturer, description, language. We’re also defining a feature called “My Application Feature” with a component called “My Application Component”. The source path for this component is `C:\Program Files\my-application\my-application.exe`, and the destination directory is `C:\Program Files\my-application`.

After creating the MSI file, we’re saving it to disk using Python’s built-in `open()` function and then running it using msiexec.exe with subprocess.run(). This will install our application on Windows machines that meet the installation requirements specified in the component’s condition attribute.

The `msilib` module is a powerful tool for creating MSI files, but it can be complex to use at first. If you need help getting started or have any questions about how to customize your installation packages, there are plenty of resources available online that can guide you through the process.

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