Hi
I decided to try to build a cabal -> wix converter, cabal2wix, to make it easier to generate Windows installers for cabal-packages. My main target is ghc-compiled libraries. There are few issues I've ran into and I'd appreciate any comments on them.
I found wix annoying, and chose to use InnoSetup instead, following on from Duncan's use of it in Gtk2hs. Inno can't do .msi's.
I'll try to publish the darcs repo somewhere if there's interest.
If there was some way to get Hugs and GHC installers out of it, possibly with a fake cabal file or something, that would be lovely! Perhaps a System.Installer.Wix library that all could use?
Cabal puts (at least) docs under Program Files\Common Files - this separates docs from other parts of the program by logical placing, which is pretty annoying if you need to offer way to relocate installation (say to user's home directory). I am considering moving docs next to library files in installers cabal2wix generates.
I would very much like it if runhaskell Setup install, and running your installer generator did the same thing.
I'd like not to use all possible directory flags at configure time, because it is impossible to know how different packages react to them. (currently cabal2wix assumes no directories were changed.)
I think you can currently assume no Windows user has ever successfully used them!
Issue 4: There is no proper registry keys for finding compiler installation. Neil's installer adds HKCU\Software\Haskell\GHC\InstallDir. I'd much prefer if the registry key path contained ghc version in it, and HKLM might be preferable on some multi-user machines.
I copied what the previous installer had, and we only no what the previous installer had because Duncan was relying on it for Gtk2hs (the previous installer is closed source). Make a concrete suggestion, file it as a GHC bug and I'm sure it can be done/
My tentative proposal: Use HKLM if "all users" install, HKCU otherwise. Use \Software\Haskell\COMPILER\VERSION\InstallDir for storing path to base location of installed compiler. (i.e. it shouldn't point to bin-directory.)
Agreed.
Small issues: * License file is not installed.
On Windows, I doubt anyone cares :-) Thanks for doing this, it has been something I've been meaning to get to for ages. Thanks Neil