Silent install problems with vcredist

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ljoets
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Joined: Mon May 11, 2015 7:09 pm

Silent install problems with vcredist

Post by ljoets »

Hello,

I need to deploy FreeCAD 0.16 via wpkg on x86 and x64 windows clients.

First question : x86 version seems to include 2008 Visual C++, and x64 include 2013 Visual C++. Why ?

My problem : I can do a silent install of FreeCAD with /S switch, but the included vcredist install is not silent if a previous version is installed on the client. It shows a window to choose repair/remove buttons.

I tested to pre-install the needed vcredist version with /install /silent switches, it's working completely silent, but the following FreeCAD silent install still ask the repair/remove choice.

How can I have a complete silent install in this case ?

Thanks
wmayer
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Re: Silent install problems with vcredist

Post by wmayer »

First question : x86 version seems to include 2008 Visual C++, and x64 include 2013 Visual C++. Why ?
Because on systems where the runtime dlls are not installed the vcredist does this automatically. If we leave out the vcredist completely a FreeCAD installation may not work and an average user won't know how to fix it.
My problem : I can do a silent install of FreeCAD with /S switch, but the included vcredist install is not silent if a previous version is installed on the client. It shows a window to choose repair/remove buttons.
When I tested an installer a few weeks ago I also saw the vcredist installer but it was only flashing without popping up a dialog. I don't know if there is also a way to make the vcredist completely silent.

In case vcredist doesn't support a silent mode we can just skip its installation when the FreeCAD installer is running in silent mode. In this case it's up to the user then to check if vcredist must be manually installed, too.
ljoets
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon May 11, 2015 7:09 pm

Re: Silent install problems with vcredist

Post by ljoets »

My problem : I can do a silent install of FreeCAD with /S switch, but the included vcredist install is not silent if a previous version is installed on the client. It shows a window to choose repair/remove buttons.
When I tested an installer a few weeks ago I also saw the vcredist installer but it was only flashing without popping up a dialog. I don't know if there is also a way to make the vcredist completely silent.
I think it is possible.
I tested with /install /silent and it worked.
I founded too /q or /quiet /norestart
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Fo ... ?forum=mdt
/? shows the correct parameters.
In case vcredist doesn't support a silent mode we can just skip its installation when the FreeCAD installer is running in silent mode. In this case it's up to the user then to check if vcredist must be manually installed, too.
Why not, it could be a solution, but whitch vcredist version should we install ?
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sgrogan
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Re: Silent install problems with vcredist

Post by sgrogan »

ljoets wrote: Why not, it could be a solution, but whitch vcredist version should we install ?
Releated to this I guess. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15645&start=10#p125002
Is this problem only with the x86 version or both?
x86 was compiled with VS2008 to support XP for as long as possible, x64 was compiled with VS2013.
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ljoets
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Re: Silent install problems with vcredist

Post by ljoets »

sgrogan wrote: Is this problem only with the x86 version or both?
x86 was compiled with VS2008 to support XP for as long as possible, x64 was compiled with VS2013.
The problem appears with x86 ans x64 versions.
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sgrogan
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Re: Silent install problems with vcredist

Post by sgrogan »

"fight the good fight"
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sgrogan
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Re: Silent install problems with vcredist

Post by sgrogan »

ljoets wrote: The problem appears with x86 ans x64 versions.
I have created new installers for the recent backport fix 0.16.6704
https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD/releases/tag/0.16
https://sourceforge.net/projects/free-c ... AD%200.16/
They should install the appropriate VS redistributable silently now.
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ljoets
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Re: Silent install problems with vcredist

Post by ljoets »

Great thanks, it seems to work, but...

- On the download page, x86 filename uses an upper "I" for "Installer", and x64 filename uses a dot between "FreeCAD" and "0.16" So it is difficult to write a generic wpkg xml for both of architectures. In the future, could it be possible to correct these details ? But it's now ok for this version ;-)

- Uninstalling FreeCAD seems to not uninstall vcredist. Is it possible to include vcredit uninstall in FreeCAD uninstall ?

Thanks ;-)
wmayer
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Re: Silent install problems with vcredist

Post by wmayer »

- Uninstalling FreeCAD seems to not uninstall vcredist. Is it possible to include vcredit uninstall in FreeCAD uninstall ?
Wouldn't this be evil? Just imagine you have installed another application before or after FreeCAD that needs exactly the same vcredist version. If the uninstallation of FreeCAD removed it too then the other application suddenly won't run any more.
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sgrogan
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Re: Silent install problems with vcredist

Post by sgrogan »

ljoets wrote:- On the download page, x86 filename uses an upper "I" for "Installer", and x64 filename uses a dot between "FreeCAD" and "0.16" So it is difficult to write a generic wpkg xml for both of architectures. In the future, could it be possible to correct these details ? But it's now ok for this version ;-)
Sure it's a by product of the different versions using a different compiler. Not fundamentally, just my build process :?
wmayer wrote:
- Uninstalling FreeCAD seems to not uninstall vcredist. Is it possible to include vcredit uninstall in FreeCAD uninstall ?
Wouldn't this be evil? Just imagine you have installed another application before or after FreeCAD that needs exactly the same vcredist version. If the uninstallation of FreeCAD removed it too then the other application suddenly won't run any more.
Maybe we could add a command line only switch? Presumably sys admins would be using this, and they would know what they are doing?
I've seen issue 2516 as well. I think we could check if the redist is installed and not run the redist.exe. I'm personally against being online for an install a requirement, so what's the point?
@mayer, you can assign this issue to me but I'd like your opinion on what the compromise solution might be.
Maybe we offer a .7z of the release, then anyone can do anything they want, FreeCAD on Win is portable. And offer an installer for the typical Windows user that just wants to double click and be done with it?
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