when setup isn't just xcopy
Rob Mensching on Software Installation and Open Source at Microsoft.
Windows Installer XML as a Domain Specific Language.
Gareth Jones, who is obviously a DSL aficionado, makes a couple interesting points in his two recent...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 12/06/2005
Core WiX toolset v2 shipped in a Microsoft product...
I had many goals for the WiX toolset since its inception six years ago. Obviously, being released as...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 12/05/2005
The WiX toolset meets the MSI 4.0 feature set.
Today the Windows Installer PM team met with a few members of the WiX Virtual Team to talk about the...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 11/30/2005
ClickThrough - simple MSI creation plus auto-update over RSS.
I have wanted to talk about ClickThrough for many months. Finally, enough of the prototype came...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 11/08/2005
Seattle MindCamp, I'll be there. Will you?
Tonight Reid and I went out to our favorite Chinese Restaurant near Microsoft, Sichuanese Cuisine...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 11/04/2005
Frustration with Process, Progress, and Context Switch Costs.
Okay, lunch is done so now I'm going to write my second post of the day before going out to play...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 10/15/2005
WiX Web Site
I'm behind on blogging but wanted to be one of the first to point out that the WiX toolset has a...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 09/30/2005
WiX Toolset PDC "Birds Of A Feather" - Tonight 9:00 PM - Fundamentals Lounge "Big Room"
There have been a number of people that have expressed interest in the WiX toolset the last few days...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 09/15/2005
Setup Developer Survey
It is strange how information flows sometimes. An email with a link to Aaron Stebner's blog about...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 08/27/2005
Linuxworld 2005 Pictures, Microsoft in costume and Linux under commercialization.
A number of people asked for pictures of me at the Linuxworld 2005 Golden Penguin Bowl. Well, a...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 08/15/2005
Linuxworld 2005, 10:15 AM - 11:30 AM, RPM Package Management.
[continued from previous blog entry] Okay, I found a free wireless base station. It is down at the...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 08/10/2005
Deciphering the MSI Directory table, part 4
I am seriously fried. This week starts with a ramp up to an executive review and ends with a major...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 07/12/2005
Deciphering the MSI Directory table, part 3
Last time I spent most of the time talking about the IDT file structure and a little bit of time...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 07/05/2005
Deciphering the MSI Directory table, part 2.
Last time I left off with a quick story about how I first got started with the Directory table as an...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 06/28/2005
Deciphering the MSI Directory table, part 1.
It's been about a month and a half since I've had the mental wherewithal to sit down and blog about...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 06/21/2005
Interview with JDN|developer about the WiX toolset (and thus Open Source at Microsoft).
I thought the one year anniversary of the WiX toolset's release was going to go by quietly. Well,...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 04/25/2005
Writing + speaking + imagery + music creates a dark but fascinating fictitious future.
I've always been impressed by people that can take words, images, and sound and mix them together to...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 04/24/2005
Where's the setup?
I know a lot of you follow this blog because I talk about setup and I know that I haven't been...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 04/17/2005
WiX Open for One Year
Today is the one year anniversary of the WiX toolset being released as Open Source to SourceForge....
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 04/06/2005
Disclaimer
These postings are provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. The content of this...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 04/03/2005
WiX on Slashdot, why is OSS@MS part of Shared Source?
It doesn't surprise me that Stephen's article "Perspectives on the Shared Source Initiative" was...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 03/28/2005
Stephen Walli on the inside from the outside
When Stephen Walli left Microsoft a few months ago I wasn't sure what I was going to do. Stephen was...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 03/24/2005
new blogging process enables new blogging approach
When I get tired, either mentally or physically, my typing degrades quickly. In particular I find...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 03/22/2005
Jason Matusow starts his blog.
A while ago Robert Scoble "called out" Martin Taylor and Jason Matusow. Now, I've only spoke with...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 03/09/2005
On the topic of MSI validation tools and thick skin.
The short blog entry I made last night about the MSN Toolbar Suite Beta setup needing validation is...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 12/16/2004
MSN Toolbar Suite Beta setup built by the WiX toolset.
Since it appears lots of other people are talking about the beta of the MSN Toolbar Suite (Scoble is...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 12/14/2004
Why does changing the name of your MSI file require a Major Upgrade?
I skipped out on blogging this last Monday night to chill out with Jenny and watch some Firefly....
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 12/08/2004
Creating localized MSI files using WiX toolset and .wxl files.
Tonight we pick up where I left off last week and continue with the topic of localizing your MSI...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 11/30/2004
"Where's the Localization?" or "Why is Rob always behind on his blog?"
In the Windows Installer chat two weeks ago, I promised I'd get a blog entry written up about...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 11/20/2004
Windows Installer 3.0 Redistributable Live
I was just notified that the Windows Installer 3.0 redistributable has been posted live. 1. The...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 11/08/2004
Moving on down.
At the beginning of March of 2003, near the end of shipping Microsoft Office System 2003, I moved...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 10/15/2004
MySQL 4.1 setup built with the WiX toolset.
I was just sent this link to an article about the new features in MySQL 4.1. To quote the part of...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 09/30/2004
FlexWiki has released as Open Source on SourceForge.net
It was about five months ago that David Ornstein scheduled a meeting with Stephen Walli and I to...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 09/28/2004
More on Open Source at Microsoft via Josh Ledgard's blog.
I know this is old news now but Josh Ledgard made waves in the Open Source community a while ago...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 09/26/2004
Update on the status of the Office Local Installation Source.
A while ago I asked for help tracking down what appeared to be a bug in Microsoft Office System...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 09/24/2004
A live one hour Windows Installer XML introduction by Rob Mensching.
A few months ago Carolyn and Om (Dev and PM on the Windows Installer team respectively) invited me...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 09/23/2004
Syntax highlighting and IntelliSense for WiX in Visual Studio.
I'm flying out to Italy in the morning but before I go to finish packing I wanted to quickly point...
Author: Rob Mensching (ex-MSFT) Date: 09/10/2004