Can't get Wix custom action to work in Votive/VS2010

Question

Help! I need to execute a managed custom action in my Wix 3.5 setup project and no matter what I've tried I can't get it to work.

I'm using the Votive integration in Visual Studio 2010. My Wix Product.wxs file is basically unchanged from the visual studio template except a few text changes:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
<Product Id="666ffc07-90b2-4608-a9f0-a0cc879f2ad0" Name="Product Name" Language="1033" Version="5.5.0002" Manufacturer="TiGra Astronomy" UpgradeCode="d17a5991-b404-4095-9e93-08d2db984cfd">
    <Package InstallerVersion="200" Compressed="yes" />

    <Media Id="1" Cabinet="media1.cab" EmbedCab="yes" />

    <Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
        <Directory Id="ProgramFilesFolder">
            <Directory Id="INSTALLLOCATION" Name="Directory Name">
                <!-- TODO: Remove the comments around this Component element and the ComponentRef below in order to add resources to this installer. -->
                <!-- <Component Id="ProductComponent" Guid="3ea5ade7-9b7b-40da-9e83-13e066a000ef"> -->
                    <!-- TODO: Insert files, registry keys, and other resources here. -->
                <!-- </Component> -->
            </Directory>
        </Directory>
    </Directory>

    <Feature Id="ProductFeature" Title="ASCOM Driver" Level="1">
        <!-- TODO: Remove the comments around this ComponentRef element and the Component above in order to add resources to this installer. -->
        <!-- <ComponentRef Id="ProductComponent" /> -->

        <!-- Note: The following ComponentGroupRef is required to pull in generated authoring from project references. -->
        <ComponentGroupRef Id="Product.Generated" />
    </Feature>
</Product>

I have set a reference to my managed custom action project, set the HARVEST property to true. The project is called WIX.CustomActions and produces WIX.CustomActions.dll and WIX.CustomActions.CA.dll

I see that Wix is processing the reference during build and the WIX.CustomActions.dll assembly shows up in the Binary table in the final setup project, but the WIX.CustomActions.CA.dll does not.

I have a CustomActions.wxs that should package and invoke the custom action:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
    <Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
  <Fragment>
    <Binary Id="DriverRegistrationCA" SourceFile="$(var.WIX.CustomActions.TargetDir)\$(var.WIX.CustomActions.TargetName).CA.dll" />
    <CustomAction Id="RegisterDriver" BinaryKey="DriverRegistrationCA" DllEntry="RegisterAscomDriver" Execute="deferred" Return="check" />
    <CustomAction Id="UnregisterDriver" BinaryKey="DriverRegistrationCA" DllEntry="UnregisterAscomDriver" Execute="immediate" Return="check" />
    <InstallExecuteSequence>
      <Custom Action="RegisterDriver" After="InstallFinalize" />
      <Custom Action="UnregisterDriver" Before="RemoveFiles" />
    </InstallExecuteSequence>
  </Fragment>
</Wix>

I've looked at various 'howto' sources on the interweb and they are at best confusing, with contradictory advice. As I understand it, the WIX.CustomActions.CA.dll file is an unmanaged dll that loads the .NET framework and passes control to the 'real' managed custom action. However, the WIX.CustomActions.CA.dll does not get packaged in my MSI file. I've followed examples as best I can but I can't see what's wrong.

Please, has anyone got this working in Votive? Can you give me an actual working example?

Answer 1

You need a reference (e.g., CustomActionRef) from your product to the fragment; otherwise, it's discarded by the smart linker.