Building An Installer

[Jishaxe]

I'm planning on building an installer on Lazarus, but I need some background info on installers that isn't in Google.

• When I download something official from the internet, it comes with a setup. But it's just one program, (setup.exe), and then magicly it places all these files on my computer.
• How does it do this? Does it download the files from the Internet, or actually builds the files at runtime?

Thanks in advance.
-Josh

[stonefull]

Inno Setup is a open source installer for Windows.

http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php

[Fred vS]

Hello
And for Linux, Mac and Windows :
http://www.installjammer.com/

[OpenLieroXor]

I think that he's asking not for a ready-made installer, but for information how to code a installer in his own. Joshuzzz, am I right? So, the executable installer contains all application files in its resources (on Lazarus you can use normal windows resources or dedicated Lazarus Resources, which are cross-platform). When the installer is executed, these files are extracted from the .exe and copied into real directories on hard disk, so the application is able to run. The installer can also do other things (i.e. setting up registry variables) needed by installed application. In addition, good installer should check if it's not damaged (i.e. by calculating and comparing a checksum).

//edit: Of course if you just need to do a setup program for your application, you can use ready-made installer.

[Jishaxe]

I think that he's asking not for a ready-made installer, but for information how to code a installer in his own. Joshuzzz, am I right?

Haha, I was just about to say that, OpenLieroXor.
You are right.
Thank you very much for your help.

[typo]

Inno Setup source code can be a good starting point.

http://delphi.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=delphi&cdn=compute&tm=7&f=00&su=p284.9.336.ip_p504.1.336.ip_&tt=29&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.jordanr.dhs.org/isinfo.php