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diff --git a/Tools/msi/README.txt b/Tools/msi/README.txt index dc4ae90cf2..1e41cc1f6c 100644 --- a/Tools/msi/README.txt +++ b/Tools/msi/README.txt @@ -1,25 +1,488 @@ -Packaging Python as a Microsoft Installer Package (MSI) -======================================================= - -Using this library, Python can be packaged as a MS-Windows -MSI file. To generate an installer package, you need -a build tree. By default, the build tree root directory -is assumed to be in "../..". This location can be changed -by adding a file config.py; see the beginning of msi.py -for additional customization options. - -The packaging process assumes that binaries have been -generated according to the instructions in PCBuild/README.txt, -and that you have either Visual Studio or the Platform SDK -installed. In addition, you need the Python COM extensions, -either from PythonWin, or from ActivePython. - -To invoke the script, open a cmd.exe window which has -cabarc.exe in its PATH (e.g. "Visual Studio .NET 2003 -Command Prompt"). Then invoke - -<path-to-python.exe> msi.py - -If everything succeeds, pythonX.Y.Z.msi is generated -in the current directory. +Quick Build Info +================ + +For testing, the installer should be built with the Tools/msi/build.bat +script: + + build.bat [-x86] [-x64] [--doc] + +For an official release, the installer should be built with the +Tools/msi/buildrelease.bat script and environment variables: + + set PYTHON=<path to Python 2.7> + set SPHINXBUILD=<path to sphinx-build.exe> + set PATH=<path to Mercurial (hg.exe)>; + <path to HTML Help Compiler (hhc.exe)>;%PATH% + + buildrelease.bat [-x86] [-x64] [-D] [-B] + [-o <output directory>] [-c <certificate name>] + +See the Building the Installer section for more information. + +Overview +======== + +Python is distributed on Windows as an installer that will configure the +user's system. This allows users to have a functioning copy of Python +without having to build it themselves. + +The main tasks of the installer are: + +* copy required files into the expected layout +* configure system settings so the installation can be located by + other programs +* add entry points for modifying, repairing and uninstalling Python +* make it easy to launch Python, its documentation, and IDLE + +Each of these is discussed in a later section of this document. + +Structure of the Installer +========================== + +The installer is structured as a 'layout', which consists of a number of +CAB and MSI files and a single EXE. + +The EXE is the main entry point into the installer. It contains the UI +and command-line logic, as well as the ability to locate and optionally +download other parts of the layout. + +Each MSI contains the logic required to install a component or feature +of Python. These MSIs should not be launched directly by users. MSIs can +be embedded into the EXE or automatically downloaded as needed. + +Each CAB contains the files making up a Python installation. CABs are +embedded into their associated MSI and are never seen by users. + +MSIs are only required when the related feature or component is being +installed. When components are not selected for installation, the +associated MSI is not downloaded. This allows the installer to offer +options to install debugging symbols and binaries without increasing +the initial download size by separating them into their own MSIs. + +Building the Installer +====================== + +For testing, the installer should be built with the Tools/msi/build.bat +script: + + build.bat [-x86] [-x64] [--doc] + +This script will build the required configurations of Python and +generate an installer layout in PCBuild/(win32|amd64)/en-us. + +Specify -x86 and/or -x64 to build for each platform. If neither is +specified, both platforms will be built. Currently, both the debug and +release versions of Python are required for the installer. + +Specify --doc to build the documentation (.chm) file. If the file is not +available, it will simply be excluded from the installer. Ensure +%PYTHON% and %SPHINXBUILD% are set when passing this option. You may +also set %HTMLHELP% to the Html Help Compiler (hhc.exe), or put HHC on +your PATH or in externals/. + +If WiX is not found on your system, it will be automatically downloaded +and extracted to the externals/ directory. + + +For an official release, the installer should be built with the +Tools/msi/buildrelease.bat script: + + set PYTHON=<path to Python 2.7> + set SPHINXBUILD=<path to sphinx-build.exe> + set PATH=<path to Mercurial (hg.exe)>; + <path to HTML Help Compiler (hhc.exe)>;%PATH% + + buildrelease.bat [-x86] [-x64] [-D] [-B] + [-o <output directory>] [-c <certificate name>] + +Specify -x86 and/or -x64 to build for each platform. If neither is +specified, both platforms will be built. Currently, both the debug and +release versions of Python are required for the installer. + +Specify -D to skip rebuilding the documentation. The documentation is +required for a release and the build will fail if it is not available. + +Specify -B to skip rebuilding Python. This is useful to only rebuild the +installer layout after a previous call to buildrelease.bat. + +Specify -o to set an output directory. The installer layouts will be +copied to platform-specific subdirectories of this path. + +Specify -c to choose a code-signing certificate to be used for all the +signable binaries in Python as well as each file making up the +installer. Official releases of Python must be signed. + +Ensure %PYTHON% and %SPHINXBUILD% are set when passing this option. You +may also set %HTMLHELP% to the Html Help Compiler (hhc.exe), or put HHC +on your PATH or in externals/. You will also need Mercurial (hg.exe) on +your PATH. + +If WiX is not found on your system, it will be automatically downloaded +and extracted to the externals/ directory. + +To manually build layouts of the installer, build one of the projects in +the bundle folder. + + msbuild bundle\snapshot.wixproj + msbuild bundle\releaseweb.wixproj + msbuild bundle\releaselocal.wixproj + msbuild bundle\full.wixproj + +snapshot.wixproj produces a test installer versioned based on the date. + +releaseweb.wixproj produces a release installer that does not embed any +of the layout. + +releaselocal.wixproj produces a release installer that embeds the files +required for a default installation. + +full.wixproj produces a test installer that embeds the entire layout. + +The following properties may be passed when building these projects. + + /p:BuildForRelease=(true|false) + When true, adds extra verification to ensure a complete installer is + produced. For example, binutils is required when building for a release + to generate MinGW-compatible libraries, and the build will be aborted if + this fails. Defaults to false. + + /p:ReleaseUri=(any URI) + Used to generate unique IDs for the installers to allow side-by-side + installation. Forks of Python can use the same installer infrastructure + by providing a unique URI for this property. It does not need to be an + active internet address. Defaults to $(ComputerName). + + Official releases use http://www.python.org/(architecture name) + + /p:DownloadUrlBase=(any URI) + Specifies the base of a URL where missing parts of the installer layout + can be downloaded from. The build version and architecture will be + appended to create the full address. If omitted, missing components will + not be automatically downloaded. + + /p:DownloadUrl=(any URI) + Specifies the full URL where missing parts of the installer layout can + be downloaded from. Should normally include '{2}', which will be + substituted for the filename. If omitted, missing components will not be + automatically downloaded. If specified, this value overrides + DownloadUrlBase. + + /p:SigningCertificate=(certificate name) + Specifies the certificate to sign the installer layout with. If omitted, + the layout will not be signed. + + /p:RebuildAll=(true|false) + When true, rebuilds all of the MSIs making up the layout. Defaults to + true. + +Modifying the Installer +======================= + +The code for the installer is divided into three main groups: packages, +the bundle and the bootstrap application. + +Packages +-------- + +Packages appear as subdirectories of Tools/msi (other than the bundle/ +directory). The project file is a .wixproj and the build output is a +single MSI. Packages are built with the WiX Toolset. Some project files +share source files and use preprocessor directives to enable particular +features. These are typically used to keep the sources close when the +files are related, but produce multiple independent packages. + +A package is the smallest element that may be independently installed or +uninstalled (as used in this installer). For example, the test suite has +its own package, as users can choose to add or remove it after the +initial installation. + +All the files installed by a single package should be related, though +some packages may not install any files. For example, the pip package +executes the ensurepip package, but does not add or remove any of its +own files. (It is represented as a package because of its +installed/uninstalled nature, as opposed to the "precompile standard +library" option, for example.) Dependencies between packages are handled +by the bundle, but packages should detect when dependencies are missing +and raise an error. + +Packages that include a lot of files may use an InstallFiles element in +the .wixproj file to generate sources. See lib/lib.wixproj for an +example, and msi.targets and csv_to_wxs.py for the implementation. This +element is also responsible for generating the code for cleaning up and +removing __pycache__ folders in any directory containing .py files. + +All packages are built with the Tools/msi/common.wxs file, and so any +directory or property in this file may be referenced. Of particular +interest: + + REGISTRYKEY (property) + The registry key for the current installation. + + InstallDirectory (directory) + The root install directory for the current installation. Subdirectories + are also specified in this file (DLLs, Lib, etc.) + + MenuDir (directory) + The Start Menu folder for the current installation. + + UpgradeTable (property) + Every package should reference this property to include upgrade + information. + +The .wxl_template file is specially handled by the build system for this +project to perform {{substitutions}} as defined in msi.targets. They +should be included in projects as <WxlTemplate> items, where .wxl files +are normally included as <EmbeddedResource> items. + +Bundle +------ + +The bundle is compiled to the main EXE entry point that for most users +will represent the Python installer. It is built from Tools/msi/bundle +with packages references in Tools/msi/bundle/packagegroups. + +Build logic for the bundle is in bundle.targets, but should be invoked +through one of the .wixproj files as described in Building the +Installer. + +The UI is separated between Default.thm (UI layout), Default.wxl +(strings), bundle.wxs (properties) and the bootstrap application. +Bundle.wxs also contains the chain, which is the list of packages to +install and the order they should be installed in. These refer to named +package groups in bundle/packagegroups. + +Each package group specifies one or more packages to install. Most +packages require two separate entries to support both per-user and +all-users installations. Because these reuse the same package, it does +not increase the overall size of the package. + +Package groups refer to payload groups, which allow better control over +embedding and downloading files than the default settings. Whether files +are embedded and where they are downloaded from depends on settings +created by the project files. + +Package references can include install conditions that determine when to +install the package. When a package is a dependency for others, the +condition should be crafted to ensure it is installed. + +MSI packages are installed or uninstalled based on their current state +and the install condition. This makes them most suitable for features +that are clearly present or absent from the user's machine. + +EXE packages are executed based on a customisable condition that can be +omitted. This makes them suitable for pre- or post-install tasks that +need to run regardless of whether features have been added or removed. + +Bootstrap Application +--------------------- + +The bootstrap application is a C++ application that controls the UI and +installation. While it does not directly compile into the main EXE of +the installer, it forms the main active component. Most of the +installation functionality is provided by WiX, and so the bootstrap +application is predominantly responsible for the code behind the UI that +is defined in the Default.thm file. The bootstrap application code is in +bundle/bootstrap and is built automatically when building the bundle. + +Installation Layout +=================== + +There are two installation layouts for Python on Windows, with the only +differences being supporting files. A layout is selected implicitly +based on whether the install is for all users of the machine or just for +the user performing the installation. + +The default installation location when installing for all users is +"%ProgramFiles%\Python 3.X" for the 64-bit interpreter and +"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Python 3.X" for the 32-bit interpreter. (Note that +the latter path is equivalent to "%ProgramFiles%\Python 3.X" when +running a 32-bit version of Windows.) This location requires +administrative privileges to install or later modify the installation. + +The default installation location when installing for the current user +is "%LocalAppData%\Programs\Python\Python3X" for the 64-bit interpreter +and "%LocalAppData%\Programs\Python\Python3X-32" for the 32-bit +interpreter. Only the current user can access this location. This +provides a suitable level of protection against malicious modification +of Python's files. + +Within this install directory is the following approximate layout: + +.\python[w].exe The core executable files +.\DLLs Stdlib extensions (*.pyd) and dependencies +.\Doc Documentation (*.chm) +.\include Development headers (*.h) +.\Lib Standard library +.\Lib\test Test suite +.\libs Development libraries (*.lib) +.\Scripts Launcher scripts (*.exe, *.py) +.\tcl Tcl dependencies (*.dll, *.tcl and others) +.\Tools Tool scripts (*.py) + +When installed for all users, the following files are installed to +either "%SystemRoot%\System32" or "%SystemRoot%\SysWOW64" as +appropriate. For the current user, they are installed in the Python +install directory. + +.\python3x.dll The core interpreter +.\python3.dll The stable ABI reference +.\appcrt140.dll Microsoft Visual C Runtime +.\desktopcrt140.dll Microsoft Visual C Runtime +.\vcruntime140.dll Microsoft Visual C Runtime + +When installed for all users, the following files are installed to +"%SystemRoot%" (typically "C:\Windows") to ensure they are always +available on PATH. (See Launching Python below.) For the current user, +they are installed in the Python install directory. + +.\py[w].exe PEP 397 launcher + +System Settings +=============== + +On installation, registry keys are created so that other applications +can locate and identify installations of Python. The locations of these +keys vary based on the install type. + +For 64-bit interpreters installed for all users, the root key is: + HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Python\PythonCore\3.X + +For 32-bit interpreters installed for all users on a 64-bit operating +system, the root key is: + HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Python\PythonCore\3.X-32 + +For 32-bit interpreters installed for all users on a 32-bit operating +system, the root key is: + HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Python\PythonCore\3.X-32 + +For 64-bit interpreters installed for the current user: + HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Python\PythonCore\3.X + +For 32-bit interpreters installed for the current user: + HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Python\PythonCore\3.X-32 + +When the core Python executables are installed, a key "InstallPath" is +created within the root key with its default value set to the +executable's install directory. Within this key, a key "InstallGroup" is +created with its default value set to the product name "Python 3.X". + +When the Python standard library is installed, a key "PythonPath" is +created within the root key with its default value set to the full path +to the Lib folder followed by the path to the DLLs folder, separated by +a semicolon. + +When the documentation is installed, a key "Help" is created within the +root key, with a subkey "Main Python Documentation" with its default +value set to the full path to the installed CHM file. + + +The py.exe launcher is installed as part of a regular Python install, +but using a separate mechanism that allows it to more easily span +versions of Python. As a result, it has different root keys for its +registry entries: + +When installed for all users on a 64-bit operating system, the +launcher's root key is: + HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Python\Launcher + +When installed for all users on a 32-bit operating system, the +launcher's root key is: + HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Python\Launcher + +When installed for the current user: + HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Python\Launcher + +When the launcher is installed, a key "InstallPath" is created within +its root key with its default value set to the launcher's install +directory. File associations are also created for .py, .pyw, .pyc and +.pyo files. + +Launching Python +================ + +When a feature offering user entry points in the Start Menu is +installed, a folder "Python 3.X" is created. Every shortcut should be +created within this folder, and each shortcut should include the version +and platform to allow users to identify the shortcut in a search results +page. + +The core Python executables creates a shortcut "Python 3.X (32-bit)" or +"Python 3.X (64-bit)" depending on the interpreter. + +The documentation creates a shortcut "Python 3.X 32-bit Manuals" or +"Python 3.X 64-bit Manuals". The documentation is identical for all +platforms, but the shortcuts need to be separate to avoid uninstallation +conflicts. + +Installing IDLE creates a shortcut "IDLE (Python 3.X 32-bit)" or "IDLE +(Python 3.X 64-bit)" depending on the interpreter. + + +For users who often launch Python from a Command Prompt, an option is +provided to add the directory containing python.exe to the user or +system PATH variable. If the option is selected, the install directory +and the Scripts directory will be added at the start of the system PATH +for an all users install and the user PATH for a per-user install. + +When the user only has one version of Python installed, this will behave +as expected. However, because Windows searches the system PATH before +the user PATH, users cannot override a system-wide installation of +Python on their PATH. Further, because the installer can only prepend to +the path, later installations of Python will take precedence over +earlier installations, regardless of interpreter version. + +Because it is not possible to automatically create a sensible PATH +configuration, users are recommended to use the py.exe launcher and +manually modify their PATH variable to add Scripts directories in their +preferred order. System-wide installations of Python should consider not +modifying PATH, or using an alternative technology to modify their +users' PATH variables. + + +The py.exe launcher is recommended because it uses a consistent and +sensible search order for Python installations. User installations are +preferred over system-wide installs, and later versions are preferred +regardless of installation order (with the exception that py.exe +currently prefers 2.x versions over 3.x versions without the -3 command +line argument). + +For both 32-bit and 64-bit interpreters, the 32-bit version of the +launcher is installed. This ensures that the search order is always +consistent (as the 64-bit launcher is subtly different from the 32-bit +launcher) and also avoids the need to install it multiple times. Future +versions of Python will upgrade the launcher in-place, using Windows +Installer's upgrade functionality to avoid conflicts with earlier +installed versions. + +When installed, file associations are created for .py, .pyc and .pyo +files to launch with py.exe and .pyw files to launch with pyw.exe. This +makes Python files respect shebang lines by default and also avoids +conflicts between multiple Python installations. + + +Repair, Modify and Uninstall +============================ + +After installation, Python may be modified, repaired or uninstalled by +running the original EXE again or via the Programs and Features applet +(formerly known as Add or Remove Programs). + +Modifications allow features to be added or removed. The install +directory and kind (all users/single user) cannot be modified. Because +Windows Installer caches installation packages, removing features will +not require internet access unless the package cache has been corrupted +or deleted. Adding features that were not previously installed and are +not embedded or otherwise available will require internet access. + +Repairing will rerun the installation for all currently installed +features, restoring files and registry keys that have been modified or +removed. This operation generally will not redownload any files unless +the cached packages have been corrupted or deleted. + +Removing Python will clean up all the files and registry keys that were +created by the installer, as well as __pycache__ folders that are +explicitly handled by the installer. Python packages installed later +using a tool like pip will not be removed. Some components may be +installed by other installers (such as the MSVCRT) and these will not be +removed if another product has a dependency on them. |