Can I avoid making a copy of package Setup files for Suite project?

[rguggisberg]

Is there a way to skip the copy of packages in a Suite project?
The packages already exist from the build of the Installscript MSI projects.
So what I would like to do is to simply drop the Setup.exe from the Suite build into the folder alongside the other setup files.
Basically what I need is the option to say “None’ under ‘Location’. The current choices are:
• Copy from Source Media
• Extract from Setup.exe
• Download From the Web
I realize that I would need to have the setup files in the appropriately named GUID folders.
Thanks!

[DLee65]

Check your conditions for the packages.

If the required packages are already installed, the files are not extracted from the Setup.exe.

I have all of my files set to extract from the EXE or download from the web. For instance, SQL Server will download, since not all systems require it to be installed. This reduces the package payload.

However, in all cases, if the package is already installed, then the files are not downloaded / extracted again on the next install.

I do not know how to prevent the files from extracting in scenarios where you interrupt/cancel the install and run it again later. In this scenario all eligible files are extracted from Setup.exe.

[rguggisberg]

Thanks Dan,
Actually I meant avoiding the copy at build time... not install time. But I understand that may be a perversion. I already have all of those files from the build of the ism's. It is a matter of what/how I put files in the release package. Was hoping to keep old format and simply add the Suite setup.exe to have a folder structure like this as it is familiar to our installers:

SetupA.exe
SetupB.exe
SetupC.exe
SetupSuite.exe

Instead of this:
{GUIDA}\SetupA.exe
{GUIDB}\SetupB.exe
{GUIDC}\SetupC.exe
SetupSuite.exe

[DLee65]

Ahh, now I understand what you are asking. You are keeping these as 'loose' files and want to eliminate the GUID folder. Unfortunately I don't think there is anything that can be done about that. I know I wish I could use logical names for the folders rather than GUIDs as well.

[MichaelU]

You can change the name of the folder that is used by editing the 'Package Files' node in the Packages view, so you can change the GUIDs to something "nicer". However we do not support removing that layer or using the same folder name for multiple packages, so you won't be able to put all the packages in a single folder. (Maybe we should expose the folder name as a setting on the package node...)

(Actually I should check which version we added this to the IDE; before that you could get the same behavior by editing the .issuite file directly.)

[rguggisberg]

Thanks Michael, That is good to know. I will look into that. I am in the middle of updating to IS 2015 SP1 now. Will do same for machine with SAB this afternoon. I want to take advantage of the new Suite features in 2015.

[rguggisberg]

MichaelU wrote:
You can change the name of the folder that is used by editing the 'Package Files' node in the Packages view, so you can change the GUIDs to something "nicer". However we do not support removing that layer or using the same folder name for multiple packages, so you won't be able to put all the packages in a single folder. (Maybe we should expose the folder name as a setting on the package node...)

(Actually I should check which version we added this to the IDE; before that you could get the same behavior by editing the .issuite file directly.)

Michael,
Thanks for the idea. I don't see any place to change the name of the folder under 'Package Files' in the Packages view, but it was a simple matter to search for the string in the .issuite file and edit it directly with Notepad. Yes, I think it would be great if you could "expose the folder name as a setting on the package node".
BTW, When I started this I was on IS 2013, but now I am on IS 2015 SP1.
Thanks