.NET 3.5 SP1 is out and one of the features is the ability to provide a smaller install for those using just Winforms as an example. They call it "client profiles" but I'm not sure how this system is going to work. But most importantly, how will this integrate with IS 2009? Will there be an option to install the slimmed down framework vice the huge one? It's supposed to be in the neighborhood of 20'ish MB's instead of 197 MB!!!
I think the client profile model has just way too many issues to make it useful. I suspect that we'll start seeing virtualiztion as the preferred choice for solving this problem.
I share some of Chris's trepidations about the client profile. However if you wish to deploy it now, I would suggest creating a prerequisite which launches the client installer either from the web or pre-downloaded; you can use the existing .NET 3.5 prerequisites as a model, and probably not need to change very much. We are likely to create and release such a prerequisite at some point, but I can't give any dates or guarantees.
Created my own prerequisite for .NET 3.5 SP1 in my IS MSI project. Using /q /norestart switches and the same helper.exe as for the IS-embedded .NET 3.5 prerequisite. Then just changed the version to check in registry (version less than 3.5.30729.01).
Works fine - BUT: on my "clean" vista PC the .NET setup takes 9 minutes!!! On a "clean" XP Pro SP2: 4 minutes. And this is before my own setup has even started. The progressbar doesn't indicate the actual progress, just indicating that something is happening... 9 minutes - that's 8 minutes too long. And I guess a lot of the clients installing this will abort the setup after 3 minutes, assuming the setup hangs (I would..). So in my opinion prerequisite is useless for .NET 3.5 setup, unless the client gets a warning that "this could take a while.." or "come back tomorrow.." or something.
I can't possibly be the only one with this problem. Any suggestions??
Well, I'd rather know that it will take time and I can display a message to the user "this will take forever, be patient" but it's still better than a 197 MB download!!
Can you share with me where I find information on how to create these .NET 3.5 SP1 profiles?
Don't know where to find it, but here's what I did:
- Downloaded .NET framework 3.5 SP1 complete version from Microsoft - Put dotnetfx35.exe and Helper.exe (use same helper.exe file) in your own folder: \SetupPrerequisites\Microsoft .net\3.5 SP1\Full\ - Open Tools, Prereq. Editor to create new one, use .NET Framework 3.5 prereq. as a "template" and create it with all the same options. - Only diff. should be "Files to include" should point to your new files - Under "conditions", "registry entry.." the "..value to check" should be changed to new version (3.5.21022.08 i think it was)
