Update an installation with an offline installer setup of Qt installer framework

[koahnig]

I am using Qt installer framework for deploying my applications to another computer. Because of a domain issue I cannot switch to an online installer, but have to stay with an offline installer.

The question is how to do an update with an offline installer without performing a complete unstalling process?
What would be the best way to do?
At the moment I am not storing the repository with my installation.

[SGaist]

Hi,

Would installing in another folder be an option ?

[koahnig]

@SGaist
A bit awkward isn't it?

Everybody expects basically to start simply an installer and get guided through the process. That is certainly possible with a new folder, but user defined links are missing and ini-files stored alongside with the old exes.
The user defined are staying at least intact for the total removal and reinstallation, but the inis are gone.

[SGaist]

Sorry, I misunderstood your situation. IIRC, the offline doesn't provide such granularity but doesn't the MaintenanceTool allow to clean things a bit before installing the new version ?

[koahnig]

@SGaist
I have to call the previous maintenance tool with the option to remove the installation. This clears all including the ini-files there.
Then I have to start the new installer, which does install the maintenance tool again and certainly also all apps.

So you have to start two exes for updating. On one side all inis are gone, which is certainly not appreciated. Also you might remove and reinstall 90 % or whatever what is already there. This doesn't look really professional.

The maintenance tool has also an entry for updating, but than you have to provide a new repository. However, it is not clear to me how to provide an offline repository. Maybe I am missing the right idea, but solution I came with so far do not look professional either.

[SGaist]

I agree, the current updating workflow with the offline installer isn't ideal at all, that's why I work as much as possible with the online version when not building Qt myself.

There might be some Jira task related to that but I haven't checked yet

[koahnig]

@SGaist
Thanks for replies.

At least I know that I did not miss the most obvious ;)

[Mostafa88]

You shuold make an offline installer and also an online installer. to use opdate component in maintenacetool of offline installerto do an update check, call your maintenacetool.exe with --addRepository <URL> --updater , so your can do an update check for your offline installer too.

[koahnig]

@Mostafa88

Thanks for your suggestion.

In the eman time I have found out that there was a problem with creation of online and offline installer at once. Therefore, I had opted for using only the offline installer.

[koronabora]

Add this repo into MaintenceTool:

http://download.qt.io/online/qtsdkrepository/windows_x86/root/qt/