"libmsi and msitools: the missing link for Windows cross-compilation"

[Paolo Bonzini]

Il 02/01/2013 20:28, Jeremy White ha scritto:
> Hi Paolo,
> 
> On 12/05/2012 07:07 AM, Paolo Bonzini wrote:
>> Presenters:
>>
>> Paolo Bonzini and/or Marc-Andre Lureau
>>
>> Abstract:
>>
>> Many GNU/Linux distributions include a cross-compilation environment for
>> Windows that is easy to install and use.  Some of these also provide the
>> Nullsoft installer (NSIS) to package build artifacts into a Windows
>> executable.  NSIS has the advantage that the compiler is portable to
>> POSIX systems, but does not support corporate deployment and component
>> management as well as .msi packages generated for the Windows Installer.
>>  libmsi is a port of Wine's MSI database code.  The talk will present
>> the rationale for the library, its current state and msitools, a small
>> set of programs that we implemented around it.  We will also present
>> plans for future development of libmsi and msitools.
> 
> I'm working to finalize our agenda for FOSDEM, and this proposal doesn't
> seem to quite fit in with the others.
> 
> That is, the library seems useful, and could well be of interest to free
> developers, but I'm not sure it's specifically of interest to Wine
> developers.
> 
> I imagine Hans (and any other MSI Wine developers) would be fascinated,
> but I fear that it would not be a good fit for the broader community.
> 
> If I have misunderstood, and this talk is more generally applicable to
> Wine developers than I realize, I'd like to be corrected.

As you said, the talk should also be interesting for free software
developers that care about Windows deployment.  Hardly anyone really
knows what MSI can do in that "circle", and what is the problem with NSIS.

It is also an example of how to port a piece of code from Win32 to
POSIX.  Perhaps not entirely fit for Wine, but there is no other devroom
really that covers Windows/Win32.

> However, I think my current plan is to have a 'BOF' style session
> towards the close of the day, and then I'd invite you to put this
> forward at that time.

Sure, as you see fit.

Paolo