Create a software installer with Inno Setup

What is an Installer

• Installer should contain required files and setup a software in a client machine
• Running an installer file should
  • Paste the required files in appropriate folder locations
  • Run required automation scripts to setup the required software components
  • Create shortcuts to access the software

Inno Setup

• InnoSetup is a software that can create an installer for software files
• It can be downloaded from https://jrsoftware.org/isdl.php

Simple python based UI for demo

• Running the following python script creates a simple application with a UI
• Create an exe file from the python script using the pyinstaller command pyinstaller --onefile --noconsole .\index.py

# Install tkinter with "pip install tk"
# Install pyinstaller with pip install pyinstaller. 
# Create exe with "pyinstaller --onefile --noconsole .\index.py"
# Import Module
from tkinter import Tk, Menu, Label, Entry, Button

# create root window
root = Tk()

# root window title and dimension
root.title("Awesome UI App")
# Set geometry(widthxheight)
root.geometry('350x200')

# adding menu bar in root window
# new item in menu bar labelled as 'New'
# adding more items in the menu bar
menu = Menu(root)
item = Menu(menu)
item.add_command(label='New')
menu.add_cascade(label='File', menu=item)
root.config(menu=menu)

# adding a label to the root window
lbl = Label(root, text="Write Something...")
lbl.grid()

# adding Entry Field
txt = Entry(root, width=10)
txt.grid(column=1, row=0)

# function to display user text when
# button is clicked
def clicked():
    res = "You wrote " + txt.get()
    lbl.configure(text=res)

# button widget with red color text inside
btn = Button(root, text="Click me",
             fg="red", command=clicked)
# Set Button Grid
btn.grid(column=2, row=0)

# Execute Tkinter
root.mainloop()

Create installer with InnoSetup

• The following is a sample InnoSetup script (script.iss) that creates an installer named Awesome Demo App Setup.exe for the software files. Compiling the below script with InnoSetup creates the Awesome Demo App Setup.exe file.
• After running the installer, a desktop shortcut and start menu shortcut are created to open the installed application

#define MyAppName "Awesome Demo App"
#define MyAppVersion "1.0"
#define MyAppPublisher "Learning Software"
#define MyAppURL "<https://youtube.com/%40learningsoftwareskills>"

[Setup]
; NOTE: The value of AppId uniquely identifies this application. Do not use the same AppId value in installers for other applications.
; (To generate a new GUID, click Tools | Generate GUID inside the IDE.)
AppId={{da3f91c1-3c42-4260-b5e9-2e1ca5f8e217}}
AppName={#MyAppName}
AppVersion={#MyAppVersion}
;AppVerName={#MyAppName} {#MyAppVersion}
AppPublisher={#MyAppPublisher}
AppPublisherURL={#MyAppURL}
AppSupportURL={#MyAppURL}
AppUpdatesURL={#MyAppURL}
DefaultDirName={autopf}\{#MyAppName}
DefaultGroupName={#MyAppName}
; Comment the following line to run in administrative install mode (install for all users).
PrivilegesRequired=lowest
OutputDir=Installer
OutputBaseFilename={#MyAppName} Setup
SolidCompression=yes
WizardStyle=modern
SetupIconFile=favicon.ico

[Files]
Source: "dist\index.exe"; DestDir: "{app}"
Source: "readme.md"; DestDir: "{app}"; Flags: isreadme
Source: "favicon.ico"; DestDir: "{app}"

[Icons]
Name: "{autoprograms}\{#MyAppName}"; Filename: "{app}\index.exe"; WorkingDir: "{app}"; IconFilename: "{app}\favicon.ico"
Name: "{autodesktop}\{#MyAppName}"; Filename: "{app}\index.exe"; WorkingDir: "{app}"; IconFilename: "{app}\favicon.ico"

• #define is used to define the variables used in the iss script
• The following sections are defined in the iss script file
  • [Setup] section configures the main settings of the installer
  • [Files] section defines the files to be copied into the installation folders
  • [Icons] section configures the shortcuts to launch the program
• The documentation page at https://jrsoftware.org/ishelp/index.php?topic=consts contains the explanation about the constants {app}, {autoprograms}, {autodesktop}, {autopf} used in the iss script
  • {app} - directory where the software files would be present after installation
  • {autopf} - program files folder
  • {autoprograms} - Programs folder on the Start Menu
  • {autodesktop} - desktop folder

Video

Video for this post can be found at https://youtu.be/OSIGcVI13Lw?si=85_X89_xE4dyRPno

References

• Inno Setup docs - Inno Setup Help
• InnoSetup script syntax - https://jrsoftware.org/ishelp/topic_scriptformatoverview.htm
• InnoSetup script constants - https://jrsoftware.org/ishelp/index.php?topic=consts