New favorite deployment method

This post was originally published here.

Having run into so many crazy errors from installing MSI’s, I’ve settled on a new favorite deployment mechanism: NAnt (or MSBuild).  Here’s how it works:

• Package application and build scripts into one ZIP file
  • Package any tools needed for the build (NAnt, NUnit, etc.)
    • Package a bootstrapper batch file that calls NAnt and your build file with the appropriate targets

      • Run the batch file

      Pros

    • Install script can be the same script as run on a local dev box

      • Can package NAnt along with application, so no need to install any tools on their machine
        • More robust than XCopy deployment
          • Far fewer headaches than with MSI deployment

            • No need for proprietary scripting languages to do complex work, instead use open-source, standard tasks

              • No more Wise script or InstallScript
              Cons

          • Not for commercial products

            • MSI’s do take care of a lot of boilerplate tasks
              • MSI’s have rollback and uninstall built in
                • Though with custom actions, still a pain
                • Nice UI

                  • Familiar interface

                  Here’s what my final ZIP file looks like:

                • Product-Dist.zip

                  • Product.zip (zipped up application)
                    • Tools
                      • NAnt
                        • NUnit
                      • install.build
                        • Install.bat
                          • Uninstall.bat
                            • Go.bat
                          What’s really cool is that the structure of the distribution zip file matches my local structure, so installing locally is the exact same as installing on a clean box.  Also, I can deploy NUnit and the tests, so I can run tests on deployed machines for some extra build verification.