Develop Reference

Create Setup file for .Net Core Apps

In my .Net Core App I want to create a setup file (.msi), but I struggle with the correct configuration.
When I simply take all files from my debug folder and put them inside my "Application Folder" it works, but that's not how Microsoft (I guess) and me want it to work.
Mainly I have two problems:
When I take the "Primary output" of my project and create a Shortcut to this, the Shortcut tries to start the .dll instead of my .exe file.
When I create the .msi file and install my project there is no "runtimes" folder and I manually need to create it inside my "Application Folder". Is there a way to automatically include it into my .msi?
Thanks for your advice!

I did some tests and I think I can reproduce your first problem. According to this document: Workflow changes for .NET Core 3.1, the correct output for .NET Core project seems changed. Though the document is for .NET Core 3.1, I think it also works for .NET Core 5.0.
So, please try to select Publish Items instead of choosing Primary output when you adding project output.
For the second problem, I am not very sure. Maybe Add > File.../Folder can work.
I suggest you also start a thread here: Microsoft Visual Studio Installer Projects - Q&A to ask this question.

If you want to be able to install the necessary run time for a framework-dependent .NET Core 3.1 app, you can do this using prerequisites.
Open properties dialog of your installer project.
open the Prerequisites dialog and Select prerequisites.

How do I add prerequisites to a ClickOnce application?

I want to add prerequisites to my Click Once application. Here is the problem. The program is in a server and clients install the application from the specific URL. I want to auto install the prerequisites (for example, Crystal Report Viewer) when the user first downloads and installs it, how could I do that?
I'm using C# Windows Forms and .NET Framework 4.0

You need to create a prerequisite first. The prerequisites that are shown in Visual Studio are in the following location
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A\Bootstrapper\Packages
You can create a Product Manifest through this tutorial
Put it along with other bootstrapper packages.
Once this is done, you can select that prerequisite in your prerequisites window in publish settings and give the location from where you want the user to download it.
Here is a complete tutorial for creating Localized Bootstrapper Package.
There is a tool called Bootstrap Manifest Generator. This Code Project article is a complete tutorial for using this tool. I think this tool is not available from Microsoft directly any more.

Process of ClickOnce and prerequisites

I have an application I want to build and deploy via ClickOnce. But we want this to be a process that can be run outside of VS through scripts, for either test, business UAT or production environment.
Each separate environment requires a different .config file to be used and a different web server to be deployed on and for update location.
The application also has prerequisites of .NET runtime 3.5 and Crystal reports.
I have looked into using MAGE to create application and deployment manifests, and if I do a code BUILD, then use MAGE afterwards as per each environment, as well as having the script copy over the correct .config file, this creates what I think are the correct manifests for each environment at the time of running the script.
But what I'm struggling to do is include the prerequisites. If done through VS, you can specify a setup.exe package which gets built with the pre-reqs and deployed alongside the application and when you click on the download link, it installs the pre-reqs from setup.exe and then the application.
But how can I do this manually outside VS? I can build the setup.exe through VS with the right URl location but then how do I link the setup.exe to the application as a pre-req using MAGE to generate the manifests?
The problems we have are 1) The users do not have admin rights to download and install packages, only to install things via clickonce so the pre-reqs have to be installed under the click once security umbrella.
Thanks

ClickOnce and prereqs cause lots of confusion. The setup.exe that Visual Studio generates has nothing to do with ClickOnce. The only minor link between the two is that the setup.exe will launch the ClickOnce application once it finishes. That's it. So thinking users will be able to install your prereqs "under the clickonce security umbrella" is a mistake. If they are not an admin and a prereq install requires admin privileges, they won't be able to install it.
My advice would be to generate your setup.exe one time. You shouldn't need to keep doing it unless your prereqs keep changing. Use Visual Studio, generate the setup one time, then use Mage for the rest.
Edit
In general you make the setup.exe available and depend on the user to know if they need to run it or not. If they already have the prereqs and run the setup.exe, nothing bad happens. It sees that everything is installed then launches the app.
Usually you're going to direct users to run the setup.exe. The next time they want to launch the app they should use the start menu shortcut (assuming you didn't go with "Online Only"). I've found this to be the least confusing set of instructions for users.
Remember how Visual Studio does extra, non-ClickOnce stuff when you publish (like the setup.exe)? It also creates a simple html page that has links to both the ClickOnce manifest and the setup.exe and an explanation. It also has some javascript that checks the UserAgent string to determine if they have the .NET Framework installed. Again, this isn't ClickOnce. It's just something nice Visual Studio does for you. If you like it, use it. I kind of like skipping it and going with the run setup.exe to install then launch from the start menu.

codeConcussion is right, you can't ever actually have the prerequisites instill directly from ClickOnce. You should just generate it once and then you have it ready for your external ClickOnce tool.
There is an option other than Mage. You could use my companies tool, ClickOnceMore, as your ClickOnce build software. It's been designed for people who want to use ClickOnce but don't want to build with Visual Studio.
It can hook into the setup.exe generated from Visual Studio (details here) so should satisfy all your needs.

Why do you want to build setup manually if everything can be done via clickonce ?
You can select "Download pre-requisites from same location" option from prerequisites form if you want to include .netfx or crystalreports, download bootstrap packages for .netfx3.5 & crystalreports and add to folder (for windows 7) "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v7.0A\Bootstrapper\Packages" . The deployment project will automatically include netfx & other packages along with setup.exe.
hope this helps.

Deploying C# application with .Net 4.0

If the end user dont have .net 4.0 installed , i dont want them to go to a microsoft page to download manually and install it. I rather want them to just click "ok" and the setup goes to my website and downloads the webinstaller file and start installing automatically.
In my solution i have 2 project, 1 windows project and 1 setup project. I have noticed that if i go to properties on either of the projects and then Prerequisites, there i can choose between these 3 options :
Download prerequisites from the component vendor's website ( default )
Download prerequisites from the same location as my application
Download prerequisites from the following location ( with a textbox )
I should want the last option right? But do i link to a folder in my website and it will look there for the right "name" to install ? Then i have to add the installers to that folder?
And i dont know if i only should do this on the windows project or the setup project or both?
I am using visual studios default installer.
Really confused.
Thanky you.

If it is ok for you to distribute the .NET framework with the program you can use the instructions from the answer to this post:
silent .NET Framework install in setup project
The setup should install the .NET framework without requiring any user input.

I normally choose the second options.
Why? Because VS actually compiles a bootstrapper which gets sent to you Debug/Release folder. So all you need to do is copy that whole folder and burn to cd or usb and ship to your client.

C# Deployment - single executable, one click install?

How can I deploy a project? I'd prefer it if it's just a single execute file with everything built into it. Is this possible? Or does it need to be installed with the DLLs staying as external files? Thanks.

Check out ILMerge

You may use Click once install (available in VS). Or check out Inno Setup http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php it's free and quite powerful.

You have ClickOnce and Visual Studio Setup projects... Both are capable of collapsing your install with the Visual Studio Setup project being able to create a single Setup.exe for your project.

I prefer NSIS for deploying C# aps with a single setup executable
Edit: NSIS can be used to include the .NET runtime installer within the setup executable, or you can design it to download the .NET Framework if it is not present on the target machine.