XPost: alt.comp.freeware, alt.comp.microsoft.windows

What do you think about this new Microsoft MSIX Bundle installer format? https://www.martinstoeckli.ch/silentnotes/silentnotes.Msixbundle

The open source Silent Notes app runs on Android & Windows. https://www.martinstoeckli.ch/silentnotes/

Silent Notes has a typical Android APK that installs in the usual manner.
But for Windows, Silent Notes doesn't seem to install in the usual manner.

You can sideload SilentNotes on Android. https://www.martinstoeckli.ch/silentnotes/ch.martinstoeckli.silentnotes.apk
Or you can load Silent Notes using the Google Play Store on Android. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.martinstoeckli.silentnotes

But for Windows, SilentNotes is in the Microsoft Store if you have a login. https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9P14JXNCRXSK?rtc=1&hl=en-us&gl=US
Or you can load Silent Notes using something called an MSixBundle format. https://www.martinstoeckli.ch/silentnotes/silentnotes.Msixbundle
Name: silentnotes.Msixbundle
Size: 29167026 bytes (27 MiB)
SHA256: 08ADC8A506F1261B134EE3B4F03D0B002AA0898907FAF1DE9D919749E90F7677

I doubleclicked on that ".msixbundle" and it did "something" that caused
Silent Notes to be "installed" somewhere but what the heck did it do?

I looked up what the heck a .MSixBundle on Microsoft Windows is,
and after finding out it's a new format, I don't understand why we need it.

https://www.advancedinstaller.com/what-is-msix-bundle.html
"Microsoft recently came out with an MSIX-related packaging format called
the MSIX Bundle, which includes safer and more reliable deployments as well
as auto-updates and improved widespread support - which makes our life
easier as application packagers."

I have no idea where the program went, or how to uninstall it, or what.
What do you think about this new Microsoft MSIX Bundle installer format?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

"Bradley" <bradley@nospam.com> wrote

| What do you think about this new Microsoft MSIX Bundle installer format?
| https://www.martinstoeckli.ch/silentnotes/silentnotes.Msixbundle
|

Microsoft have an irresistible compulsion to add "X" to everything
at some point. The bundle version is simply a way for lazy developers
to put all of their installers into a single file and make you download
the whole mess, even though you can only use one of them. I'm
guessing the developer probably got Visual Studio to do it for him
and doesn't entirely understand it. Otherwise, why would people
be so stupid? To save having to provide multiple download links
on their website?

The package is PKZip format. 7-zip can open it. Inside are the
multiple msix files. If you open this one you'll see there's a
32-bit installer, 64-bit, and so on. The msix files themselves only
work in Win10/11 and are basically ZIP files with XML files for
setup settings. (Microsoft loves XML even more than X, despite XML
being a very bloated and inefficient format as compared to
something like ini. But MS like X's and they like to webbify anything
they can get their hands on, so XML was a natural winner in the
MS camp.)

So you've got a wildly bloated packge, due to being forced to
download every version, and it won't work on anything but Win10.

An explanation I found said that msix is based on msi, but that's
not true. It seems to be more like an xpi or a docx -- basically
just a ZIP file package. The msi format is a compound storage
file format, like .doc, and structured with a kind of sql database.

I don't get why you care about this. You installed a 30+ MB
Windows "app" to replace Notepad? I now have two Win10
boxes going and a Win11 install just out of curiosity and to
test my own softare. I've never even looked in the "app" menu.
(I always install Classic or Open Shell, so thankfully I only see
an "apps" item on the start menu.)

| I doubleclicked on that ".msixbundle" and it did "something" that caused
| Silent Notes to be "installed" somewhere but what the heck did it do?
|

Why would you download and double-click a file when you don't
even know what it is?

| I have no idea where the program went, or how to uninstall it, or what.
| What do you think about this new Microsoft MSIX Bundle installer format?

Presumably it's in the apps menu. Having never
installed an app, I don't know how to uninstall them. Isn't
it in the Control panel Programs and Features applet?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 1/17/2024 7:58 AM, Newyana2 wrote:

Microsoft have an irresistible compulsion to add "X" to everything
at some point. The bundle version is simply a way for lazy developers
to put all of their installers into a single file and make you download
the whole mess, even though you can only use one of them. I'm
guessing the developer probably got Visual Studio to do it for him
and doesn't entirely understand it. Otherwise, why would people
be so stupid? To save having to provide multiple download links
on their website?

Thank you for giving me an idea of what this wacky format is all about.

What caught me unawares is doubleclicking on the msixbundle didn't do the normal things. It just started the app and that was all that it did.

I have to presume it _installed_ the app. Somewhere. But where?
It didn't ask where to go (I put my apps usually on the D: drive).
And it didn't create a desktop shortcut.

So, unless I dig deeper (as you did), it's a mystery to me what happened.

EDIT: I found it by running a "dir /s/a/l/on/b" on the C: drive. c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\ac
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\appdata
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\localcache
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\localstate
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\roamingstate
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\settings
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\systemappdata
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\tempstate
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\ac\inetcache
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\ac\inetcookies
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\ac\inethistory
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\ac\nvidia
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\ac\temp
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\ac\inetcache\container.dat
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\ac\inetcache\msimgsiz.dat
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\ac\nvidia\dxcache
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\ac\nvidia\dxcache\f2c69769ecd0aea04b4f97c9152b699c_fce8395f8fd8a9b8_caee20f55bccfe0f_0_0.0.bin
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\ac\nvidia\dxcache\f2c69769ecd0aea04b4f97c9152b699c_fce8395f8fd8a9b8_caee20f55bccfe0f_0_0.0.toc
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\ac\nvidia\dxcache\f2c69769ecd0aea04b4f97c9152b699c_fce8395f8fd8a9b8_caee20f55bccfe0f_0_0.1.toc
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\localstate\silentnotes_repository.silentnotes
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\localstate\silentnotes_user_settings.config
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\settings\roaming.lock
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\settings\settings.dat
c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\microsoft.windows.search_cw5n1h2txyewy\localstate\appiconcache\100\22846martinstoeckli_silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe!app

Does that strange crazy unfathomable location tell you anything about it?

The package is PKZip format. 7-zip can open it. Inside are the
multiple msix files. If you open this one you'll see there's a
32-bit installer, 64-bit, and so on. The msix files themselves only
work in Win10/11 and are basically ZIP files with XML files for
setup settings. (Microsoft loves XML even more than X, despite XML
being a very bloated and inefficient format as compared to
something like ini. But MS like X's and they like to webbify anything
they can get their hands on, so XML was a natural winner in the
MS camp.)

Thank you for taking a look at the Microsoft .MSIX bundle format
as you (I think) have written msi extraction & debugging tools.

I downloaded it and extracted it with 7zip to take a look inside.
I was surprised to see what you described as I had never seen this
Microsoft ".msix" extension before (is it a common file extension?).

https://www.martinstoeckli.ch/silentnotes/silentnotes.Msixbundle
Name: silentnotes.Msixbundle
Size: 29167026 bytes (27 MiB)
SHA256: 08ADC8A506F1261B134EE3B4F03D0B002AA0898907FAF1DE9D919749E90F7677 AppxBlockMap.xml
AppxMetadata\AppxBundleManifest.xml
AppxSignature.p7x
SilentNotes.UWP_7.3.1.0_ARM.msix
SilentNotes.UWP_7.3.1.0_scale-100.msix
SilentNotes.UWP_7.3.1.0_scale-400.msix
SilentNotes.UWP_7.3.1.0_x64.msix
SilentNotes.UWP_7.3.1.0_x86.msix
[Content_Types].xml

So you've got a wildly bloated packge, due to being forced to
download every version, and it won't work on anything but Win10.

You're right! I doubleclicked on the SilentNotes.UWP_7.3.1.0_x64.msix
and it came up with "SilentNotes 7.3.1.0 is already installed"
Microsoft Store App ED1EE5C1E-F8CD-4A09-A57F-18D151833C31

What is that funky long designation? Is it my serial number?
Or is it something that only Microsoft Windows knows how to use?

An explanation I found said that msix is based on msi, but that's
not true. It seems to be more like an xpi or a docx -- basically
just a ZIP file package. The msi format is a compound storage
file format, like .doc, and structured with a kind of sql database.

You would know better than anyone on this group so I thank you for
clarifying that it's just a zip file package of some strange sort.

I unzipped "SilentNotes.UWP_7.3.1.0_x64.msix" with 7Zip to look at it. 05DBE9EA-EF75-43DB-8A03-27898B59D1E9
AppxBlockMap.xml
AppxManifest.xml
AppxMetadata\CodeIntegrity.cat
AppxSignature.p7x
Assets\(other stuff)
clrcompression.dll
Lng.SilentNotes.cz
Lng.SilentNotes.de
Lng.SilentNotes.en
Lng.SilentNotes.it
Lng.SilentNotes.ru
Lng.SilentNotes.tr
Lng.SilentNotes.zh
resources.pri
SilentNotes.dll
SilentNotes.exe
SilentNotes.xr.xml
[Content_Types].xml

The biggest file (by far) was "SilentNotes.dll" at 21MB where the
executable "SilentNotes.exe" was tiny by comparison at 20KB.

Doubleclicking on the "SilentNotes.exe" executable failed with
the error "SilentNotes.exe - System Error" the code cannot proceed because SharedLibrary.dll was not found" which it repeated for "mrt100_app.dll".

I don't get why you care about this.

On Windows I typically use GVIM but it doesn't have a checkbox feature.
On Android I typically use checkbox apps which can't be edited on Windows.

Yet I want to synchronize checkbox notes on Android with Windows.
It's not such a strange desire. I'm sure many people would like to do that.

Wouldn't you?

Anyway, the 1st step in synchronizing is getting the native Windows WebDav server working - and that's the part that is the most frustrating so far.

I turned on the native Microsoft WebDAV server and I was able to add it to
the network neighborhood but I haven't been able to sync with Android yet.

I am hoping that by using Silent Notes temporarily on Windows, I will
eliminate the Android part of the setup - to simplify the testing process.

Also though, if I'm going to synchronize checkbox lists between Android and Windows, I'm hoping the Windows Silent Notes is designed to work with the Android SilentNotes app. You'd think that's what it does, wouldn't you?

You installed a 30+ MB Windows "app" to replace Notepad?

I use GVIM, not Notepad. And the SilentNotes.exe file is only 20KB. :)
And while VIM is on Android, it's too difficult to use without a GUI.
More to the task at hand, SilentNotes has a very nice checkbox feature.

I now have two Win10
boxes going and a Win11 install just out of curiosity and to
test my own softare. I've never even looked in the "app" menu.
(I always install Classic or Open Shell, so thankfully I only see
an "apps" item on the start menu.)

Like you, I never use the Microsoft provided Start Menu either.
That's why I was looking for the desktop shortcut.
So that I could find the target and see if I could move it to the D: drive. Usually I use portable software. Like you do.

| I doubleclicked on that ".msixbundle" and it did "something" that caused
| Silent Notes to be "installed" somewhere but what the heck did it do?

Why would you download and double-click a file when you don't
even know what it is?

Because I have no way of knowing how it works until I do that. :)
Now that I know how it works, that's where people like you come in.

You have a better idea than I do about this new Microsoft *.msix extension. This thread is asking Windows experts what they think of this wacky format.

| I have no idea where the program went, or how to uninstall it, or what.
| What do you think about this new Microsoft MSIX Bundle installer format?

Presumably it's in the apps menu. Having never
installed an app, I don't know how to uninstall them. Isn't
it in the Control panel Programs and Features applet?

The *.msix installer didn't even ask where it should go, so it's no good.
I don't use the start menu but I looked and you're right that it's there.
But you can't rightclick on it to see where the target executable is.

The "shortcut" (or whatever it is) that starts it in the start menu isn't
in the typical place where you'll find all the "normal" menu shortcuts. C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\

You can't even rightclick on the "thing" in the Start Menu to look at it or even to pin it to the taskbar (nothing happens when you rightclick on it).

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Bradley wrote:

Does that strange crazy unfathomable location tell you anything about it?

Looks like any "modern UI" app ...

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 1/17/2024 10:20 AM, Bradley wrote:

You're right! I doubleclicked on the SilentNotes.UWP_7.3.1.0_x64.msix
and it came up with "SilentNotes 7.3.1.0 is already installed" Microsoft Store App ED1EE5C1E-F8CD-4A09-A57F-18D151833C31

What is that funky long designation? Is it my serial number?
Or is it something that only Microsoft Windows knows how to use?

Microsoft serializes the *developer*. The long number is a GUID, a number unique to the application in the Microsoft Store. Every person using the application, sees the same number. Such numbers allow redirection and maintenance in the Registry too. Even Microsoft has a developer ID of its
own, and a lot of the system applications are stamped with one of their
two developer IDs.

The application images are all the same. My MSIX and your MSIX are all the same.

The only place Microsoft plays games, is early in the usage of install.esd there was monkey business. But it was not possible to tell whether just a
date stamp screwed up the checksum, or whether a download ID was used.

There is still authorization for an App. Even if an App is free, some
file keeps track of manifests and what programs are on the disk. And when
a program is modified and a new version exists, Windows will push out a copy keeping your copy fresh.

The "shortcut" (or whatever it is) that starts it in the start menu isn't
in the typical place where you'll find all the "normal" menu shortcuts. C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\

You can't even rightclick on the "thing" in the Start Menu to look at it or even to pin it to the taskbar (nothing happens when you rightclick on it).

You can go here, and right-clicking on an icon, offers to make a shortcut. Notice that the shortcut cannot be edited as you would want.
There is no parameter passing for Apps.

explorer.exe shell:AppsFolder

That folder contains a mix of stuff, and right-clicking the items is going
to vary, depending on what a program happens to be. Even the Linux "file" command, cannot provide decent identification of the contents of the folder.

That folder might also be a "projection", so don't expect to see a folder
that looks exactly like that, in some file browser.

And it's still missing stuff, as there is no notation in there for the
portable copy of TestDisk 7.0 I've got.

Just think of that location as a "garbage pit" or a "CrackerJacks box".
That is the best operational analogy I can think of.

Paul

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 1/17/2024 8:58 AM, Newyana2 wrote:

"Bradley" <bradley@nospam.com> wrote

| What do you think about this new Microsoft MSIX Bundle installer format?
| https://www.martinstoeckli.ch/silentnotes/silentnotes.Msixbundle
|

Microsoft have an irresistible compulsion to add "X" to everything
at some point. The bundle version is simply a way for lazy developers
to put all of their installers into a single file and make you download
the whole mess, even though you can only use one of them. I'm
guessing the developer probably got Visual Studio to do it for him
and doesn't entirely understand it. Otherwise, why would people
be so stupid? To save having to provide multiple download links
on their website?

The package is PKZip format. 7-zip can open it. Inside are the
multiple msix files. If you open this one you'll see there's a
32-bit installer, 64-bit, and so on. The msix files themselves only
work in Win10/11 and are basically ZIP files with XML files for
setup settings. (Microsoft loves XML even more than X, despite XML
being a very bloated and inefficient format as compared to
something like ini. But MS like X's and they like to webbify anything
they can get their hands on, so XML was a natural winner in the
MS camp.)

So you've got a wildly bloated packge, due to being forced to
download every version, and it won't work on anything but Win10.

An explanation I found said that msix is based on msi, but that's
not true. It seems to be more like an xpi or a docx -- basically
just a ZIP file package. The msi format is a compound storage
file format, like .doc, and structured with a kind of sql database.

I don't get why you care about this. You installed a 30+ MB
Windows "app" to replace Notepad? I now have two Win10
boxes going and a Win11 install just out of curiosity and to
test my own softare. I've never even looked in the "app" menu.
(I always install Classic or Open Shell, so thankfully I only see
an "apps" item on the start menu.)

| I doubleclicked on that ".msixbundle" and it did "something" that caused
| Silent Notes to be "installed" somewhere but what the heck did it do?
|

Why would you download and double-click a file when you don't
even know what it is?

| I have no idea where the program went, or how to uninstall it, or what.
| What do you think about this new Microsoft MSIX Bundle installer format?

Presumably it's in the apps menu. Having never
installed an app, I don't know how to uninstall them. Isn't
it in the Control panel Programs and Features applet?

From inside the main DLL.
Now you know what kind of developer this is.
One of the other files said this was a "Universal App".

Build Type: ret

Tool chain:
ilc.exe : 2.2.31116.00 built by: PROJECTNREL
nutc_driver.exe : 2.2.31116.00 built by: PROJECTNREL
rhbind.exe : 2.2.31116.0 built by: PROJECTNREL
sg.exe : 2.2.31116.00 built by: PROJECTNREL

Framework:
BouncyCastle.Crypto.dll : 1.9.0.1 clrcompression.dll : 4.6.30316.01 @BuiltBy: dlab14-vs2017-6a00000B
@Branch: dev/tommcdon/uwp6.2-clrcompression
@SrcCode: https://github.com/dotnet/corefx/tree/0ff7768fac3f731acd96a46523d83cbf65690003
CommunityToolkit.Mvvm.dll : 8.1.0.1
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The .EXE is just a manifest file. The resource contains the same list as above.

To trace where it is going, when you double click the bundle, you'd
fire up Process Monitor and look at all the Writefile operations.
There would be some App storage area with the materials in it.

There should also be an SQLite database that keeps track of
the existence of the program.

"%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\AppRepository\StateRepository-Machine.srd" <=== MSEdge in here ?
"%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\AppRepository\StateRepository-Deployment.srd"

TestDisk 7.0 can show you some of the contents on the machine.
Let's say that the AppRepository doesn't want to allow you in.

[Picture]

https://i.postimg.cc/SKDnw2Vv/State-Repository.gif

And while Linux has this in Package Manager, there is also a Windows version.

https://sqlitebrowser.org/dl/

That's how you examine "StateRepository-Deployment.srd" say. The files next to the
.srd are journal files, and that's a sign the database is still open. Capture
a copy of the file while Windows is at rest (not running).

There's not much to see in there. It's just if someone asks "what is tracking this?",
it could be one of those two files.

Paul

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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"Bradley" <bradley@nospam.com> wrote

c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\localstate\silentnotes_user_settings.config
| c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\settings\roaming.lock
| c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\22846martinstoeckli.silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe\settings\settings.dat
| c:\users\user\appdata\local\packages\microsoft.windows.search_cw5n1h2txyewy\localstate\appiconcache\100\22846martinstoeckli_silentnotes_4aa5zt7h99ppe!app
|
| Does that strange crazy unfathomable location tell you anything about it?
|

I don't really know much about apps. The whole idea of WinrT never
made much sense, given that MS don't even have a cellphone anymore.
But maybe they see it as sensible for their move toward Windows as
a service. WinRT apps are limited-function trinkets not allowed to
access the Win32 API. It's sort of like making software with javascript
to run in the browser. It can do a lot of things that way, but no access
the system.

I don't know why it's in appdata. That's the personal folder(s) for
settings.
Paul seemed to indicate that apps are in the programs folder.

I'm guessing that the reason that it was "off to the races" when you
clicked it is because the bundle approach is probably intended to simplify things. You don't need to know whether you want x86, x64, ARM, or
whatever. Windows sorts out the details -- downloading, checking for
some kind of secure signature, and installing -- with just one click.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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XPost: alt.comp.freeware, alt.comp.microsoft.windows

On Wed, 17 Jan 2024 07:56:43 -0500, Bradley wrote:

What do you think about this new Microsoft MSIX Bundle installer format? https://www.martinstoeckli.ch/silentnotes/silentnotes.Msixbundle

The open source Silent Notes app runs on Android & Windows. https://www.martinstoeckli.ch/silentnotes/

Silent Notes has a typical Android APK that installs in the usual manner.
But for Windows, Silent Notes doesn't seem to install in the usual manner.

You can sideload SilentNotes on Android. https://www.martinstoeckli.ch/silentnotes/ch.martinstoeckli.silentnotes.apk Or you can load Silent Notes using the Google Play Store on Android. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.martinstoeckli.silentnotes

But for Windows, SilentNotes is in the Microsoft Store if you have a login. https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9P14JXNCRXSK?rtc=1&hl=en-us&gl=US
Or you can load Silent Notes using something called an MSixBundle format. https://www.martinstoeckli.ch/silentnotes/silentnotes.Msixbundle
Name: silentnotes.Msixbundle
Size: 29167026 bytes (27 MiB)
SHA256: 08ADC8A506F1261B134EE3B4F03D0B002AA0898907FAF1DE9D919749E90F7677

I doubleclicked on that ".msixbundle" and it did "something" that caused Silent Notes to be "installed" somewhere but what the heck did it do?

I looked up what the heck a .MSixBundle on Microsoft Windows is,
and after finding out it's a new format, I don't understand why we need it.

https://www.advancedinstaller.com/what-is-msix-bundle.html
"Microsoft recently came out with an MSIX-related packaging format called
the MSIX Bundle, which includes safer and more reliable deployments as well as auto-updates and improved widespread support - which makes our life
easier as application packagers."

I have no idea where the program went, or how to uninstall it, or what.
What do you think about this new Microsoft MSIX Bundle installer format?

Great for users which are not familiar with computer.

Bad for power users, due to installer bloat. Only one installer platform is needed. There rest are useless garbage.

which makes our life easier as application packagers

That's a one sided benefit.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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"Paul" <nospam@needed.invalid> wrote

| The .EXE is just a manifest file. The resource contains the same list as above.
|

I see what you mean. It's basically just an import table.
So this kind of thing is a WinRT/Metro app made with
Visual Studio? I haven't paid much attention to Metro
and I don't think I've ever actually seen a Metro "app"
in action. I have noticed, though, that Win10 installs
with a pile of them on the Start Menu. I made a new
computer this past week and downloaded the Win10 offline
ISO installer. Without asking it gave me oodles of apps.
Though I haven't looked through them to see what's there.
I was more concerned with whether OpenShell had the capacity
to remove the Apps folder on the Start Menu. Apparently not.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Newyana2 <Newyana2@invalid.nospam> wrote:
[...]

I don't think I've ever actually seen a Metro "app"
in action. I have noticed, though, that Win10 installs
with a pile of them on the Start Menu. I made a new
computer this past week and downloaded the Win10 offline
ISO installer. Without asking it gave me oodles of apps.
Though I haven't looked through them to see what's there.
I was more concerned with whether OpenShell had the capacity
to remove the Apps folder on the Start Menu. Apparently not.

I'm not about to try this, because - sadly - I need a few apps, but I
think you *can* delete the Apps folder from Open-Shell Menu's Start
menu.

Try this: Right-click Start icon on Taskbar -> Settings -> select
'Customize Start Menu' tab -> in the left pane ('Current Menu Items') right-click on 'Apps' -> Delete Item.

HTH.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

XPost: alt.comp.freeware, alt.comp.microsoft.windows

Bradley <bradley@nospam.com> wrote:

https://www.advancedinstaller.com/what-is-msix-bundle.html

"The MSIX Bundle is a packaging format that comprises multiple MSIX
packages - each of which can support a specific system architecture.

In practice, with the MSIX Bundle, you can have both an MSIX package
for the x86 version of your installer and another one for the x64
version, which you can include into one single package as a bundle."

I see an advantage there. Give the user both the x86 and x64
installers, and choose the correct one based on which hardware platform
on which the product is installed. Remove guessing or incorrect
decisions by the user. MSIX Bundle makes sense to provide access to
multiple installers based on the target platform.

"Make sure to use Windows 10 1809 or higher if you want to take
advantage of the MSIX Bundle packaging format."

A new installer packaging format since 2018, so only usable on Windows
10, and up.

"Similar to MSIX packages, the MSIX bundle uses a PKZip-based file
compression which can be decompressed using any PKZip utility tool."

So, like Microsoft's doc formats (.docx, .xlsx, etc) that utilized
compressing along with a hiearchy for arranging resources for a
document, Microsoft added compressed archiving to installers. Guess the savings depend on whether or not the installer was already compressed
for its image of files, or not.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/msix/supported-platforms#msix-feature-support

That shows which MSIX features are available based on version of
Windows.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/msix/supported-platforms#msix-feature-support

"The MSIX SDK is an open-source project that allows developers to use
the MSIX package format universally on all platforms."

Not sure it will catch on in non-Windows platforms. Remember
Microsoft's attempt to supplant PDF by bundling Open XML Paper
Specification (XPS) aka ECMA-388 printer format?

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/msix/overview

"Reliability. MSIX provides a reliable install boasting a 99.96%
success rate over millions of installs with a guaranteed uninstall."

Guaranteed? Really? Does "guaranteed" mean "complete"? No more dirty uninstalls requiring cleanup of file and registry remnants?

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/msix/msix-container

Seems isolation is implemented again to secure the apps against each
other, and what resources they can access.

https://pacesuite.com/blog/msi-vs-msix-overview-and-comparison/

The added security is upon non-admin and non-root apps. Drivers and
root-level apps cannot be installed using MSIX. Most apps installed by
end users do not require admin or root privileges, so MSIX added more protection for the largest sector of apps.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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