How to: Create the Add-In Package

 

Applies To: Windows Server 2012 Essentials, Windows Home Server 2011, Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials

The add-in package is a cabinet (.cab) file that contains the files for your add-in. A cabinet file is a library of compressed files stored as a single file, which provides an easy way to distribute and install the add-in. The Makecab.exe utility can be found in C:\Windows\System32. The cabinet file that you create must be named with a .wssx extension to be installed. You can find more information about Makecab.exe from the Microsoft Cabinet Software Development Kit (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=178577).

To configure the settings for your installation package, you create a directive file (.ddf) that contains directives for creating the cabinet file.

To create the cabinet file

1. Open a Command Prompt window, and then change the directory to where your add-in files are located.

2. Open Notepad.

3. Add the following code:

   .Set CompressionType=LZX  
   .Set Compress=on  
   .Set CompressionMemory=21  
   .Set Cabinet=ON  
   .Set MaxDiskSize=0  
   .Set MaxCabinetSize=0  
   .Set CabinetName1=WSSAddinDeploymentSample.wssx  
   
   AddIn.xml  
   SampleWSSClientDeployment32.msi  
   SampleWSSClientDeployment64.msi  
   SampleWSSServerDeployment.msi  
   Eula.rtf  
   Eula-de-de.rtf’  
   

   Note

   • The value for the CabinetName1 directive is the name of your add-in. For this example, the name represents the Deployment sample that is included with the Windows Server Essentials SDK.
   • You can provide multiple End-User License Agreements (EULA) in the cabinet file. The EULA file must have an .rtf extension. You can provide EULA files for localized add-ins. Each language that your add-in supports should have a corresponding EULA file. The example shows a EULA file for an add-in that supports the German language. If a localized EULA is not provided, the default Eula.rtf file is used.
   • You must ensure that the .ddf file list contains the files that you created for your add-in. The example shows the metadata file (AddIn.xml), Windows Installer files for the server and clients, and files that contains the End-User License Agreement (one is localized).

4. Save the file as WSSAddinDeploymentMetadata.ddf.

5. Run the following command to create the cabinet file by using the directive file that you created in the previous step.

   makecab /f WSSAddinDeploymentMetadata.ddf

The makecab program creates the WSSAddinDeploymentSample.wssx file in the disk1 folder. This add-in package can be installed on the server or on client computers.

For more information about creating the files that are included in this example, see the following sections:

• How to: Create the Metadata File for the Add-In

• How to: Create the Windows Installer Package for the Server

• How to: Create the Windows Installer Package for 32-bit Client Computers

• How to: Create the Windows Installer Package for 64-bit Client Computers

It is recommended that after you create the cabinet file you digitally sign the file. If the file is not signed, a warning is displayed about the package being from an untrusted source. For more information about signing the file, see How to: Digitally Sign the Add-In Package.