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#319 Enable MSI builds for Windows

Backlog
open
nobody
None
4normal
2026-02-12
2026-02-12
No

Currently, Windows builds use the Nullsoft installer NSIS. Some Antivirus malware detectors are prejudiced against nsis because of abuse of that installer by malware writers.

Better would be to use Microsoft Install Shield (MSI) installer format, but currently the msi target of electron-builder fails, due to the WiX toolkit not running under wine on my OpenSUSE 16 system.

It might be possible to execute the Wix code on a docker container that has all the prerequisites just right to have this happen - eg

Here are the primary methods for building WiX on Linux:

  1. Recommended Method: Docker Containers
    Using Docker is the most reliable way to build WiX projects on Linux, particularly for CI/CD pipelines. These images contain Wine, .NET, and the WiX toolset.

  2. jkroepke/docker-wixtoolset: A popular Docker image that runs WiX Toolset 5.0.2 on Linux, including necessary extensions like Firewall and UI.

  3. iamyipi/wixbase: Another lightweight Docker image that combines Wine, .NET SDK, and the WiX Toolset for creating Windows installers from Linux.
  4. felfert/docker-wix: A container designed for ease of use, enabling a seamless "candle/light" experience on Linux.

It might also be the case that a docker image with everything set up to run electron-builder is the way to go. Maybe ask AI agent for a suggested dockerfile.

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