Binarycreator

binarycreator ... --silent-installer MyAppSilent.exe For online installers, add a repository URL so the app can self-update:

binarycreator -c config/config.xml -p packages -e myapp.core,myapp.docs MyAppOnlineInstaller.exe And for an (single big file with everything):

Download the Qt IFW from the official Qt site (open source under GPL/LGPL) and run binarycreator --help . Your first installer is only three files away. Have you used binarycreator in production? Or struggled with a peculiar bug? Let me know in the comments below. binarycreator

binarycreator --verbose -c config.xml -p packages output.exe It will dump every file it packs and every XML node it reads. | Problem | Likely Cause | |---------|---------------| | "Could not find package 'A'" | You forgot -p or the folder name doesn't match <Name> in package.xml | | Installer crashes on launch | The stub architecture mismatches the target (e.g., using Windows stub on macOS) | | Files missing after install | Forgot to put them in data/ or used symlinks (not followed) | | Script errors are silent | Enable --verbose during build and run installer with --verbose too | Alternatives to binarycreator If you are evaluating packaging tools, here is how binarycreator compares:

Today, we are pulling back the curtain on binarycreator . What is it, how does it work, and why should you care if you are packaging desktop software? binarycreator is the command-line tool provided by the Qt Installer Framework (Qt IFW) . Its job is simple to state but nuanced to execute: it consumes a set of XML configuration files and a folder of data, and produces a single, self-extracting executable installer. Have you used binarycreator in production

<!-- In config.xml --> <Installer> <RepositorySettings> <Repository url="https://updates.myapp.com/repo" /> </RepositorySettings> </Installer> When things go wrong (missing dependencies, broken scripts), run:

binarycreator ... --exclude-regex "(.*\.git.*|.*\.pyc$|.*\.DS_Store)" Generate an installer that runs without UI (for enterprise deployment): binarycreator --verbose -c config

If you have ever downloaded a commercial application like Maya , Unity , or Wireshark , you have likely run an installer built with the Qt Installer Framework. Behind the polished wizard dialogs (license agreements, component selection, target directory) lies a humble but powerful workhorse: binarycreator .