path: root/Help/cpack_gen/ifw.rst

CPack IFW Generator
-------------------

.. versionadded:: 3.1

Configure and run the Qt Installer Framework to generate a Qt installer.

.. only:: html

  .. contents::

Overview
^^^^^^^^

This :manual:`cpack generator <cpack-generators(7)>` generates
configuration and meta information for the `Qt Installer Framework
<http://doc.qt.io/qtinstallerframework/index.html>`_ (QtIFW),
and runs QtIFW tools to generate a Qt installer.

QtIFW provides tools and utilities to create installers for
the platforms supported by `Qt <https://www.qt.io>`_: Linux,
Microsoft Windows, and macOS.

To make use of this generator, QtIFW needs to be installed.
The :module:`CPackIFW` module looks for the location of the
QtIFW command-line utilities, and defines several commands to
control the behavior of this generator.

Variables
^^^^^^^^^

You can use the following variables to change behavior of CPack ``IFW``
generator.

Debug
"""""

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_VERBOSE

 .. versionadded:: 3.3

 Set to ``ON`` to enable addition debug output.
 By default is ``OFF``.

Package
"""""""

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_TITLE

 Name of the installer as displayed on the title bar.
 By default used :variable:`CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION_SUMMARY`.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_PUBLISHER

 Publisher of the software (as shown in the Windows Control Panel).
 By default used :variable:`CPACK_PACKAGE_VENDOR`.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PRODUCT_URL

 URL to a page that contains product information on your web site.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_ICON

 Filename for a custom installer icon. The actual file is '.icns' (macOS),
 '.ico' (Windows). No functionality on Unix.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_WINDOW_ICON

 Filename for a custom window icon in PNG format for the Installer
 application.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_LOGO

 Filename for a logo is used as QWizard::LogoPixmap.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_WATERMARK

 .. versionadded:: 3.8

 Filename for a watermark is used as QWizard::WatermarkPixmap.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_BANNER

 .. versionadded:: 3.8

 Filename for a banner is used as QWizard::BannerPixmap.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_BACKGROUND

 .. versionadded:: 3.8

 Filename for an image used as QWizard::BackgroundPixmap (only used by MacStyle).

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_WIZARD_STYLE

 .. versionadded:: 3.8

 Wizard style to be used ("Modern", "Mac", "Aero" or "Classic").

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_WIZARD_DEFAULT_WIDTH

 .. versionadded:: 3.8

 Default width of the wizard in pixels. Setting a banner image will override this.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_WIZARD_DEFAULT_HEIGHT

 .. versionadded:: 3.8

 Default height of the wizard in pixels. Setting a watermark image will override this.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_TITLE_COLOR

 .. versionadded:: 3.8

 Color of the titles and subtitles (takes an HTML color code, such as "#88FF33").

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_STYLE_SHEET

 .. versionadded:: 3.15

 Filename for a stylesheet.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_TARGET_DIRECTORY

 Default target directory for installation.
 By default used
 "@ApplicationsDir@/:variable:`CPACK_PACKAGE_INSTALL_DIRECTORY`"
 (variables embedded in '@' are expanded by the
 `QtIFW scripting engine <https://doc.qt.io/qtinstallerframework/scripting.html>`_).

 You can use predefined variables.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_ADMIN_TARGET_DIRECTORY

 Default target directory for installation with administrator rights.

 You can use predefined variables.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_REMOVE_TARGET_DIR

 .. versionadded:: 3.11

 Set to ``OFF`` if the target directory should not be deleted when uninstalling.

 Is ``ON`` by default

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_GROUP

 The group, which will be used to configure the root package

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_NAME

 The root package name, which will be used if configuration group is not
 specified

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_START_MENU_DIRECTORY

 .. versionadded:: 3.3

 Name of the default program group for the product in the Windows Start menu.

 By default used :variable:`CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_NAME`.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_MAINTENANCE_TOOL_NAME

 .. versionadded:: 3.3

 Filename of the generated maintenance tool.
 The platform-specific executable file extension is appended.

 By default used QtIFW defaults (``maintenancetool``).

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_MAINTENANCE_TOOL_INI_FILE

 .. versionadded:: 3.3

 Filename for the configuration of the generated maintenance tool.

 By default used QtIFW defaults (``maintenancetool.ini``).

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_ALLOW_NON_ASCII_CHARACTERS

 .. versionadded:: 3.3

 Set to ``ON`` if the installation path can contain non-ASCII characters.

 Is ``ON`` for QtIFW less 2.0 tools.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_ALLOW_SPACE_IN_PATH

 .. versionadded:: 3.3

 Set to ``OFF`` if the installation path cannot contain space characters.

 Is ``ON`` for QtIFW less 2.0 tools.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_CONTROL_SCRIPT

 .. versionadded:: 3.3

 Filename for a custom installer control script.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_RESOURCES

 .. versionadded:: 3.7

 List of additional resources ('.qrc' files) to include in the installer
 binary.

 You can use :command:`cpack_ifw_add_package_resources` command to resolve
 relative paths.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_FILE_EXTENSION

 .. versionadded:: 3.10

 The target binary extension.

 On Linux, the name of the target binary is automatically extended with
 '.run', if you do not specify the extension.

 On Windows, the target is created as an application with the extension
 '.exe', which is automatically added, if not supplied.

 On Mac, the target is created as an DMG disk image with the extension
 '.dmg', which is automatically added, if not supplied.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_REPOSITORIES_ALL

 The list of remote repositories.

 The default value of this variable is computed by CPack and contains
 all repositories added with command :command:`cpack_ifw_add_repository`
 or updated with command :command:`cpack_ifw_update_repository`.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_DOWNLOAD_ALL

 If this is ``ON`` all components will be downloaded.
 By default is ``OFF`` or used value
 from ``CPACK_DOWNLOAD_ALL`` if set

Components
""""""""""

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_RESOLVE_DUPLICATE_NAMES

 Resolve duplicate names when installing components with groups.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_PACKAGES_DIRECTORIES

 Additional prepared packages dirs that will be used to resolve
 dependent components.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_REPOSITORIES_DIRECTORIES

 .. versionadded:: 3.10

 Additional prepared repository dirs that will be used to resolve and
 repack dependent components. This feature available only
 since QtIFW 3.1.

QtIFW Tools
"""""""""""

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_FRAMEWORK_VERSION

 .. versionadded:: 3.3

 The version of used QtIFW tools.

The following variables provide the locations of the QtIFW
command-line tools as discovered by the module :module:`CPackIFW`.
These variables are cached, and may be configured if needed.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_ARCHIVEGEN_EXECUTABLE

 .. versionadded:: 3.19

 The path to ``archivegen``.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_BINARYCREATOR_EXECUTABLE

 The path to ``binarycreator``.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_REPOGEN_EXECUTABLE

 The path to ``repogen``.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_INSTALLERBASE_EXECUTABLE

 The path to ``installerbase``.

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_DEVTOOL_EXECUTABLE

 The path to ``devtool``.

Hints for Finding QtIFW
"""""""""""""""""""""""

Generally, the CPack ``IFW`` generator automatically finds QtIFW tools,
but if you don't use a default path for installation of the QtIFW tools,
the path may be specified in either a CMake or an environment variable:

.. variable:: CPACK_IFW_ROOT

 .. versionadded:: 3.9

 An CMake variable which specifies the location of the QtIFW tool suite.

 The variable will be cached in the ``CPackConfig.cmake`` file and used at
 CPack runtime.

.. variable:: QTIFWDIR

 An environment variable which specifies the location of the QtIFW tool
 suite.

.. note::
  The specified path should not contain "bin" at the end
  (for example: "D:\\DevTools\\QtIFW2.0.5").

The :variable:`CPACK_IFW_ROOT` variable has a higher priority and overrides
the value of the :variable:`QTIFWDIR` variable.

Other Settings
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Online installer
""""""""""""""""

By default, this generator generates an *offline installer*. This means that
that all packaged files are fully contained in the installer executable.

In contrast, an *online installer* will download some or all components from
a remote server.

The ``DOWNLOADED`` option in the :command:`cpack_add_component` command
specifies that a component is to be downloaded. Alternatively, the ``ALL``
option in the :command:`cpack_configure_downloads` command specifies that
`all` components are to be be downloaded.

The :command:`cpack_ifw_add_repository` command and the
:variable:`CPACK_IFW_DOWNLOAD_ALL` variable allow for more specific
configuration.

When there are online components, CPack will write them to archive files.
The help page of the :module:`CPackComponent` module, especially the section
on the :command:`cpack_configure_downloads` function, explains how to make
these files accessible from a download URL.

Internationalization
""""""""""""""""""""

.. versionadded:: 3.9

Some variables and command arguments support internationalization via
CMake script. This is an optional feature.

Installers created by QtIFW tools have built-in support for
internationalization and many phrases are localized to many languages,
but this does not apply to the description of the your components and groups
that will be distributed.

Localization of the description of your components and groups is useful for
users of your installers.

A localized variable or argument can contain a single default value, and a
set of pairs the name of the locale and the localized value.

For example:

.. code-block:: cmake

   set(LOCALIZABLE_VARIABLE "Default value"
     en "English value"
     en_US "American value"
     en_GB "Great Britain value"
     )

See Also
^^^^^^^^

Qt Installer Framework Manual:

* Index page:
  http://doc.qt.io/qtinstallerframework/index.html

* Component Scripting:
  http://doc.qt.io/qtinstallerframework/scripting.html

* Predefined Variables:
  http://doc.qt.io/qtinstallerframework/scripting.html#predefined-variables

* Promoting Updates:
  http://doc.qt.io/qtinstallerframework/ifw-updates.html

Download Qt Installer Framework for your platform from Qt site:
 http://download.qt.io/official_releases/qt-installer-framework