MSI¶

GoReleaser Pro

One or more features are exclusively available with GoReleaser Pro.

GoReleaser can create MSI installers for windows binaries using msitools.

The msi section specifies how the installers should be created:

.goreleaser.yaml

msi:
  - # ID of the resulting installer.
    #
    # Default: the project name.
    id: foo

    # Filename of the installer (without the extension).
    #
    # Default: '{{.ProjectName}}_{{.MsiArch}}'.
    # Templates: allowed.
    name: "myproject-{{.MsiArch}}"

    # The WXS file used to create the installers.
    # The file contents go through the templating engine, so you can do things
    # like `{{.Version}}` inside of it.
    #
    # Templates: allowed.
    # Required.
    wxs: ./windows/app.wsx

    # IDs of the archives to use.
    # Empty means all IDs.
    ids:
      - foo
      - bar

    # GOAMD64 to specify which amd64 version to use if there are multiple
    # versions from the build section.
    #
    # Default: v1.
    goamd64: v1

    # More files that will be available in the context in which the installer
    # will be built.
    extra_files:
      - logo.ico

    # Sets extensions to msitools/wix.
    # See: https://wixtoolset.org/docs/v3/howtos/general/extension_usage_introduction/
    #
    # Templates: allowed.
    # Since: v2.6.
    extensions:
      - '{{ if eq .Runtime.Goos "windows" }}WixUIExtension{{ end }}'
      - "WixUtilExtension"

    # Whether to remove the archives from the artifact list.
    # If left as false, your end release will have both the zip and the msi
    # files.
    replace: true

    # Set the modified timestamp on the output installer, typically
    # you would do this to ensure a build was reproducible.
    # Pass an empty string to skip modifying the output.
    #
    # Templates: allowed.
    mod_timestamp: "{{ .CommitTimestamp }}"

    # Schema version to use.
    # msitools only supports v3.
    # wixtoolset v3 supports v3.
    # wix v4/v5 supports v4.
    #
    # Valid options: 'v3', 'v4'.
    # Default: inferred from the .wxs file.
    # Since: v2.7
    version: v4

On Windows, it'll try to use the candle and light binaries from the Wix Toolkit instead if schema is v3. It'll use wix otherwise..

If you use any extensions, make sure to install them first. You can do so with wix extension add -g <extension name>.

Here's an example wsx file that you can build upon:

Schema v4Schema v3

<Wix xmlns="http://wixtoolset.org/schemas/v4/wxs">
  <Package
    Name="{{.ProjectName}} {{.Version}}"
    UpgradeCode="ABCDDCBA-7349-453F-94F6-BCB5110BA4FD"
    Language="1033"
    Codepage="1252"
    Version="{{.Version}}"
    Manufacturer="My Company"
    InstallerVersion="200"
    ProductCode="ABCDDCBA-86C7-4D14-AEC0-86416A69ABDE">
    <SummaryInformation
      Keywords="Installer"
      Description="{{.ProjectName}} installer"
      Manufacturer="My Company" />
    <Media
      Id="1"
      Cabinet="Sample.cab"
      EmbedCab="yes"
      DiskPrompt="CD-ROM #1" />
    <Property
      Id="DiskPrompt"
      Value="{{.ProjectName}} {{.Version}} Installation [1]" />
    <Feature
      Id="Complete"
      Level="1">
      <ComponentRef Id="MainExecutable" />
    </Feature>
    <StandardDirectory Id='ProgramFiles{{ if eq .Arch "amd64" }}64{{ end }}Folder'>
      <Directory
        Id="{{.ProjectName}}"
        Name="{{.ProjectName}}">
        <Component
          Id="MainExecutable"
          Guid="ABCDDCBA-83F1-4F22-985B-FDB3C8ABD471">
          <File
            Id="{{.Binary}}exe"
            Name="{{.Binary}}.exe"
            DiskId="1"
            Source="{{.Binary}}.exe"
            KeyPath="yes" />
        </Component>
      </Directory>
    </StandardDirectory>
  </Package>
</Wix>

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='windows-1252'?>
<Wix xmlns='http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi'>
  {{ if eq .MsiArch "x64" }}
  <?define ArchString = "(64 bit)" ?>
  <?define Win64 = "yes" ?>
  <?define ProgramFilesFolder = "ProgramFiles64Folder" ?>
  {{ else }}
  <?define ArchString = "" ?>
  <?define Win64 = "no" ?>
  <?define ProgramFilesFolder = "ProgramFilesFolder" ?>
  {{ end }}
  <Product
    Name='{{.ProjectName}} {{.Version}}'
    Id='ABCDDCBA-86C7-4D14-AEC0-86413A69ABDE'
    UpgradeCode='ABCDDCBA-7349-453F-94F6-BCB5110BA8FD'
    Language='1033'
    Codepage='1252'
    Version='{{.Version}}'
    Manufacturer='My Company'>

    <Package
      Id='*'
      Keywords='Installer'
      Description="{{.ProjectName}} installer"
      Manufacturer='My Company'
      InstallerVersion='200'
      Languages='1033'
      Compressed='yes'
      SummaryCodepage='1252'
    />

    <Media
      Id='1'
      Cabinet='Sample.cab'
      EmbedCab='yes'
      DiskPrompt="CD-ROM #1"
    />

    <Property
      Id='DiskPrompt'
      Value="{{.ProjectName}} {{.Version}} Installation [1]"
    />

    <Directory Id='TARGETDIR' Name='SourceDir'>
      <Directory Id='ProgramFilesFolder' Name='PFiles'>
        <Directory Id='{{.ProjectName}}' Name='{{.ProjectName}}'>
          <Component
            Id='MainExecutable'
            Guid='ABCDDCBA-83F1-4F22-985B-FDB3C8ABD474'
          >
            <File
              Id='{{.Binary}}.exe'
              Name='{{.Binary}}.exe'
              DiskId='1'
              Source='{{.Binary}}.exe'
              KeyPath='yes'
            />
          </Component>
        </Directory>
      </Directory>
    </Directory>

    <Feature Id='Complete' Level='1'>
      <ComponentRef Id='MainExecutable' />
    </Feature>
  </Product>
</Wix>

Limitations¶

Some options available in the Wix Toolset won't work with msitools, run a snapshot build and verify the generated installers. Also note that msitools only supports some parts of the v3 schema.
Only amd64 and 386 are supported. arm64 support was added in GoReleaser v2.7.
Be mindful of schema versions. Also worth noting that extension names might be different in v4¹.

Tip

Discover more about the name template engine.

See documentation for reference. ↩