CPack IFW Generator — CMake 3.20.3 Documentation

# CPack IFW Generator

New in version 3.1.

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

Contents

- CPack IFW Generator

  - Overview

  - Variables

    - Debug

    - Package

    - Components

    - QtIFW Tools

    - Hints for Finding QtIFW

  - Other Settings

    - Online installer

    - Internationalization

  - See Also

## Overview

This `cpack generator` generates configuration and meta information for the Qt Installer Framework (QtIFW), and runs QtIFW tools to generate a Qt installer.

QtIFW provides tools and utilities to create installers for the platforms supported by Qt: Linux, Microsoft Windows, and macOS.

To make use of this generator, QtIFW needs to be installed. The `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

CPACK_IFW_VERBOSE

  New in version 3.3.

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

### Package

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_TITLE

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

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_PUBLISHER

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

CPACK_IFW_PRODUCT_URL

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

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_ICON

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

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_WINDOW_ICON

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

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_LOGO

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

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_WATERMARK

  New in version 3.8.

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

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_BANNER

  New in version 3.8.

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

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_BACKGROUND

  New in version 3.8.

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

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_WIZARD_STYLE

  New in version 3.8.

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

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_WIZARD_DEFAULT_WIDTH

  New in version 3.8.

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

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_WIZARD_DEFAULT_HEIGHT

  New in version 3.8.

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

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_WIZARD_SHOW_PAGE_LIST

  New in version 3.20.

  Set to `OFF` if the widget listing installer pages on the left side of the wizard should not be shown.

  It is `ON` by default, but will only have an effect if using QtIFW 4.0 or later.

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_TITLE_COLOR

  New in version 3.8.

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

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_STYLE_SHEET

  New in version 3.15.

  Filename for a stylesheet.

CPACK_IFW_TARGET_DIRECTORY

  Default target directory for installation. By default used "@ApplicationsDir@/`CPACK_PACKAGE_INSTALL_DIRECTORY`" (variables embedded in '@' are expanded by the QtIFW scripting engine).

  You can use predefined variables.

CPACK_IFW_ADMIN_TARGET_DIRECTORY

  Default target directory for installation with administrator rights.

  You can use predefined variables.

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_REMOVE_TARGET_DIR

  New in version 3.11.

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

  Is `ON` by default

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_GROUP

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

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_NAME

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

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_START_MENU_DIRECTORY

  New in version 3.3.

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

  By default used `CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_NAME`.

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_MAINTENANCE_TOOL_NAME

  New in version 3.3.

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

  By default used QtIFW defaults (`maintenancetool`).

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_MAINTENANCE_TOOL_INI_FILE

  New in version 3.3.

  Filename for the configuration of the generated maintenance tool.

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

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_ALLOW_NON_ASCII_CHARACTERS

  New in version 3.3.

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

  Is `ON` for QtIFW less 2.0 tools.

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_ALLOW_SPACE_IN_PATH

  New in version 3.3.

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

  Is `ON` for QtIFW less 2.0 tools.

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_CONTROL_SCRIPT

  New in version 3.3.

  Filename for a custom installer control script.

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_RESOURCES

  New in version 3.7.

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

  You can use `cpack_ifw_add_package_resources()` command to resolve relative paths.

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGE_FILE_EXTENSION

  New in version 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.

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 `cpack_ifw_add_repository()` or updated with command `cpack_ifw_update_repository()`.

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

CPACK_IFW_RESOLVE_DUPLICATE_NAMES

  Resolve duplicate names when installing components with groups.

CPACK_IFW_PACKAGES_DIRECTORIES

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

CPACK_IFW_REPOSITORIES_DIRECTORIES

  New in version 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

CPACK_IFW_FRAMEWORK_VERSION

  New in version 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 `CPackIFW`. These variables are cached, and may be configured if needed.

CPACK_IFW_ARCHIVEGEN_EXECUTABLE

  New in version 3.19.

  The path to `archivegen`.

CPACK_IFW_BINARYCREATOR_EXECUTABLE

  The path to `binarycreator`.

CPACK_IFW_REPOGEN_EXECUTABLE

  The path to `repogen`.

CPACK_IFW_INSTALLERBASE_EXECUTABLE

  The path to `installerbase`.

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:

CPACK_IFW_ROOT

  New in version 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.

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 `CPACK_IFW_ROOT` variable has a higher priority and overrides the value of the `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 `cpack_add_component()` command specifies that a component is to be downloaded. Alternatively, the `ALL` option in the `cpack_configure_downloads()` command specifies that all components are to be be downloaded.

The `cpack_ifw_add_repository()` command and the `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 `CPackComponent` module, especially the section on the `cpack_configure_downloads()` function, explains how to make these files accessible from a download URL.

### Internationalization

New in version 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:

    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