beeware / beeware/briefcase

Support for Large Files in Windows MSI Installer

Open
#1,788 4 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
enhancement not quite right windows
Dominant language
Python
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1d 4h
Merged PRs (30d)
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Description

### What is the problem or limitation you are having?

Hello,
I have encountered an issue while using the Briefcase package to create MSI installers for applications that include large files, particularly due to dependencies like Torch with CUDA. It appears that Briefcase may have limitations in handling files above a certain size, leading to installation failures.

### Describe the solution you'd like

I've read that Briefcase may have limitations with handling files above a certain size when creating MSI installers. I'm particularly interested in modifying the WiX source (.wxs) file to incorporate resuming logic for large file downloads and integrating this with the Briefcase packaging process.

Could you kindly provide guidance on the following:

Modifying the WiX Source (.wxs) File:
How can I modify the WiX source file to add resuming logic for large file downloads? For example, how would I customize the WiX component to handle the download and integration of large dependencies like `torch==2.0.0 --extra-index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cu118` during the installation process?

### Describe alternatives you've considered

Integrating Modified WiX Files with Briefcase:
Once the WiX source file is modified to include resuming logic, how can I integrate these changes into the Briefcase packaging process? Are there specific steps or configurations within Briefcase that enable the use of custom WiX source files?

I believe implementing resuming logic for large file downloads would greatly enhance the usability of Briefcase for packaging applications with sizable dependencies.

Thank you for your time and assistance.

### Additional context

[wunjo.wxs.txt](https://github.com/beeware/briefcase/files/15283209/wunjo.wxs.txt)

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start by reviewing the attached wunjo.wxs.txt and the Briefcase MSI packaging flow to understand how WiX source is generated and consumed. Define what support for resumable large-file downloads and custom WiX integration would need to cover, then verify the behavior with an MSI containing a large dependency.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
build-system
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
25/100

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