CPack Inno Setup Generator¶
New in version 3.27.
Inno Setup is a free installer for Windows programs by Jordan Russell and Martijn Laan (https://jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php).
This documentation explains Inno Setup generator specific options.
The generator provides a lot of options like components. Unfortunately, not all features (e.g. component dependencies) are currently supported by Inno Setup and they're ignored by the generator for now.
CPack requires Inno Setup 6 or greater.
New in version 3.30: The generator is now available on non-Windows hosts, but requires Wine to run the Inno Setup tools.
Variables specific to CPack Inno Setup generator¶
You can use the following variables to change the behavior of the CPack
INNOSETUP generator:
General¶
None of the following variables is required to be set for the Inno Setup generator to work. If a variable is marked as mandatory below but not set, its default value is taken.
The variables can also contain Inno Setup constants like {app}. Please
refer to the documentation of Inno Setup for more information.
If you're asked to provide the path to any file, you can always give an
absolute path or in most cases the relative path from the top-level directory
where all files being installed by an install() instruction reside.
CPack tries to escape quotes and other special characters for you. However, using special characters could cause problems.
The following variable simplifies the usage of Inno Setup in CMake:
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_USE_CMAKE_BOOL_FORMAT¶
- Inno Setup only uses - yesor- noas boolean formats meanwhile CMake uses a lot of alternative formats like- ONor- OFF. Having this option turned on enables an automatic conversion.- Consider the following example: - set(CMAKE_INNOSETUP_SETUP_AllowNoIcons OFF) - If this option is turned on, the following line will be created in the output script: - AllowNoIcons=no. Else, the following erroneous line will be created:- AllowNoIcons=OFF- The conversion is enabled in every Inno Setup specific variable. - Mandatory:
- Yes 
- Default:
- ON
 
Setup Specific Variables¶
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_ARCHITECTURE¶
- One of - x86,- x64,- arm64or- ia64. This variable specifies the target architecture of the installer. This also affects the Program Files folder or registry keys being used.- CPack tries to determine the correct value with a try compile (see - CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P), but this option can be manually specified too (especially when using- ia64or cross-platform compilation).- Mandatory:
- Yes 
- Default:
- Either - x86or- x64depending on the results of the try-compile
 
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_INSTALL_ROOT¶
- If you don't want the installer to create the installation directory under Program Files, you've to specify the installation root here. - The full directory of the installation will be: - ${CPACK_INNOSETUP_INSTALL_ROOT}/${CPACK_PACKAGE_INSTALL_DIRECTORY}.- Mandatory:
- Yes 
- Default:
- {autopf}
 
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_ALLOW_CUSTOM_DIRECTORY¶
- If turned on, the installer allows the user to change the installation directory providing an extra wizard page. - Mandatory:
- Yes 
- Default:
- ON
 
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_PROGRAM_MENU_FOLDER¶
- The initial name of the start menu folder being created. - If this variable is set to - ., then no separate folder is created, application shortcuts will appear in the top-level start menu folder.- Mandatory:
- Yes 
- Default:
- The value of - CPACK_PACKAGE_NAME
 
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_LANGUAGES¶
- A semicolon-separated list of languages you want Inno Setup to include. - Currently available: - armenian,- brazilianPortuguese,- bulgarian,- catalan,- corsican,- czech,- danish,- dutch,- english,- finnish,- french,- german,- hebrew,- icelandic,- italian,- japanese,- norwegian,- polish,- portuguese,- russian,- slovak,- slovenian,- spanish,- turkishand- ukrainian. This list might differ depending on the version of Inno Setup.- Mandatory:
- Yes 
- Default:
- english
 
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_IGNORE_LICENSE_PAGE¶
- If you don't specify a license file using - CPACK_RESOURCE_FILE_LICENSE, CPack uses a file for demonstration purposes. If you want the installer to ignore license files at all, you can enable this option.- Mandatory:
- Yes 
- Default:
- OFF
 
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_IGNORE_README_PAGE¶
- If you don't specify a readme file using - CPACK_RESOURCE_FILE_README, CPack uses a file for demonstration purposes. If you want the installer to ignore readme files at all, you can enable this option. Make sure the option is disabled when using a custom readme file.- Mandatory:
- Yes 
- Default:
- ON
 
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_PASSWORD¶
- Enables password protection and file encryption with the given password. - Mandatory:
- No 
 
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_USE_MODERN_WIZARD¶
- Enables the modern look and feel provided by Inno Setup. If this option is turned off, the classic style is used instead. Images and icon files are also affected. - Mandatory:
- Yes 
- Default:
- OFFbecause of compatibility reasons
 
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_ICON_FILE¶
- The path to a custom installer - .icofile.- Use - CPACK_PACKAGE_ICONto customize the bitmap file being shown in the wizard.- Mandatory:
- No 
 
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_SETUP_<directive>¶
- This group allows adapting any of the - [Setup]section directives provided by Inno Setup where- directiveis its name.- Here are some examples: - set(CPACK_INNOSETUP_SETUP_WizardSmallImageFile "my_bitmap.bmp") set(CPACK_INNOSETUP_SETUP_AllowNoIcons OFF) # This requires CPACK_INNOSETUP_USE_CMAKE_BOOL_FORMAT to be on - All of these variables have higher priority than the others. Consider the following example: - set(CPACK_INNOSETUP_SETUP_Password "admin") set(CPACK_INNOSETUP_PASSWORD "secret") - The password will be - adminat the end because- CPACK_INNOSETUP_PASSWORDhas less priority than- CPACK_INNOSETUP_SETUP_Password.- Mandatory:
- No 
 
File Specific Variables¶
Although all files being installed by an install() instruction are
automatically processed and added to the installer, there are some variables
to customize the installation process.
Before using executables (only .exe or .com) in shortcuts
(e.g. CPACK_CREATE_DESKTOP_LINKS) or [Run] entries, you've to
add the raw file name (without path and extension) to
CPACK_PACKAGE_EXECUTABLES and create a start menu shortcut
for them.
If you have two files with the same raw name (e.g. a/executable.exe and
b/executable.com), an entry in the section is created twice. This will
result in undefined behavior and is not recommended.
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_CUSTOM_INSTALL_INSTRUCTIONS¶
- This variable should contain a semicolon-separated list of pairs - path,- instructionand can be used to customize the install command being automatically created for each file or directory.- CPack creates the following Inno Setup instruction for every file... - Source: "absolute\path\to\my_file.txt"; DestDir: "{app}"; Flags: ignoreversion- ...and the following line for every directory: - Name: "{app}\my_folder"- You might want to change the destination directory or the flags of - my_file.txt. Since we can also provide a relative path, the line you'd like to have, is the following:- Source: "my_file.txt"; DestDir: "{userdocs}"; Flags: ignoreversion uninsneveruninstall- You would do this by using - my_file.txtas- pathand- Source: "my_file.txt"; DestDir: "{userdocs}"; Flags: ignoreversion uninsneveruninstallas- instruction.- You've to take care of the escaping problem. So the CMake command would be: - set(CPACK_INNOSETUP_CUSTOM_INSTALL_INSTRUCTIONS "my_file.txt;Source: \\\"my_file.txt\\\"\\; DestDir: \\\"{userdocs}\\\"\\; Flags: ignoreversion uninsneveruninstall") - To improve readability, you should go around the escaping problem by using - CPACK_VERBATIM_VARIABLESor by placing the instruction into a separate CPack project config file.- If you customize the install instruction of a specific file, you lose the connection to its component. To go around, manually add - Components: <component>. You also need to add its shortcuts and- [Run]entries by yourself in a custom section, since the executable won't be found anymore by- CPACK_PACKAGE_EXECUTABLES.- Here's another example (Note: You've to go around the escaping problem for the example to work): - set(CPACK_INNOSETUP_CUSTOM_INSTALL_INSTRUCTIONS "component1/my_folder" "Name: \"{userdocs}\\my_folder\"\; Components: component1" "component2/my_folder2/my_file.txt" "Source: \"component2\\my_folder2\\my_file.txt\"\; DestDir: \"{app}\\my_folder2\\my_file.txt\"\; Flags: ignoreversion uninsneveruninstall\; Components: component2") - Mandatory:
- No 
 
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_MENU_LINKS¶
- This variable should contain a semicolon-separated list of pairs - link,- link nameand can be used to add shortcuts into the start menu folder beside those of the executables (see- CPACK_PACKAGE_EXECUTABLES). While- link nameis the label,- linkcan be a URL or a path relative to the installation directory.- Here's an example: - set(CPACK_INNOSETUP_MENU_LINKS "doc/cmake-@CMake_VERSION_MAJOR@.@CMake_VERSION_MINOR@/cmake.html" "CMake Help" "https://cmake.org" "CMake Web Site") - Mandatory:
- No 
 
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_CREATE_UNINSTALL_LINK¶
- If this option is turned on, a shortcut to the application's uninstaller is automatically added to the start menu folder. - Mandatory:
- Yes 
- Default:
- OFF
 
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_RUN_EXECUTABLES¶
- A semicolon-separated list of executables being specified in - CPACK_PACKAGE_EXECUTABLESwhich the user can run when the installer finishes.- They're internally added to the - [Run]section.- Mandatory:
- No 
 
Components Specific Variables¶
The generator supports components and also downloaded components. However, there are some features of components that aren't supported yet (especially component dependencies). These variables are ignored for now.
CPack will change a component's name in Inno Setup if it has a parent group
for technical reasons. Consider using group\component as component name in
Inno Setup scripts if you have the component component and its parent
group group.
Here are some additional variables for components:
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_<compName>_INSTALL_DIRECTORY¶
- If you don't want the component - compNameto be installed under- {app}, you've to specify its installation directory here.- Mandatory:
- No 
 
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_VERIFY_DOWNLOADS¶
- This option only affects downloaded components. - If this option is turned on, the hashes of the downloaded archives are calculated during compile and download time. The installer will only proceed if they match. - Mandatory:
- Yes 
- Default:
- ON
 
Compilation and Scripting Specific Variables¶
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_EXECUTABLE¶
- The filename of the Inno Setup Script Compiler command. - Mandatory:
- Yes 
- Default:
- ISCC
 
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_EXECUTABLE_ARGUMENTS¶
- A semicolon-separated list of extra command-line options for the Inno Setup Script Compiler command. - For example: - /Qp;/Smysigntool=$p- Take care of the escaping problem. - Mandatory:
- No 
 
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_DEFINE_<macro>¶
- This group allows to add custom define directives as command-line options to the Inno Setup Preprocessor command. Each entry emulates a - #define public <macro>directive. Its macro is accessible from anywhere (- public), so it can also be used in extra script files.- Macro names must not contain any special characters. Refer to the Inno Setup Preprocessor documentation for the detailed rules. - Consider the following example: - # The following line emulates: #define public MyMacro "Hello, World!" set(CPACK_INNOSETUP_DEFINE_MyMacro "Hello, World!") - At this point, you can use - MyMacroanywhere. For example in the following extra script:- AppComments={#emit "'My Macro' has the value: " + MyMacro}- Take care of the escaping problem. - Mandatory:
- No 
 
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_EXTRA_SCRIPTS¶
- A semicolon-separated list of paths to additional - .issscript files to be processed.- They're internally included at the top of the output script file using a - #includedirective.- You can add any section in your file to extend the installer (e.g. adding additional tasks or registry keys). Prefer using - CPACK_INNOSETUP_SETUP_<directive>when extending the- [Setup]section.- Mandatory:
- No 
 
- CPACK_INNOSETUP_CODE_FILES¶
- A semicolon-separated list of paths to additional Pascal files to be processed. - This variable is actually the same as - CPACK_INNOSETUP_EXTRA_SCRIPTS, except you don't have to add- [Code]at the top of your file. Never change the current section in a code file. This will result in undefined behavior! Treat them as normal Pascal scripts instead.- Code files are included at the very bottom of the output script. - Mandatory:
- No 
 
