# Creating an all-in-one Windows installer for application deployment...?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/creating-an-all-in-one-windows-installer-for-application-deployment/170600>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [June 19, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/creating-an-all-in-one-windows-installer-for-application-deployment/170600 "2009-06-19T15:53:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dezrtdude](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@dezrtdude](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dezrtdude)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/creating-an-all-in-one-windows-installer-for-application-deployment/170600/1 "2009-06-19T15:53:50Z")

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Hi All,

I’m in the process of deploying a rails application to Windows  
machines. In order to keep my sanity, I do all of my development with  
OS X and Linux, but the final app will actually run on Windows  
machines.

That said, my client is looking for an all-in-one Apache(I had to talk  
him out of IIS)+Rails+Application deployment/installer. He wants to  
hand all of his (Windows-based) clients an install CD for their  
respective servers (they all want their own setup).

Is there anything like this in existence? I realize Capistrano exists  
but that requires a great deal of setup on the hosts (especially for  
Windows) beforehand and it’s not very feasible in this particular  
case.

In the past I’ve used InnoSetup ([Inno Setup](http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php))  
for creating installers, but I’m not sure that’s going to work in this  
case – as I need to bundle multiple installers, then run some post-  
install items.

If you guys have any input, suggestions, or highly persuasive client  
techniques (to talk them all out of Windows =P) it would be most  
appreciated.

Best.

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**Author:** ![dezrtdude](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@dezrtdude](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dezrtdude)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/creating-an-all-in-one-windows-installer-for-application-deployment/170600/2 "2009-06-19T17:18:35Z")

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2009/6/19 gberz3 [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid):

> him out of IIS)+Rails+Application deployment/installer. Â He wants to  
> hand all of his (Windows-based) clients an install CD for their  
> respective servers (they all want their own setup).
> 
> Is there anything like this in existence? Â I realize Capistrano exists  
> but that requires a great deal of setup on the hosts (especially for  
> Windows) beforehand and it’s not very feasible in this particular  
> case.

Have a look at InstantRails. This is an all in one setup with apache  
that provides the full rails environment (though not the latest unless  
it has been recently updated) and a couple of sample apps. In fact I  
think it is not even an installer, just put it in a folder and it  
works. You may be able to build on this for your requirements.

Colin

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**Author:** ![dezrtdude](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@dezrtdude](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dezrtdude)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 10:11pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/creating-an-all-in-one-windows-installer-for-application-deployment/170600/3 "2009-06-19T22:11:18Z")

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Colin L. wrote:

> Have a look at InstantRails. […]

Yeah. Other options (not that I’ve tried these):

- Slingshot
- Moonshine (different approach, but might be worth a look)
- Or just use JRuby and package the app as a Java application. This is  
the way Mingle does it, and should be pretty much OS-agnostic.

## Best,

Marnen Laibow-Koser  
[http://www.marnen.org](http://www.marnen.org)  
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid