.net - Installing a Windows Service with dependencies

Question

My installer program doesn't suppport installing services but I can run a program/command line etc so my question is how can I install a Windows Service and add 2 dependencies using the command line? The program is a .Net 2.0 app.

Thanks

Answer 1

You can write a self-installing service and have it set a list of services your service depends on when the installer is executed.

Basic steps:

• Add a reference to System.Configuration.Install to your project.
• Add a class that derives from System.Configuration.Install.Installer and has the RunInstaller attribute applied.
• In its constructor create both a ServiceProcessInstaller and a ServiceInstaller object.
• On the ServiceInstaller object you mark all the dependencies you want/need with the ServicesDependedOn property.
• Add these two installers to the InstallersCollection your installer inherited from System.Configuration.Install.Installer
• done.

edit: forgot to mention that you can use e.g. Installutil.exe to invoke the installer.

[RunInstaller(true)]
public class MyServiceInstaller : Installer
{
    public MyServiceInstaller()
    {
        using ( ServiceProcessInstaller procInstaller=new ServiceProcessInstaller() ) {
            procInstaller.Account = ServiceAccount.LocalSystem;
            using ( ServiceInstaller installer=new ServiceInstaller() ) {
                installer.StartType = ServiceStartMode.Automatic;
                installer.ServiceName = "FooService";
                installer.DisplayName = "serves a lot of foo.";

                installer.ServicesDependedOn = new string [] { "CLIPBOOK" };
                this.Installers.Add(procInstaller);
                this.Installers.Add(installer);
            }
        }
    }
}