Download File attributes
The Download File action downloads a file from the Internet or simulates downloading from a local file path. This action is typically used to obtain large installation files that are infrequently needed, for example a .Net runtime installer. The download action supports FTP, HTTP, HTTPS, and FILE protocols.
The result of the download action is available through the LastExitCode variable. Typically, a value of 0 (zero) indicates success, while any other value indicates failure.
Attributes
This pane contains the following attributes and options.
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Action name | Enter the name of the action. This name is only used in InstallMate and is not visible to the user. |
| Description | Enter the localizable description of the action. This description is displayed in progress messages in the installer while the action is executing. |
| Download URL |
Fully qualified URL of the file that must be downloaded. This can take on one of the following forms:
In all cases, server must be a server address that is valid for the protocol (for example, www.tarma.com for HTTP and HTTPS; ftp.tarma.com for FTP); it may include protocol-specific qualifiers such as www.tarma.com:8080 (a port number for HTTP) or username@ftp.tarma.com (a user name for FTP). Note that for the FILE protocol the server portion is empty; hence the three consecutive /// characters in that case. /path/to/file is the fully qualified path to the file on the server. |
| Local path |
Enter the local path to which the file must be downloaded, for example <PreinstallFolder>\dotnetfx.exe. The path must be fully qualified or the file will end up in an unpredictable location. |
| Condition |
Enter the conditional expression that determines if the action will be executed, or leave empty for unconditional execution. |
| Platforms... |
Click this button to open the Select Installation Platforms dialog box that allows you to select the Windows versions on which the action must be executed. This platform selection acts as an additional condition for the action. |
| Disabled | Check this box to disable the action. A disabled action is not included in the installer and not checked during the build. You can use this option to remove actions temporarily from your installer without permanently deleting them. Disabled actions are shown with a grayed-out icon. |
| Temporary |
Check this box to delete the file automatically at the end of the installer session; clear it to retain the file. This option is useful if the download file is used only once, as for example third-party installers often are. As an alternative, you can download the file to the <PreinstallFolder> location; all files in this folder are also automatically removed at the end of an installation session. |
| Check signature |
Check this box to check the digital signature on the downloaded file; clear it to omit the check. If you check this option and the downloaded file does not have a signature or the signature is not valid, then the file will be deleted immediately and the LastExitCode variable is set to a suitable (nonzero) value. This is the recommended option for executable files, because it offers some protection against rogue or malformed programs. Note: Executable files do not automatically contain a digital signature. If you want to use this option for your own executable files (including possibly additional installers), then you must sign those files yourself with a valid code signing certificate. See Digital signatures for more information about the general process, and Digitally Signing the Setup Package for information about signing your own installers. |