msix: A Dart repository from rezins

MSIX is a Windows app packaging format from Microsoft that combines the best features of MSI, .appx, App-V, and ClickOnce to provide a modern and reliable packaging experience.

This package offers a command line tool for creating MSIX installers from your Flutter app, making it easy to publish your app to the Microsoft Store or host it on a website.

📋 Installation

In your pubspec.yaml, add the msix package as a new dev dependency with the following command:

PS c:\src\flutter_project> flutter pub add --dev msix

📦 Creating an MSIX installer

To create a MSIX installer, run the following command:

PS c:\src\flutter_project> flutter pub run msix:create

⚙️ Configuring your installer

You will almost certainly want to customize various settings in the MSIX installer, such as the application title, the default icon, and which Windows capabilities your application needs. You can customize the generated MSIX installer by adding declarations to an msix_config: node in your pubspec.yaml file:

msix_config:
  display_name: Flutter App
  publisher_display_name: Company Name
  identity_name: company.suite.flutterapp
  msix_version: 1.0.0.0
  logo_path: C:\path\to\logo.png
  capabilities: internetClient, location, microphone, webcam

See Configurations Examples And Use Cases.

Available Configurations

MSIX configuration (click to expand)

YAML name	Command-line argument	Description (from Microsoft Package manifest schema reference)	Example
`display_name`	`--display-name` `-d`	A friendly app name that can be displayed to users.	`Flutter App`
`publisher_display_name`	`--publisher-display-name` `-u`	A friendly name for the publisher that can be displayed to users.	`Company Name`
`identity_name`	`--identity-name` `-i`	Defines the unique identifier for the app.	`company.suite.flutterapp`
`msix_version`	`--version`	The version number of the package, in `a.b.c.d` format. see how the msix version is determined.	`1.0.0.0`
`logo_path`	`--logo-path` `-l`	Path to an image file for use as the app icon (size recommended at least 400x400px).	`C:\images\logo.png`
`trim_logo`	`--trim-logo <true/false>`	If `false`, don't trim the logo image, default is `true`.	`true`
`capabilities`	`--capabilities` `-e`	List of the capabilities the app requires.	`internetClient,location,microphone,webcam`
`languages`	`--languages`	Declares the language resources contained in the package.	`en-us, ja-jp`
`file_extension`	`--file-extension` `-f`	File extensions that the app may be registered to open.	`.picture, .image`
`protocol_activation`	`--protocol-activation`	Protocols activation that will activate the app.	`http,https`
`app_uri_handler_hosts`	`--app-uri-handler-hosts`	Enable apps for websites using app URI handlers app.	`test.com, test2.info`
`execution_alias`	`--execution-alias`	Execution alias command (cmd) that will activate the app.	`myapp`
`enable_at_startup`	`--enable-at-startup`	App start at startup or user log-in.	`true`
`store`	`--store`	Generate a MSIX file for publishing to the Microsoft Store.	`false`
Toast Notifications configuration

Build configuration (click to expand)

YAML name	Command-line argument	Description	Example
`debug`	`--debug` or `--release`	Create MSIX from the debug or release build files (`\build\windows\runner\<Debug/Release>`), release is the default.	`true`
`output_path`	`--output-path` `-o`	The directory where the output MSIX file should be stored.	`C:\src\some\folder`
`output_name`	`--output-name` `-n`	The filename that should be given to the created MSIX file.	`flutterApp_dev`
`architecture`	`--architecture` `-h`	Describes the architecture of the code in the package, `x64` or `x86`, `x64` is default.	`x64`
`build_windows`	`--build-windows <true/false>`	If `false`, don't run the build command `flutter build windows`, default is `true`.	`true`

Sign configuration (click to expand)

YAML name	Command-line argument	Description	Example
`certificate_path`	`--certificate-path` `-c`	Path to the certificate content to place in the store.	`C:\certs\signcert.pfx` or `C:\certs\signcert.crt`
`certificate_password`	`--certificate-password` `-p`	Password for the certificate.	`1234`
`publisher`	`--publisher` `-b`	The `Subject` value in the certificate. Required only if publish to the store, or if the `Publisher` will not found automatically by this package.	`CN=BF212345-5644-46DF-8668-014043C1B138` or `CN=Contoso Software, O=Contoso Corporation, C=US`
`signtool_options`	`--signtool-options`	Options to be provided to the `signtool` for app signing (see below.)	`/v /fd SHA256 /f C:/Users/me/Desktop/my.cer`
`sign_msix`	`--sign-msix <true/false>`	If `false`, don't sign the msix file, default is `true`. Note: when false, `publisher` is Required.	`true`
`install_certificate`	`--install-certificate <true/false>`	If `false`, don't try to install the certificate, default is `true`.	`true`

✒️ Signing options

Published MSIX installers should be signed with a certificate, to help ensure that app installs and updates come from trustworthy sources.

For development purposes, this package is configured by default to automatically sign your app with a self signed test certificate, which makes it easy to test your install prior to release.
If you publish your app to the Microsoft Store, the installation package will be signed automatically by the store.
If you need to use your own signing certificate, for example to release the app outside of the Microsoft Store, you can use the configuration fields certificate_path and certificate_password to configure a certificate of your choice.

You can also provide custom options to the signing tool with the --signtool-options command, as shown above. For more information on available options, see the signtool documentation. Note that using this option overrides the certificate_path and certificate_password fields.

Note: By default, the MSIX package will install the certificate on your machine. You can disable this by using the --install-certificate false option, or the YAML option install_certificate: false.

Publishing to the Microsoft Store

To generate an MSIX file for publishing to the Microsoft Store, use the --store flag, or alternatively add store: true to the YAML configuration.

Note: For apps published to the Microsoft Store, the configuration values publisher_display_name, identity_name, msix_version and publisher must all be configured and should match the registered publisher and app name from the Microsoft Store dashboard, as per this screenshot.

🌐 Publishing outside the store

You can use the App Installer file to enable your users to install and update the app from local file share.

Note: installing from the web ms-appinstaller: is disabled for now.

To create a App Installer file, first set the publish_folder_path configuration, then run the following command:

PS c:\src\flutter_project> flutter pub run msix:publish

Available configurations for App Installer (click to expand)

App Installer configuration example:

msix_config:
  display_name: Flutter App
  app_installer: #<-- app installer configuration
    publish_folder_path: c:\path\to\myPublishFolder
    hours_between_update_checks: 0
    automatic_background_task: true
    update_blocks_activation: true
    show_prompt: true
    force_update_from_any_version: false
  msix_version: 1.0.3.0

YAML name	Command-line argument	Description (from Microsoft schema reference)	Example
`publish_folder_path`	`--publish-folder-path`	A path to publish folder, where the msix versions and the .appinstaller file will be saved.	`c:\path\to\myPublishFolder`
`hours_between_update_checks`	`--hours-between-update-checks`	Defines the minimal time gap between update checks, when the user open the app. default is 0 (will check for update every time the app opened)	`2`
`automatic_background_task`	`--automatic-background-task`	Checks for updates in the background every 8 hours independently of whether the user launched the app.	`false`
`update_blocks_activation`	`--update-blocks-activation`	Defines the experience when an app update is checked for.	`false`
`show_prompt`	`--show-prompt`	Defines if a window is displayed when updates are being installed, and when updates are being checked for.	`false`
`force_update_from_any_version`	`--force-update-from-any-version`	Allows the app to update from version x to version x++ or to downgrade from version x to version x--.	`false`

⚠️ Unsupported Features

We added the most common features of Msix in this package, however, if you need to add or edit a feature that is not supported yet, you can do this manually.

First, create the unpackaged msix files with the following command

PS c:\src\flutter_project> flutter pub run msix:build

Then edit the files that were created in the build folder.

After that create a msix installer file from those files with the following command

PS c:\src\flutter_project> flutter pub run msix:pack

Tags: msi windows win10 win11 windows10 windows11 windows store windows installer windows packaging appx AppxManifest SignTool MakeAppx

rezins/msix