161 lines
7.4 KiB
Markdown
161 lines
7.4 KiB
Markdown
# Windows Store Guide
|
|
|
|
With Windows 8, the good old win32 executable got a new sibling: The Universal
|
|
Windows Platform. The new `.appx` format does not only enable a number of new
|
|
powerful APIs like Cortana or Push Notifications, but through the Windows Store,
|
|
also simplifies installation and updating.
|
|
|
|
Microsoft [developed a tool that compiles Electron apps as `.appx` packages][electron-windows-store],
|
|
enabling developers to use some of the goodies found in the new application
|
|
model. This guide explains how to use it - and what the capabilities and
|
|
limitations of an Electron AppX package are.
|
|
|
|
## Background and Requirements
|
|
|
|
Windows 10 "Anniversary Update" is able to run win32 `.exe` binaries by
|
|
launching them together with a virtualized filesystem and registry. Both are
|
|
created during compilation by running app and installer inside a Windows
|
|
Container, allowing Windows to identify exactly which modifications to the
|
|
operating system are done during installation. Pairing the executable with a
|
|
virtual filesystem and a virtual registry allows Windows to enable one-click
|
|
installation and uninstallation.
|
|
|
|
In addition, the exe is launched inside the appx model - meaning that it can use
|
|
many of the APIs available to the Universal Windows Platform. To gain even more
|
|
capabilities, an Electron app can pair up with an invisible UWP background task
|
|
launched together with the `exe` - sort of launched as a sidekick to run tasks
|
|
in the background, receive push notifications, or to communicate with other UWP
|
|
applications.
|
|
|
|
To compile any existing Electron app, ensure that you have the following
|
|
requirements:
|
|
|
|
* Windows 10 with Anniversary Update (released August 2nd, 2016)
|
|
* The Windows 10 SDK, [downloadable here][windows-sdk]
|
|
* At least Node 4 (to check, run `node -v`)
|
|
|
|
Then, go and install the `electron-windows-store` CLI:
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
npm install -g electron-windows-store
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
## Step 1: Package Your Electron Application
|
|
|
|
Package the application using [electron-packager][electron-packager] (or a similar tool).
|
|
Make sure to remove `node_modules` that you don't need in your final application, since
|
|
any module you don't actually need will just increase your application's size.
|
|
|
|
The output should look roughly like this:
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
├── Ghost.exe
|
|
├── LICENSE
|
|
├── content_resources_200_percent.pak
|
|
├── content_shell.pak
|
|
├── d3dcompiler_47.dll
|
|
├── ffmpeg.dll
|
|
├── icudtl.dat
|
|
├── libEGL.dll
|
|
├── libGLESv2.dll
|
|
├── locales
|
|
│ ├── am.pak
|
|
│ ├── ar.pak
|
|
│ ├── [...]
|
|
├── natives_blob.bin
|
|
├── node.dll
|
|
├── resources
|
|
│ ├── app
|
|
│ └── atom.asar
|
|
├── snapshot_blob.bin
|
|
├── squirrel.exe
|
|
├── ui_resources_200_percent.pak
|
|
└── xinput1_3.dll
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
## Step 2: Running electron-windows-store
|
|
|
|
From an elevated PowerShell (run it "as Administrator"), run
|
|
`electron-windows-store` with the required parameters, passing both the input
|
|
and output directories, the app's name and version, and confirmation that
|
|
`node_modules` should be flattened.
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
electron-windows-store `
|
|
--input-directory C:\myelectronapp `
|
|
--output-directory C:\output\myelectronapp `
|
|
--flatten true `
|
|
--package-version 1.0.0.0 `
|
|
--package-name myelectronapp
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Once executed, the tool goes to work: It accepts your Electron app as an input,
|
|
flattening the `node_modules`. Then, it archives your application as `app.zip`.
|
|
Using an installer and a Windows Container, the tool creates an "expanded" AppX
|
|
package - including the Windows Application Manifest (`AppXManifest.xml`) as
|
|
well as the virtual file system and the virtual registry inside your output
|
|
folder.
|
|
|
|
Once the expanded AppX files are created, the tool uses the Windows App Packager
|
|
(`MakeAppx.exe`) to create a single-file AppX package from those files on disk.
|
|
Finally, the tool can be used to create a trusted certificate on your computer
|
|
to sign the new AppX package. With the signed AppX package, the CLI can also
|
|
automatically install the package on your machine.
|
|
|
|
## Step 3: Using the AppX Package
|
|
|
|
In order to run your package, your users will need Windows 10 with the so-called
|
|
"Anniversary Update" - details on how to update Windows can be found [here][how-to-update].
|
|
|
|
In opposition to traditional UWP apps, packaged apps currently need to undergo a
|
|
manual verification process, for which you can apply [here][centennial-campaigns].
|
|
In the meantime, all users will be able to just install your package by double-clicking it,
|
|
so a submission to the store might not be necessary if you're simply looking for an
|
|
easier installation method. In managed environments (usually enterprises), the
|
|
`Add-AppxPackage` [PowerShell Cmdlet can be used to install it in an automated fashion][add-appxpackage].
|
|
|
|
Another important limitation is that the compiled AppX package still contains a
|
|
win32 executable - and will therefore not run on Xbox, HoloLens, or Phones.
|
|
|
|
## Optional: Add UWP Features using a BackgroundTask
|
|
You can pair your Electron app up with an invisible UWP background task that
|
|
gets to make full use of Windows 10 features - like push notifications,
|
|
Cortana integration, or live tiles.
|
|
|
|
To check out how an Electron app that uses a background task to send toast
|
|
notifications and live tiles, [check out the Microsoft-provided sample][background-task].
|
|
|
|
## Optional: Convert using Container Virtualization
|
|
|
|
To generate the AppX package, the `electron-windows-store` CLI uses a template
|
|
that should work for most Electron apps. However, if you are using a custom
|
|
installer, or should you experience any trouble with the generated package, you
|
|
can attempt to create a package using compilation with a Windows Container - in
|
|
that mode, the CLI will install and run your application in blank Windows Container
|
|
to determine what modifications your application is exactly doing to the operating
|
|
system.
|
|
|
|
Before running the CLI for the, you will have to setup the "Windows Desktop App
|
|
Converter". This will take a few minutes, but don't worry - you only have to do
|
|
this once. Download and Desktop App Converter from [here][app-converter].
|
|
You will receive two files: `DesktopAppConverter.zip` and `BaseImage-14316.wim`.
|
|
|
|
1. Unzip `DesktopAppConverter.zip`. From an elevated PowerShell (opened with
|
|
"run as Administrator", ensure that your systems execution policy allows us to
|
|
run everything we intend to run by calling `Set-ExecutionPolicy bypass`.
|
|
2. Then, run the installation of the Desktop App Converter, passing in the
|
|
location of the Windows base Image (downloaded as `BaseImage-14316.wim`), by
|
|
calling `.\DesktopAppConverter.ps1 -Setup -BaseImage .\BaseImage-14316.wim`.
|
|
3. If running the above command prompts you for a reboot, please restart your
|
|
machine and run the above command again after a successful restart.
|
|
|
|
Once installation succeeded, you can move on to compiling your Electron app.
|
|
|
|
[windows-sdk]: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/windows-10-sdk
|
|
[app-converter]: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=51691
|
|
[add-appxpackage]: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh856048.aspx
|
|
[electron-packager]: https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-packager
|
|
[electron-windows-store]: https://github.com/catalystcode/electron-windows-store
|
|
[background-task]: https://github.com/felixrieseberg/electron-uwp-background
|
|
[centennial-campaigns]: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/projects/campaigns/desktop-bridge
|
|
[how-to-update]: https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/08/02/how-to-get-the-windows-10-anniversary-update
|