What is the Linux equivalent of Inno Setup on Windows?

Question

Looking to create a Linux installer that will work similar to Inno Setup on Windows (which is a great little tool to create installers on Windows).

My project is really simple (just a couple of folders) so I think that using autotools or cmake is too much effort.

Is there something that is straightforward like Inno Setup but for Linux?

Important to know: Does your project need external dependencies (libraries that are not necessary installed on every system, certain version of glibc)? And: On what systems do you want it to run (only AMD64 or also x86, ARM, whatever? — Philippos, Oct 16 '17 at 07:27
@Pierre.Vriens It's a great little tool to create installers on windows. — Wolfyaskingstuff, Oct 16 '17 at 07:42

score 5 · Answer 1 · answered Oct 16 '17 at 07:19

5

The closest, widely-used installer on Linux is MojoSetup, which you’ll see in action on lots of Linux games (including all the GOG.com Linux games).

You’re comparing apples and oranges though: cmake and the Autotools are build tools, not installation tools. If you want to ship a binary, most Linux users would expect either a distribution package (typically, .deb and/or RPM), or just a tarball containing the installation tree (/usr/local/bin with your binary and supporting files in the appropriate places). If you want a simpler build system, you might find the Meson Build system interesting.

answered Oct 16 '17 at 07:19

Stephen Kitt

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Thanks for correcting me! I am looking for installation tools and not building tools. Are there some more tools you would recommend besides MojoSetup? – Wolfyaskingstuff Oct 16 '17 at 07:55
2

No; the only other installation tools I’m aware of are [InstallJammer](http://installjammer.com/), which is discontinued, and [InstallAnywhere](https://www.flexera.com/producer/products/software-installation/installanywhere/), which is commercial. It’s quite unusual to rely on installers on Linux systems... – Stephen Kitt Oct 16 '17 at 08:52
Sadly, that's one of the things that holds it back. – CodeLurker Aug 23 '23 at 05:57

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 10 '20 at 08:09

For those who stumble upon this question. There is NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System) which runs under Windows and Linux. When I remember correctly there is even an integration for CMake.

https://nsis.sourceforge.io/Main_Page

Furthermore there is the Qt Installer Framework. Its multiplatform, too.

https://wiki.qt.io/Qt-Installer-Framework

What is the Linux equivalent of Inno Setup on Windows?

2 Answers2