Add Support for WinUI Unpackaged Apps

[mattleibow]

Summary

Since the release of the Windows App SDK Preview 3, we can now use unpackaged apps: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/winui/winui3/create-your-first-winui3-app?pivots=winui3-unpackaged-csharp

• Packaged apps: Packaged apps are packaged using MSIX. MSIX is a package format that gives end-users an easy way to install, uninstall, and update their Windows apps using a modern UI.

  • Framework Dependent: dotnet publish -f net6.0-windows
  • Self-Contained: dotnet publish -f net6.0-windows -p:SelfContained=true -p:WindowsAppSDKSelfContained=true

• Unpackaged apps: Unpackaged apps don't use MSIX. They're typically installed and updated using .exe or .msi files. Many unpackaged apps walk end-users through an installation wizard using a classic UI.

  • Framework Dependent: dotnet publish -f net6.0-windows -p:WindowsPackageType=None
  • Self-Contained: dotnet publish -f net6.0-windows -p:WindowsPackageType=None -p:SelfContained=true -p:WindowsAppSDKSelfContained=true

• Self-Contained: For either Packaged or Unpackaged apps, publishing self-contained provides a way to ship a complete set of application artifacts which do not rely on any shared/globally installed frameworks.

.csproj changes

-<WindowsPackageType>MSIX</WindowsPackageType>
+<WindowsPackageType>None</WindowsPackageType>

Improved self contained:

+<WindowsAppSDKSelfContained Condition="'$(IsUnpackaged)' == 'true'">true</WindowsAppSDKSelfContained>
+<SelfContained Condition="'$(IsUnpackaged)' == 'true'">true</SelfContained>

launchSettings.json changes

 {
   "profiles": {
     "Windows Machine": {
-      "commandName": "MsixPackage"
+      "commandName": "Project"
     ,
   }
 }

You will need to download and install the Windows App SDK runtime and MSIX packages which are required to run and deploy unpackaged apps: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/windows-app-sdk/downloads

For example, for the stable 1.0.0 version of the Windows App SDK, you will need to download and install: https://aka.ms/windowsappsdk/1.0-stable/msix-installer

In order to install the SDK, you may need to manually install the App Installer first: https://www.microsoft.com/store/productId/9NBLGGH4NNS1

Work To Do

Some changes we need to make/have:

• Allow the .net sdk to manage the native bootstrap.dll dependency (WASDK)
  This is basically putting the native dlls in the correct runtimes/win-/native/.dll path
  Move the native Bootstrap dll to play nice(r) with VS microsoft/WindowsAppSDK#1498
• Upate the templates to use the win10-* RIDs: (MAUI)
  - Use win10-* for the RIDs #3185
• Fix some cases where we assume a packaged app: (MAUI)
  Some info can be obtained from the results of this task too: Generate the Windows manifests as well #2704
  As more are found, please add it to this description so we can let the WinUI team know.
  • ApplicationData.Current support for Windows Unpackaged #8419
  • Package.Current More Unpackaged Support #8536
    • Package.Current.InstalledLocation - I can use AppContext.BaseDirectory instead
    • Package.Current.Id.Name - this could be the assembly name
    • Package.Current.DisplayName - this could also be the assembly name or also look into attributes in the dll (which we could add too)
    • Package.Current.Id - this could be the assembly version (which we can also set)
  • Usage of the AppxManifest.xml file - this does not exist in unpackaged and all checks should assume it is declared/correct
  • Add tests to validate all publishing scenarios
  • Use the WASDK self-contained by default #8432
• Some Essentials APIs are not working as expected: Determine which Essentials work in Windows Unpackaged apps #8552

Related Issues

• WindowsPackageType=None in a class library includes the bootstrapper microsoft/WindowsAppSDK#2456
• WindowsAppSDK-VersionInfo.cs and MddBootstrapAutoInitializer.cs cause warnings in analyzers microsoft/WindowsAppSDK#2032
• Self contained apps fail to build with AnyCPU & RIDs microsoft/WindowsAppSDK#2684
• Publishing a Maui Windows app SelfContained=false doesn't run #7170

[mattleibow]

@Eilon could you review all the usages the Xxx.Current listed above in the blazor parts. @danroth27 got Blazor working as unpackaged, so I am not sure how it all worked. Just invoking the Current property causes a crash, so you must be working some magic!

[mattleibow]

a lot of code can probably come from here: xamarin/Essentials#1079

[mattleibow]

@javiercn here is a list of things to check for.

[javiercn]

@mattleibow I tried this on the maui repo and it doesn't seem to be working:

The issue happens both with the sandbox and the single project projects. I did setup things up as described above

[mprogers]

I got our IT group to install Visual Studio 2022 (woo-hoo!) since it's come out of preview, brilliant timing. However, trying to run a .NET MAUI Windows App just now gave me an error - I need to enable developer mode. I have a feeling our IT staff is not going to be amenable to this, and my search led to this issue. Am I in the right place? And is there a way around this? I thought perhaps I could do Android, but that too required admin credentials.

[haslingerm]

I got our IT group to install Visual Studio 2022 (woo-hoo!) since it's come out of preview, brilliant timing. However, trying to run a .NET MAUI Windows App just now gave me an error - I need to enable developer mode. I have a feeling our IT staff is not going to be amenable to this, and my search led to this issue. Am I in the right place? And is there a way around this? I thought perhaps I could do Android, but that too required admin credentials.

We are in the same situation, but as a college: would love to do MAUI dev with the students, but the IT stuff is very reluctant to enable developer mode => it's already a no-go for the current year now, but I hope this restriction will be lifted and we can give it a go next year.

[MagicAndre1981]

for android you also need to enable developer options and allow USB/Wifi debugging to deploy/debug apps. So there is no difference

[haslingerm]

for android you also need to enable developer options and allow USB/Wifi debugging to deploy/debug apps. So there is no difference

The difference is that phones are owned and operated by students, plus we can use the emulator. The PCs are managed by our IT staff who refuse to turn on developer mode so we are stuck with WPF for now. If possible, I'd like this requirement to be removed.

[mattleibow]

Closing this as I believe all the bits of code should now be working or have known issues. See #8552 for the complete list.