windowsapp doesn't have access to graphics

[farmerphd]

I'm building a msix that needs access to the host machine's graphics - specifically openGL. When I run the windowsapp fully contained in the app, the *.exe stops and displays opengl not installed. I then split the app into two windowsapps with MSIX, and make the registry look at the other app, and it runs fine. Guessing that when the *.exe follows the registry to the separate app, then windows registers it and gives access.

My first thought is my app, or just my *.exe, is not registered and cannot access the local machine graphics. I tried to register the *.exe in advanced installer. I build the package, try to install it, and get an error 0x800703fa which has little explanation but assume it is a registry error.

How do I register my app where it gets access to host machine graphics? I need to make this one app and not split the app or use dependencies.

[Catalin]

Hello and welcome to our forums,

I'm afraid that your scenario is not quite clear to me.

If possible, could you please give me some more details and exemplify through some screenshots so I can better understand?

Best regards,
Catalin

[farmerphd]

Hello Catalin,

The MSIX application installs correctly. The *.exe launches and doesn't locate an installed openGL on the host machine. If I add a registry pointing to a separate MSIX installed package that contains the runtime, it works fine. Seems like the *.exe needs to work outside it's windowsapp container in order to find openGL. My guess is that the windowsapp runs only inside the container, so going to include openGL library inside the folder structure.

I'm trying to include the openGL library, in the folder structure of the MSIX, from the Windows SDK toolkit. Is this packaged already using Advanced Installer or do I need to manually add the library from SDK?

I also need some method to link my *.exe to the openGL library.

Thanks,
Steve

[Catalin]

Hello Steve,

Thank you very much for your followup on this!

Now the scenario is much clearer for me.

If possible, in order for me to offer the best assistance, could you please provide a sample project (AIP file and the MSIX package) that I can reproduce this with and a test-case which I could follow? You can provide those by email at support at advancedinstaller dot com

Best regards,
Catalin

[farmerphd]

Hello Catalin,

I will send the files later today from my build machine.

Strange learnings around this - my application is a x86 and the runtime needed is a x64 program. So I built the MSIX with advanced installer with the runtime files in VFS/ProgramFilesX64 and leave the myapp.exe in the root folder (outside the VFS). I tried choosing the architecture as neutral, x86, and x64, build the MSIX. I noticed that the openGL.dll files are in sysWOW64 folder on Windows computers?

I am sure that I am setting the registry correctly (tested well) but the msix doesn't connect the myapp.exe and runtime unless the are both considered x64 files and the msix is built with x64 architecture. The myapp.exe launches fine but then stops because 'OpenGL is not installed'. So seems to be a file structure/architecture issue? Is there some information on how to build this correctly?

Thanks,
Steve

[Catalin]

Thank you for the sent files, Steve!

I will followup on email as soon as I will have more information.

Best regards,
Catalin