How do I create packages? See https://chocolatey.org/docs/create-packages
If you are submitting packages to the community feed (https://chocolatey.org) always try to ensure you have read, understood and adhere to the create packages wiki link above.
Consider making this package an automatic package, for the best maintainability over time. Read up at https://chocolatey.org/docs/automatic-packages
Any executables you include in the package or download (but don't call install against using the built-in functions) will be automatically shimmed.
This means those executables will automatically be included on the path. Shim generation runs whether the package is self-contained or uses automation scripts.
By default, these are considered console applications.
If the application is a GUI, you should create an empty file next to the exe named 'name.exe.gui' e.g. 'bob.exe' would need a file named 'bob.exe.gui'. See https://chocolatey.org/docs/create-packages#how-do-i-set-up-shims-for-applications-that-have-a-gui
If you want to ignore the executable, create an empty file next to the exe named 'name.exe.ignore' e.g. 'bob.exe' would need a file named 'bob.exe.ignore'. See https://chocolatey.org/docs/create-packages#how-do-i-exclude-executables-from-getting-shims
If you have a self-contained package, you can remove the automation scripts entirely and just include the executables, they will automatically get shimmed, which puts them on the path. Ensure you have the legal right to distribute the application though. See https://chocolatey.org/docs/legal.
You should read up on the Shim Generation section to familiarize yourself on what to do with GUI applications and/or ignoring shims.
You have a powerful use of Chocolatey, as you are using PowerShell. So you can do just about anything you need. Choco has some very handy built-in functions that you can use, these are sometimes called the helpers.
https://chocolatey.org/docs/helpers-reference
A note about a couple:
- Get-BinRoot - this is a horribly named function that doesn't do what new folks think it does. It gets you the 'tools' root, which by default is set to 'c:\tools', not the chocolateyInstall bin folder - see https://chocolatey.org/docs/helpers-get-tools-location
- Install-BinFile - used for non-exe files - executables are automatically shimmed... - see https://chocolatey.org/docs/helpers-install-bin-file
- Uninstall-BinFile - used for non-exe files - executables are automatically shimmed - see https://chocolatey.org/docs/helpers-uninstall-bin-file
Use the package parameters pattern - see https://chocolatey.org/docs/how-to-parse-package-parameters-argument
https://chocolatey.org/docs/how-to-mount-an-iso-in-chocolatey-package
Chocolatey makes a number of environment variables available (You can access any of these with $env:TheVariableNameBelow):
- TEMP/TMP - Overridden to the CacheLocation, but may be the same as the original TEMP folder
- ChocolateyInstall - Top level folder where Chocolatey is installed
- ChocolateyPackageName - The name of the package, equivalent to the
<id />
field in the nuspec (0.9.9+) - ChocolateyPackageTitle - The title of the package, equivalent to the
<title />
field in the nuspec (0.10.1+) - ChocolateyPackageVersion - The version of the package, equivalent to the
<version />
field in the nuspec (0.9.9+) - ChocolateyPackageFolder - The top level location of the package folder - the folder where Chocolatey has downloaded and extracted the NuGet package, typically
C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\lib\packageName
.
The following are more advanced settings:
- ChocolateyPackageParameters - Parameters to use with packaging, not the same as install arguments (which are passed directly to the native installer). Based on
--package-parameters
. (0.9.8.22+) - CHOCOLATEY_VERSION - The version of Choco you normally see. Use if you are 'lighting' things up based on choco version. (0.9.9+) - Otherwise take a dependency on the specific version you need.
- ChocolateyForceX86 = If available and set to 'true', then user has requested 32bit version. (0.9.9+) - Automatically handled in built in Choco functions.
- OS_PLATFORM - Like Windows, OSX, Linux. (0.9.9+)
- OS_VERSION - The version of OS, like 6.1 something something for Windows. (0.9.9+)
- OS_NAME - The reported name of the OS. (0.9.9+)
- IS_PROCESSELEVATED = Is the process elevated? (0.9.9+)
- ChocolateyToolsLocation - formerly 'ChocolateyBinRoot' ('ChocolateyBinRoot' will be removed with Chocolatey v2.0.0), this is where tools being installed outside of Chocolatey packaging will go. (0.9.10+)
Some environment variables are set based on options that are passed, configuration and/or features that are turned on:
- ChocolateyEnvironmentDebug - Was
--debug
passed? If using the built-in PowerShell host, this is always true (but only logs debug messages to console if--debug
was passed) (0.9.10+) - ChocolateyEnvironmentVerbose - Was
--verbose
passed? If using the built-in PowerShell host, this is always true (but only logs verbose messages to console if--verbose
was passed). (0.9.10+) - ChocolateyForce - Was
--force
passed? (0.9.10+) - ChocolateyForceX86 - Was
-x86
passed? (CHECK) - ChocolateyRequestTimeout - How long before a web request will time out. Set by config
webRequestTimeoutSeconds
(CHECK) - ChocolateyResponseTimeout - How long to wait for a download to complete? Set by config
commandExecutionTimeoutSeconds
(CHECK) - ChocolateyPowerShellHost - Are we using the built-in PowerShell host? Set by
--use-system-powershell
or the featurepowershellHost
(0.9.10+)
- ChocolateyInstallArgumentsSensitive - Encrypted arguments passed from command line
--install-arguments-sensitive
that are not logged anywhere. (0.10.1+ and licensed editions 1.6.0+) - ChocolateyPackageParametersSensitive - Package parameters passed from command line
--package-parameters-senstivite
that are not logged anywhere. (0.10.1+ and licensed editions 1.6.0+) - ChocolateyLicensedVersion - What version is the licensed edition on?
- ChocolateyLicenseType - What edition / type of the licensed edition is installed?
The following are experimental or use not recommended:
- OS_IS64BIT = This may not return correctly - it may depend on the process the app is running under (0.9.9+)
- CHOCOLATEY_VERSION_PRODUCT = the version of Choco that may match CHOCOLATEY_VERSION but may be different (0.9.9+) - based on git describe
- IS_ADMIN = Is the user an administrator? But doesn't tell you if the process is elevated. (0.9.9+)
- ChocolateyInstallOverride = Not for use in package automation scripts. Based on
--override-arguments
being passed. (0.9.9+) - ChocolateyInstallArguments = The installer arguments meant for the native installer. You should use chocolateyPackageParameters intead. Based on
--install-arguments
being passed. (0.9.9+) - ChocolateyIgnoreChecksums - Was
--ignore-checksums
passed or the featurechecksumFiles
turned off? (0.9.9.9+) - ChocolateyAllowEmptyChecksums - Was
--allow-empty-checksums
passed or the featureallowEmptyChecksums
turned on? (0.10.0+) - ChocolateyAllowEmptyChecksumsSecure - Was
--allow-empty-checksums-secure
passed or the featureallowEmptyChecksumsSecure
turned on? (0.10.0+) - ChocolateyCheckLastExitCode - Should Chocolatey check LASTEXITCODE? Is the feature
scriptsCheckLastExitCode
turned on? (0.10.3+) - ChocolateyChecksum32 - Was
--download-checksum
passed? (0.10.0+) - ChocolateyChecksumType32 - Was
--download-checksum-type
passed? (0.10.0+) - ChocolateyChecksum64 - Was
--download-checksum-x64
passed? (0.10.0)+ - ChocolateyChecksumType64 - Was
--download-checksum-type-x64
passed? (0.10.0)+ - ChocolateyPackageExitCode - The exit code of the script that just ran - usually set by
Set-PowerShellExitCode
(CHECK) - ChocolateyLastPathUpdate - Set by Chocolatey as part of install, but not used for anything in particular in packaging.
- ChocolateyProxyLocation - The explicit proxy location as set in the configuration
proxy
(0.9.9.9+) - ChocolateyDownloadCache - Use available download cache? Set by
--skip-download-cache
,--use-download-cache
, or featuredownloadCache
(0.9.10+ and licensed editions 1.1.0+) - ChocolateyProxyBypassList - Explicitly set locations to ignore in configuration
proxyBypassList
(0.10.4+) - ChocolateyProxyBypassOnLocal - Should the proxy bypass on local connections? Set based on configuration
proxyBypassOnLocal
(0.10.4+) - http_proxy - Set by original
http_proxy
passthrough, or same asChocolateyProxyLocation
if explicitly set. (0.10.4+) - https_proxy - Set by original
https_proxy
passthrough, or same asChocolateyProxyLocation
if explicitly set. (0.10.4+) - no_proxy- Set by original
no_proxy
passthrough, or same asChocolateyProxyBypassList
if explicitly set. (0.10.4+)