Agent skill

distributing-tauri-for-windows

Guides users through distributing Tauri applications on Windows, including creating MSI and NSIS installers, customizing installer behavior, configuring WebView2 installation modes, and submitting apps to the Microsoft Store.

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SKILL.md

Distributing Tauri Applications for Windows

This skill covers Windows distribution for Tauri v2 applications, including MSI/NSIS installer creation, customization, and Microsoft Store submission.

Installer Formats Overview

Tauri supports two Windows installer formats:

Format Extension Build Platform Notes
WiX MSI .msi Windows only Traditional Windows installer
NSIS -setup.exe Cross-platform Can build on Linux/macOS

Building Installers

Standard Build (Windows)

bash
npm run tauri build
# or
yarn tauri build
# or
pnpm tauri build
# or
cargo tauri build

Target Architectures

bash
# 64-bit (default)
npm run tauri build -- --target x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

# 32-bit
npm run tauri build -- --target i686-pc-windows-msvc

# ARM64 (requires additional VS build tools)
npm run tauri build -- --target aarch64-pc-windows-msvc

Cross-Platform NSIS Build (Linux/macOS)

NSIS installers can be built on non-Windows systems:

Prerequisites (Linux):

bash
# Install NSIS and build tools (Debian/Ubuntu)
sudo apt install nsis lld llvm clang

# Install Windows Rust target
rustup target add x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

# Install cargo-xwin
cargo install --locked cargo-xwin

Prerequisites (macOS):

bash
# Install via Homebrew
brew install nsis llvm

# Add LLVM to PATH
export PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/llvm/bin:$PATH"

# Install Windows Rust target
rustup target add x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

# Install cargo-xwin
cargo install --locked cargo-xwin

Build command:

bash
npm run tauri build -- --runner cargo-xwin --target x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

WebView2 Installation Modes

Configure how WebView2 runtime is installed on end-user machines:

Mode Internet Required Size Impact Best For
downloadBootstrapper Yes 0 MB Default, smallest installer
embedBootstrapper Yes ~1.8 MB Better Windows 7 support
offlineInstaller No ~127 MB Offline/air-gapped environments
fixedVersion No ~180 MB Controlled enterprise deployment
skip No 0 MB Not recommended

Configuration

json
{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "webviewInstallMode": {
        "type": "embedBootstrapper"  // or: downloadBootstrapper, offlineInstaller, fixedVersion
      }
    }
  }
}

For fixedVersion, add the path: "path": "./WebView2Runtime"

WiX MSI Customization

Custom WiX Template

Replace the default template:

json
{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "wix": {
        "template": "./windows/custom-template.wxs"
      }
    }
  }
}

WiX Fragments

Add custom functionality via XML fragments:

1. Create fragment file (src-tauri/windows/fragments/registry.wxs):

xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
  <Fragment>
    <ComponentGroup Id="MyFragmentRegistryEntries">
      <Component Id="MyRegistryEntry" Directory="INSTALLDIR">
        <RegistryKey Root="HKCU" Key="Software\MyApp">
          <RegistryValue Type="string" Name="InstallPath" Value="[INSTALLDIR]" KeyPath="yes"/>
        </RegistryKey>
      </Component>
    </ComponentGroup>
  </Fragment>
</Wix>

2. Reference in configuration:

json
{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "wix": {
        "fragmentPaths": ["./windows/fragments/registry.wxs"],
        "componentRefs": ["MyFragmentRegistryEntries"]
      }
    }
  }
}

Internationalization (WiX)

json
{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "wix": {
        "language": ["en-US", "fr-FR", "de-DE"],  // Single: "fr-FR"
        "localePath": "./windows/locales"  // Optional: custom locale files
      }
    }
  }
}

NSIS Installer Customization

Install Modes

Mode Admin Required Install Location Use Case
perUser No %LOCALAPPDATA% Default, no elevation
perMachine Yes %PROGRAMFILES% System-wide install
both Yes User choice Flexible deployment
json
{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "nsis": {
        "installMode": "perMachine"
      }
    }
  }
}

Installer Hooks

Extend installation with custom NSIS scripts:

1. Create hooks file (src-tauri/windows/hooks.nsh):

nsis
!macro NSIS_HOOK_PREINSTALL
  ; Run before file installation
  DetailPrint "Preparing installation..."
!macroend

!macro NSIS_HOOK_POSTINSTALL
  ; Run after installation completes
  DetailPrint "Configuring application..."
  ; Example: Install VC++ Redistributable
  ReadRegStr $0 HKLM "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0\VC\Runtimes\x64" "Installed"
  ${If} $0 != "1"
    ExecWait '"$INSTDIR\vc_redist.x64.exe" /quiet /norestart'
  ${EndIf}
!macroend

!macro NSIS_HOOK_PREUNINSTALL
  ; Run before uninstallation
  DetailPrint "Cleaning up..."
!macroend

!macro NSIS_HOOK_POSTUNINSTALL
  ; Run after uninstallation
  DetailPrint "Removal complete"
!macroend

2. Reference in configuration:

json
{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "nsis": {
        "installerHooks": "./windows/hooks.nsh"
      }
    }
  }
}

Internationalization (NSIS)

NSIS installers support multiple languages in a single file:

json
{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "nsis": {
        "languages": ["English", "French", "German", "Spanish"],
        "displayLanguageSelector": true
      }
    }
  }
}

Minimum WebView2 Version

Require a specific WebView2 version:

json
{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "nsis": {
        "minimumWebview2Version": "110.0.1531.0"
      }
    }
  }
}

Complete Configuration Example

json
{
  "bundle": {
    "active": true,
    "targets": ["msi", "nsis"],
    "icon": ["icons/icon.ico"],
    "windows": {
      "certificateThumbprint": "YOUR_CERTIFICATE_THUMBPRINT",
      "timestampUrl": "http://timestamp.digicert.com",
      "webviewInstallMode": {
        "type": "embedBootstrapper"
      },
      "wix": {
        "language": ["en-US", "de-DE"],
        "fragmentPaths": ["./windows/fragments/registry.wxs"],
        "componentRefs": ["MyRegistryEntries"]
      },
      "nsis": {
        "installMode": "both",
        "installerHooks": "./windows/hooks.nsh",
        "languages": ["English", "German"],
        "displayLanguageSelector": true,
        "minimumWebview2Version": "110.0.1531.0"
      }
    }
  }
}

Special Configurations

Windows 7 Support

json
{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "webviewInstallMode": {
        "type": "embedBootstrapper"
      }
    }
  }
}

Enable Windows 7 notification support in Cargo.toml:

toml
[dependencies]
tauri = { version = "2", features = ["windows7-compat"] }

FIPS Compliance

Set environment variable before building:

PowerShell:

powershell
$env:TAURI_BUNDLER_WIX_FIPS_COMPLIANT = "true"
npm run tauri build

Command Prompt:

cmd
set TAURI_BUNDLER_WIX_FIPS_COMPLIANT=true
npm run tauri build

Microsoft Store Distribution

Requirements

  1. Microsoft account with developer enrollment
  2. Offline installer WebView2 mode (required by Store policy)
  3. Publisher name different from product name

Store-Specific Configuration

Create tauri.microsoftstore.conf.json:

json
{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "webviewInstallMode": {
        "type": "offlineInstaller"
      }
    }
  },
  "identifier": "com.yourcompany.yourapp",
  "publisher": "Your Company Name"
}

Generate Store Icons

bash
npm run tauri icon /path/to/app-icon.png

This generates all required icon sizes including Microsoft Store assets.

Build for Store

bash
npm run tauri build -- --config tauri.microsoftstore.conf.json

Submission Process

  1. Build with offline installer configuration
  2. Sign installer with valid code signing certificate
  3. Create app listing in Partner Center (Apps and Games)
  4. Reserve unique app name
  5. Upload installer to distribution service
  6. Link installer URL in Store listing
  7. Submit for certification

Publisher Name Constraint

Your publisher name cannot match your product name. If your bundle identifier is com.myapp.myapp, explicitly set a different publisher:

json
{
  "identifier": "com.myapp.myapp",
  "publisher": "MyApp Software Inc"
}

Code Signing

Using Certificate Thumbprint

json
{
  "bundle": {
    "windows": {
      "certificateThumbprint": "YOUR_CERTIFICATE_THUMBPRINT",
      "timestampUrl": "http://timestamp.digicert.com"
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables

bash
# Certificate path
export TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY_PASSWORD="your-password"

# Or via tauri.conf.json

Timestamp Servers

Common timestamp servers:

  • DigiCert: http://timestamp.digicert.com
  • Sectigo: http://timestamp.sectigo.com
  • GlobalSign: http://timestamp.globalsign.com/tsa/r6advanced1

Troubleshooting

MSI Build Fails on Non-Windows

MSI files can only be built on Windows using WiX Toolset. Use NSIS for cross-platform builds.

WebView2 Not Installing

  1. Check webview install mode configuration
  2. Verify internet connectivity for bootstrapper modes
  3. For offline mode, ensure installer size is acceptable

NSIS Cross-Compilation Errors

  1. Verify NSIS is installed and in PATH
  2. Check LLVM/clang installation
  3. Ensure Windows Rust target is installed
  4. Verify cargo-xwin is installed

Certificate Not Found

  1. Verify certificate is installed in Windows certificate store
  2. Check thumbprint matches exactly (no spaces)
  3. Ensure certificate has private key access

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