The goal of this project is to have a fully automatic package application workflow that re-packages existing applications into MSIXes using the MSIX Packaging Tool, using only Github Actions.

Challenges with this approach

• The MSIX Packaging Tool is difficult to install programmatically from a system context.
• Packaging is recommended to be done on a system that closely resembles where it shall be ran. The selection of Windows OSes on Github hosted runners is limited.
• Application-installation needs to be done completely without user-input.

Strengths with this approach

• Each run gets a fresh runner, limiting the noise generated when packaging.
• There is no infrastructure to maintain.
• Updating an application is as simple as changing a few parameters.

Roadmap

• Programmatically install MSIX Packaging Tool in the runner.
• Start one runner per application.
• Avoid unnecessarily packaging applications without changes.
• Signing with PFX from an Azure Key Vault
• Download installation files from HTTPS
• Download installation files from Azure Blob using identity-based authentication
• Download multiple installation files per application, e.g. through a ZIP-package
• Uploading application MSIX file to Azure Files
• Uploading application MSIX file to Azure Blob
• Automatically update public applications when new releases comes
• Additionally create an MSIX image from the MSIX package

Acknowledgments

Uses vcsjones/AzureSignTool. Thanks!