.sis installation packages

The EPOC / Symbian operating system uses files with a .SIS extension to allow easy installation, and later uninstallation, of applications. These are usually produced using the MakeSiS tool, and are handled by either the control panel Add/remove program or EPOC Connect (PsiWin).

Where do I get MakeSiS?

The MakeSiS tool for creating .sis installation packages is included in each of the EPOC/Symbian SDKs. You will find it in the X:/EPOC32/Tools/ directory, where X: is the root directory of your SDK installation.

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Creating SIS files

Steve Litchfield has an excellent overview of MakeSiS at http://stevelitchfield.com/makesis.htm and a tutorial at http://stevelitchfield.com/makesistut2.htm

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Creating PKG files

www.cix.co.uk/~tsteven/makepkg.htm

PKG files are the small text files that MakeSiS or nSiSUtils translates to create SiS files. Tony Crocker has written a program that creates the text files that MakeSiS uses. It basically saves time and a lot of hassle. No PKG syntax knowledge is required. This program will walk you through it.

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nSISUtil

www.neuon.com/apps/nsisutil/

With nSISUtil from Neuon you can develop programs entirely on your EPOC machine, without ever having to use a Windows PC for the final build phase. Though nSISUtil offers more than the EPOC Windows SDK’s SIS compiler with a user-friendly user-interface and helpful syntax checking and report and sometimes can automatically prepare a solution. And whatsmore this is freeware.

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SIS File Format

Alexander Thoukydides has written a document that attempts to provide sufficient information to allow other software to be written that can decode and use SIS files. You can find it at:

homepage.ntlworld.com.../psifs/sis.html

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