Builder CLI

Complete reference for installer_builder. For the flags of the built installer itself, see Installer runtime flags.

installer_builder <COMMAND>

Commands:
  keygen   Generate an Ed25519 signing keypair
  pack     Build an installer .exe with an embedded payload

keygen

Option	Required	Description
`-o, --out <DIR>`	Yes	Output directory for `priv.key` and `pub.key` (hex-encoded).

See Signing keys.

pack

Every value may come from the CLI or from a --config TOML file; the CLI wins. Required fields are checked after merging. See The config file for the file format and merge rules.

Identity and content

Option	Required	Description
`-p, --product <NAME>`	Yes	Display name: Windows Apps, version info, wizard UI, shortcut labels.
`--product-id <ID>`	Yes	Registry-safe internal id: Uninstall key, ProgIDs, data folder, upgrade detection. Must match `^[A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9._-]{0,49}$`; keep it stable across versions.
`--publisher <NAME>`	Yes	Vendor name: Apps "Publisher" field and the uninstall data folder. Must not be empty.
`--to-version <VER>`	Yes	New version. Also parsed as `a.b.c.d` for the version-info resource.
`--input <DIR>`	Yes	Source directory of the new version's files.
`-e, --exe <REL>`	No	Main executable, relative to `--input`. Omit only if the product has no executable; see Full installers.
`-o, --out <FILE>`	Yes	Output installer `.exe` path.

Signing and stub

Option	Required	Description
`--priv-key <FILE>`	One of the two	Ed25519 private key file that signs the payload.
`--priv-key-literal <HEX>`	One of the two	The private key as 64 hex chars, for CI pipelines. Mutually exclusive with `--priv-key`.
`--pub-key <FILE>`	Toolchain mode: one of the two	Public key file compiled into the stub. Ignored with `--installer-stub`.
`--pub-key-literal <HEX>`	Toolchain mode: one of the two	The public key as 64 hex chars. Mutually exclusive with `--pub-key`.
`--installer-stub <FILE>`	With `--uninstaller`	Prebuilt stub. Switches to toolchain-free mode.
`--uninstaller <FILE>`	With `--installer-stub`	Prebuilt uninstaller.
`--reuse-stub`	No	Skip rebuilding the stub and uninstaller when they already exist (toolchain mode).

Patch mode

Option	Required	Description
`--from-version <VER>`	With `--from-dir`	Previous version string. Pins the target install.
`--from-dir <DIR>`	With `--from-version`	Previous version's files, for delta generation.

Packaging and behavior

Option	Default	Description
`--license <FILE>`	Built-in placeholder	UTF-8 EULA shown on the License page.
`--banner <FILE.png>`	Flat gray header	PNG painted across the wizard header. Author at 1400 x 144 px; see Branding.
`--assoc ".ext:Description"`	None	File association. Repeatable; a CLI list replaces the config file's list.
`--default-install-dir <DIR>`	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\<product>`	Proposed install path. `%VAR%` tokens are expanded.
`--skip-license`	Off	Hide the License page.
`--skip-path`	Off	Hide the Choose-location page.
`--install-dir-restriction <enforce\|default-dir-only\|bypass>`	`enforce`	Non-empty-folder guard for fresh interactive installs. See Wizard pages and install location.
`--launch-option <checked\|unchecked\|hidden>`	`checked`	State of the final-page "launch now" checkbox.
`--upgrade-minimal-ui`	Off	Upgrades use the compact minimal UI; a first install still gets the wizard.
`--show-uninstall-complete`	Off	Show a confirmation message box at the end of an interactive uninstall.
`--min-installer-version <VER>`	`1.0.0`	Minimum installer stub version allowed to run this payload.
`--purge-unknown-files`	Off	Full installs: remove unknown or leftover files on an upgrade or reinstall. Known files are still hash-skipped. Ignored for patches.
`--force-reinstall`	Off	Dev: rewrite all files, remove orphans, skip the from-version check.
`--config <FILE.toml>`	None	Read any of the above from a TOML file.

Shortcuts, registry entries, plugins, feature packs, and feature_mode are config-file only. See The config file.

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