NixInstall - Windows App Installer

Automate Windows app installation. Select apps, download a PowerShell script, and install everything with one command.

Live at: NixInstall.com

Features

• 🎯 30+ popular Windows apps pre-configured
• 📊 Browse apps by category
• 🔍 Search functionality
• 💾 Download custom PowerShell installation scripts
• 🎨 Clean, modern UI
• 🌐 Browser-compatible
• 🔒 Admin privilege checking in generated scripts

Project Structure

installer-mvp/
├── backend/
│   ├── server.js          # Express server
│   ├── apps.json          # App configurations
│   └── package.json
└── frontend/
    ├── public/
    │   └── index.html     # HTML template
    ├── src/
    │   ├── App.js         # Main React component
    │   ├── App.css        # Styling
    │   ├── index.js       # React entry point
    │   └── index.css      # Base CSS
    └── package.json

Local Development

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14+)
• npm or yarn
• Windows (for testing installation scripts)

Setup Backend

cd backend
npm install
npm start

The server will start on http://localhost:5000

Setup Frontend

In a new terminal:

cd frontend
npm install
npm start

The React app will open on http://localhost:3000

Production Deployment

Build Frontend

cd frontend
npm run build

This creates an optimized production build in the frontend/build directory.

Deploy to Cloud (Examples)

Option 1: Heroku

# Install Heroku CLI and login
heroku login

# Create a new app
heroku create your-app-name

# Deploy
git push heroku main

Update your Procfile:

web: cd backend && npm start

Option 2: Vercel (Frontend) + Any Node Host (Backend)

Frontend to Vercel:

npm install -g vercel
cd frontend
vercel

Backend to Railway, Render, or similar:

• Push backend folder to Git
• Connect to your hosting service
• Set environment variables (if needed)

Option 3: Docker Deployment

Create a Dockerfile in the root directory:

FROM node:18-alpine

WORKDIR /app

# Install backend dependencies
COPY backend/package*.json ./backend/
RUN cd backend && npm ci --only=production

# Build frontend
COPY frontend/package*.json ./frontend/
COPY frontend ./frontend
RUN cd frontend && npm ci && npm run build

# Copy backend
COPY backend ./backend

EXPOSE 5000
CMD ["node", "backend/server.js"]

Build and run:

docker build -t app-installer .
docker run -p 5000:5000 app-installer

Environment Variables

For production, set:

NODE_ENV=production
PORT=5000

Configuration

Adding More Apps

Edit backend/apps.json:

{
  "id": "app-id",
  "name": "App Name",
  "category": "Category Name",
  "url": "https://download-url.com/installer.exe",
  "type": "exe",
  "args": "/silent /install"
}

Supported types:

• exe - Windows executable
• msi - Windows installer
• zip - ZIP archive (will be extracted)

Generated PowerShell Script Features

The generated installation script:

• ✅ Checks for administrator privileges
• ✅ Creates a timestamped download directory
• ✅ Downloads all selected apps
• ✅ Executes installers with appropriate arguments
• ✅ Provides detailed progress information
• ✅ Handles errors gracefully
• ✅ Preserves downloaded files for reference

Running the Script

# Right-click PowerShell → "Run as Administrator"
# Navigate to the script location
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process
.\install-apps.ps1

Browser Compatibility

• Chrome/Chromium (v90+)
• Firefox (v88+)
• Safari (v14+)
• Edge (v90+)

API Endpoints

GET /api/apps

Returns all available apps:

[
  {
    "id": "chrome",
    "name": "Google Chrome",
    "category": "Browser",
    "url": "https://...",
    "type": "exe",
    "args": "..."
  }
]

GET /api/categories

Returns array of unique categories:

["Browser", "Developer", "Utilities", ...]

POST /api/generate-script

Generates and downloads a PowerShell script.

Request:

{
  "appIds": ["chrome", "vscode", "git"]
}

Response: PowerShell script file (.ps1)

Roadmap

Phase 2:

• User accounts / saved profiles
• Installation history tracking
• Custom app submissions
• Installer verification (checksums)
• Speed optimization with parallel downloads
• Progress webhooks for monitoring

Phase 3:

• Admin panel for managing apps
• Analytics dashboard
• Uninstall scripts
• System configuration management
• License compliance checking

Security Considerations

• Scripts are generated client-side initially (can be moved to backend)
• Downloaded files should be verified with checksums
• Admin privileges required for script execution (built in)
• URLs are publicly visible in the script (consider obfuscation for sensitive tools)

Troubleshooting

Script won't run

# Check execution policy
Get-ExecutionPolicy
# Temporarily bypass
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process

Installation fails

• Ensure running as Administrator
• Check Windows Defender/antivirus isn't blocking downloads
• Verify internet connection
• Check individual app URLs are still active

License

Open source - feel free to modify and deploy

Support

For issues or questions, open a GitHub issue or contact the maintainers.