Installer Creation

Build professional installers for your signed applications. KestrelSign Pro includes NSIS installer support for Windows and DMG creation for macOS.

Windows Installers (NSIS)

KestrelSign Pro integrates with NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System) to build Windows installers. NSIS is a free, open-source tool that creates compact, professional installers.

Prerequisites

• NSIS installed on your system (the setup wizard can detect it)
• Your application already signed

Configuration

In your project's build settings, you can configure:

• Application name -- displayed during installation
• Install directory -- default installation path
• Publisher name -- shown in Windows Add/Remove Programs
• Icon -- installer and uninstaller icon
• License agreement -- optional license text shown during install
• Custom welcome text -- branding for the installer UI

Build Process

KestrelSign generates an NSIS script from your configuration, compiles it with makensis, and produces the installer executable. The installer is then automatically signed with your code signing certificate, so the end user sees your verified publisher name when running the installer.

macOS DMG

KestrelSign can create DMG disk images for distributing your macOS application. The basic DMG creation is available in Standard edition. Pro adds support for custom backgrounds and icon positioning.

Basic DMG

A basic DMG wraps your signed and notarized .app bundle into a disk image that users can open and drag to their Applications folder. KestrelSign handles creating the DMG and signing it.

Branded DMG (Pro)

Pro users can customize the DMG with:

• Background image -- a custom image displayed when the DMG is opened
• Icon positions -- precise placement of the app icon and Applications shortcut
• Window size -- control the Finder window dimensions
• Custom volume icon -- the icon shown for the mounted disk image

macOS pkg

For applications that require a more complex installation process (such as installing to specific system locations, adding launch agents, or running post-install scripts), KestrelSign Pro can build signed pkg installers using Apple's pkgbuild and productbuild tools.

Signing the Installer

Regardless of the installer type, the final installer file should be signed. On Windows, the NSIS-built .exe is signed with your Authenticode certificate. On macOS, DMG and pkg files are signed with your Developer ID Installer certificate. KestrelSign handles this as part of the build workflow.

Next Steps

• Windows signing details
• Notarize before creating a DMG
• Review build reports