A simple, small calculator placed discreetly near the Windows Taskbar or anywhere on the screen
docs: design for classic Inno Setup installer + startup Run-key fallback
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Marco Maroni
(Jul 14, 2026, 4:28 PM +0200)
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docs/superpowers/specs/2026-07-14-classic-installer-design.md
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# Classic Inno Setup Installer + Startup Fallback — Design
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**Date:** 2026-07-14
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**Status:** Approved (brainstorming)
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## Goal
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Distribute TaskbarCalculator from the project's own website
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(`https://taskbar-calculator.marcomaroni.it/`) as a classic, **unsigned**, **per-user**
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self-installing setup built with **Inno Setup**, while keeping the Microsoft Store (MSIX)
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path open for later. Unsigned means users see the usual SmartScreen "unknown publisher"
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prompt — acceptable for now (the previous public installer was also unsigned).
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## Part 1 — Start-at-login fallback in `StartupManager`
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The tray "Start at login" toggle currently uses the MSIX `StartupTask` WinRT API, which
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requires package identity. In a classic (unpackaged) install it returns `Unavailable` and
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the menu item is grayed. Add a **registry fallback** so the same binary works both ways.
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- Key: `HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run`, value name `TaskbarCalculator`,
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data = the quoted full path of the running exe (`GetModuleFileNameW`).
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- `Get()`: try `StartupTask` (packaged/Store); on exception, return `Enabled`/`Disabled`
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based on whether the `Run` value exists.
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- `Set(on)`: try `StartupTask`; on exception, create/delete the `Run` value.
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Effect: identical exe supports both channels — `StartupTask` on the Store, `Run` key with
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the classic installer. In the classic install the menu item becomes **enabled and
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functional**. `State::Unavailable` is effectively no longer returned (kept in the enum as a
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safety value).
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## Part 2 — Inno Setup script
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New file `Packaging/TaskbarCalculatorSetup.iss` producing `TaskbarCalculatorSetup.exe`.
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- **Per-user:** `PrivilegesRequired=lowest`, `DefaultDirName={autopf}\TaskbarCalculator`
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(resolves to `%LocalAppData%\Programs\TaskbarCalculator`); no UAC.
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- **Metadata:** x64 only, icon `icon1.ico`, version `3.0.0`, publisher "Marco Maroni",
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URL `https://taskbar-calculator.marcomaroni.it/`.
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- **Files:** `x64\Release\TaskbarCalculator.exe` → `{app}`.
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- **Icons:** Start-menu shortcut + Uninstall entry. No desktop icon.
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- **[Tasks]:** `startup` — checkbox "Avvia Taskbar Calculator all'accesso a Windows",
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**preselected** (default checked). When selected, an install-time `[Registry]` entry
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writes the `Run` value.
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- **[Run]:** postinstall checkbox "Avvia Taskbar Calculator" (runs the app after setup).
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- **Running-instance handling:** `taskkill /im TaskbarCalculator.exe /f` in
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`PrepareToInstall` (for upgrades over a running instance) and on uninstall.
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- **Clean uninstall:** `[Code] CurUninstallStepChanged` always deletes the `Run` value
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(whether written by the installer or by the app's tray toggle), so nothing is orphaned.
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## Build / tooling
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- Compiling `.iss` requires **Inno Setup's `ISCC.exe`** (free). If not installed, the script
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is delivered as-is and the compile step is done once Inno Setup is present.
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- `Packaging/*.exe` (the generated `TaskbarCalculatorSetup.exe`) is git-ignored.
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## Testing
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- **StartupManager fallback (runtime):** unpackaged, `Set(true)` creates the `Run` value,
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`Set(false)` removes it, `Get()` reflects the state. Verified by a temporary exit-code
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harness + registry inspection (as used for the Settings/Startup checks).
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- **Inno script:** compile with `ISCC.exe` to validate; the produced
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`TaskbarCalculatorSetup.exe` is smoke-tested by the user (per-user install, Start-menu
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shortcut, autostart checkbox, run-after-install, uninstall removes app + Run value).
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## Out of scope (YAGNI)
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- Code signing (unsigned for now; SmartScreen prompt accepted).
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- Per-machine install / desktop shortcut.
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- Auto-update mechanism (the site hosts the latest `setup.exe`).
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- Microsoft Store submission (kept open as a future path; no work now).