Changing where Sitecore module is installed

Question

I have a package I want to install. I would like the files to end up in a different directory than the installation wizard choses for them.

For example, my Sitecore copy is running at C:\SiteCore\website
The module added files to C:\SiteCore\website\Console
I would like the files to ultimately live at C:\SiteCore\website\sitecore_modules\Console

I am using Sitecore 6.5 rev 111230, but we are planning to upgrade very soon. I would like for my installed packages to migrate seamlessly once we have upgraded. For reference, the package I want to install at the moment is the Sitecore Powershell Extensions. Although, I would prefer to apply a similar method to any future packages that I install.

Is there a secret switch in the package installation process to allow me to do this? Can I do it from the package installation wizard? Is there another way to install packages?

I'm assuming I can't just change the package path and expect everything to keep working. Do I have to update a configuration somewhere (a file or inside the Sitecore CMS GUI) to make the package recognize the new file locations?

Answer 1

The module creator defines where files exist. If you move them you run the risk of something not working. The best idea is to ask the creator on the Marketplace page of the module.

There is no turn-key way to change this.

Answer 2

I guess you cand take the code from MarketPlace and you can modify it.

I don't know how exactly is the licenses with MarketPlace modules, but I think people can modify others code.

Please check on code and also on items, maybe on some fields are values for folder path.

Answer 3

I discovered a way to accomplish this, but it can be quite involved or even impossible, depending on the complexity and size of the package.

First of all, I did take the question to the module creator and had a very helpful and informative conversation with the creator. So thanks for that suggestion - they may even move the install location in a future release, based on my request.

The workaround is to first install the package on a system as normal. Then you figure out everything that comes with the package. For files, this is easy if your Sitecore root is under source control. For items, this is really complicated. You can search for the installed items by owner, if you had the foresight to create & use a unique user for the package installation. Or you can check the untyped files in the package that are essentially xml based item manifests.

Once you have a detailed list, you make the desired modifications to the locations. Then you recreate the package yourself using the Sitecore package designer.

This works for simple packages - I did it to one small package that I hope to get up on the Sitecore marketplace as shared source soon. And by small, I mean it was 2 files and 3 items. The package that prompted me to ask this question would not cooperate with this workaround. The included .dll had some assumptions about the file structure hard-coded into it.

The workaround I took for the more complex package was really quite basic: I just created a new source-code external to the required path. That let me wrap everything up neatly without getting medieval on the package files.

Thanks for both your answers, a very fine +1 to you.