Open Source MSI Package Repository

About this project

History:
This project is the continuation of work done at MIT. At the BioMicro Center a managed environment was created for the hundreds of users who needed analysis software during the course of biological experiments. Those analytical packages were mostly not open-source, so those are not offered here. In addition, complementary software packages were created, notably Firefox and Thunderbird.
The work continues now at the Computer Science Department at Brown University.

Future:
The packages offered on this site will continue to be updated as new versions are released. Additional open-source packages can be created on request. Use sourceforge.net to send the developer a message, and if the package is open-source and msi'able, the package could be created.

What MSIs are:
MSI's are Microsoft Installer packages. They are installers packed into a consistent format, allowing for easy installs and upgrades. Think of them like RPM packages, but for Windows. They are easy to use, but difficult to create. Go here for more info
Windows Installer: Benefits and Implementation for System Administrators
The best features of MSIs are the ability to assign software using Active Directory. With these MSIs, you can set all machines in your domain/OU/sub-OU to automatically install these packages.

Information on packages:
These MSIs were created using Wise Package Studio. A nifty feature of their product is the ability to capture a regular .exe installation into an MSI, although with a fair bit of modifying necessary.
The Firefox MSI installs to the same directory as the official mozilla.org installer.
The Thunderbird MSI installs to the same directory as the official mozilla.org installer.