[Feature Request] Ability to choose install path (on Windows)

[bershanskiy]

• Insomnia Version: 7.0.3
• Operating System: Windows 10 1903

Details

Insomnia installer does not allow user to pick a custom install path and on Windows installs it into %User%\AppData\Local\insomnia. Sometimes users would like to choose a custom install path (like %ProgramFiles%) because:

1. AppData is meant for application settings and data, not the applications themselves
2. AppData can be written by non-privileged users and programs, which is problematic if Insomnia saves sensitive tokens and keys
3. AppData is per-user, so on machines with multiple users Insomnia will have multiple installations.
4. Most installers allow to specify custom install paths
5. Portable installs, may be?

If you are interested in fixing this, I can contribute a patch.

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This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[girlpunk]

This is still outstanding

[lixaotec]

Regarding this feature I look for installing a plugin 'system wide' For every user in a server, without the need of install per user. Is it possible already, or that need the whole installation to be system wide?

[ivanyhchun]

Was annoyed by Postman's inability to choose install path as this long thread. Tried Insomnia but still no luck. Why is it so common for apps like this kind not allowing user to choose where to install?

[bershanskiy]

Why is it so common for apps like this kind not allowing user to choose where to install?

Because both apps use Electron which by default uses AppData. There are ways to let user pick install directory, but it is not the default (if I'm correct, VS Code does this). Three years ago when I opened this issue I knew how to do it, but frankly I forgot since then.

[davetustin]

We are facing the same dilemma. Postman do provide an enterprise client, but $100 per month per user is pretty steep.

I started pushing the company to get the Insomnia Enterprise version, but not being able to do a system-wide install is show stopper. Gutted.

[invokethebrain]

It is still creating a shortcut on user's desktop! Don't mess with my desktop. It's MY desktop. It's 2023 and I don't get it why developer tools still mess with my friggin desktop. Stop it!!!

In software packaging, we use Windows Installer MSI files at least for 2 decades. It's fully configurable and its functions mastered the silent install/configure/update/install processes over the last 30 years. I friggin don't understand why they create new installers all the time.

You can also fully automate your build process and add the creation of the installer package with WIX. https://wixtoolset.org/