Deploy masterpage to subsite using module

Question

I created a search-center and want to apply a custom masterpage to it. I want to deploy the masterpage using a module and the feature of my solution. I created a module and the Elements.xml looks like

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">
    <Module Name="SearchcenterModule" Url="Suche/_catalogs/masterpage">
       <File Path="SearchcenterModule\minimal.master" Url="minimal.master" />
    </Module>
</Elements>

On activating my feature in the site-collection-features I get an error

(null) "Suche" not found.
...

where "Suche" is the Name of my subsite, i.e. : http://mysharepoint/Suche

Of course I can add the file manually but there must be a way to deploy it using the feature-activation.

Thank you for your help.

Answer 1

I don't know the solution but, have you tried to set feature scope to web, use default module definition and activation of this module on the Suche subsite?

<Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">
  <Module Name="MasterPageModule" Url="_catalogs/masterpage">
    <File Url="MasterPage.master" Type="GhostableInLibrary" IgnoreIfAlreadyExists="False" />
  </Module>
</Elements>

If it doesn't work, have you tried to use ~Site token?

<Module Name="SearchcenterModule" Url="~Site/_catalogs/masterpage">

Answer 2

Masterpages and pagelayout can only be deployed to SiteCollections, not sites/subsites.

So your feature needs to be Site scoped. You can always in your FeatureReceiver set the masterpage on a specific SPWeb.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">
    <Module Name="SearchcenterModule" Url="_catalogs/masterpage">
       <File Url="minimal.master" IgnoreIfAlreadyExists="TRUE" Type="GhostableInLibrary" />
    </Module>
</Elements>

IgnoreIfAlreadyExists makes sure you overwrite it when you deploy so new changes appear. Type="GhostableInLibrary" makes sure the new masterpage/pagelayout is visible in the Masterpage & Pagelayouts gallery.