Installing a LightSwitch 2-tier application for "all users"?

Question

I've developed a LightSwitch 2-tier application (desktop application) for a client. The client now wants to install the application on a Citrix server, and therefore it is necessary for the application to be available for all users on the server.

Unfortunately, when publishing a desktop LightSwitch application from Visual Studio 2012, the outputted installation executable does not have the usual option of installing "Only for me" or "For all users". It is not even possible to specify an installation destination, and the LightSwitch application is always installed into the current user's profile, making it unavailable for other users. Installing the application once for each user, is not an option.

Is there no way to simply choose to deploy the LightSwitch application in a way that makes it accessible to all users of the server?

I know that it is possible to deploy a LightSwitch application as a 3-tiered web-app, but that is not ideal in my clients situation.

Answer 1

The published output for a 2-tier LightSwitch app is a ClickOnce application which, by definition, is meant for per-user installation. But ClickOnce apps can be auto-installed by accessing the .application file via a URL or UNC share path. I would suggest to simply place a shortcut icon to the .application file on the Desktop folder for All Users.