Oh -- you mean relative file references inside the XML distribution file. I misunderstood your original question. You can peek inside an Apple package for clues. For example, I expand the iPhoto 9.4.3 update pkg: % pkgutil --expand /Volumes/iPhoto\ 9.4.3/iPhoto9.4.3Update.pkg iPhoto_update % cd iPhoto_update/ gneagle@foo:iPhoto_update % ls Distribution Resources iPhoto9.4.3ContentUpdate.pkg iPhoto9.4.3Update.pkg There are two pkgs in the same directory as the Distribution file. The corresponding bits in the Distribution file: <pkg-ref id="iPhotoUpdate" auth="Root" active="LogicalAnd3(my.target.mountpoint)">#iPhoto9.4.3Update.pkg</pkg-ref> <pkg-ref id="iPhotoContentUpdate" auth="Root" active="LogicalAnd3(my.target.mountpoint)">#iPhoto9.4.3ContentUpdate.pkg</pkg-ref> Those are relative paths. I've seen distribution-style packages refer to component pkgs _outside_ of the distribution pkg; this is typically on DVD media or on a disk image, and looks something like this: <pkg-ref id="foo" auth="Root">../Packages/foo.pkg</pkg-ref> This probably doesn't really help you, though. What is it you are trying to accomplish? For self-contained flat packages (especially if they are signed) you just want to use the default behavior described in the document you linked to: "Content Required. A URL specifying the location of the installation package to which this element refers. Typically, you specify a simple filename and productbuild adjusts the URL as needed when the product archive is created." -Greg On Apr 25, 2013, at 5:13 PM, Dave Barker-Plummer <dbp@stanford.edu> wrote:

I should probably have mentioned the places that do not work:

- the working directory when productbuild is run - the directory containing the distribution file - the directories on the package-path

-- Dave

On Apr 25, 2013, at 3:17 PM, Greg Neagle <Greg.Neagle@disneyanimation.com> wrote:

...

Most UNIX tools interpret relative paths as relative to the current working directory.

I'd be surprised if productbuild doesn't do the same. If it doesn't, it's a bug and should be reported.

A big exception is /usr/bin/defaults, which does not "do" relative paths. But that is because `default` really operates on preference domains, and not files.

-Greg

On Apr 25, 2013, at 3:09 PM, Dave Barker-Plummer <dbp@stanford.edu> wrote:

...

The productbuild(1) command line tool for building installers allows one to specify files to be included in the installer (readme, license and the like) within the distribution.xml file.

I can get this to work by specifying an absolute path name for these keys, but all my attempts to use a relative path name have been unsuccessful. Has anyone been able to use a relative path here, and to work out how the path is interpreted (relative to what)?

-- Dave

Documentation for the xml format here: https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/DeveloperTools/Refere... _______________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. Installer-dev mailing list (Installer-dev@lists.apple.com) Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: https://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/installer-dev/greg.neagle%40disneyan...

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