Software Deployment

So you're installing an msi? Why not just run /qb or /qb! ?

msiexec /i "<path to package>" TRANSFORMS="<path to transform>" /qb!

That is a fair solution. I can use that.

However, I would prefer to make it silent within AdminStudio because it can automatically create the packages/programs/advertisments within SMS for me, which cuts down the work required for each package I want to create.

You don't *need* to build a transform for this. You can edit the MSI using Wise, IS, or even Orca and remove the dialogs and set the EULA stuff to run silent. I did that and it works fine for pushing via GPO and SMS without any problems.

you don't *need* to use a MST, but you *should* !

[;)]

Well to be perfectly honest I'm no packaging genius. I'm just scratching the surface here. I am just getting into it because we are implementing SMS 2003.

Basically this is what I want to achieve, in the easiest way possible.

I'm using the SMS OSD feature pack to install O/S images.
In the post install phase, depending on which OS program was run, I would like it to install the applications.

For this I need to make them run as smoothly as possible. Idealy I would like to use AdminStudio to make Acrobat Reader completely silent, so that when it packages it with the MST, INF and bootstrapper EXE, I can point the SMS package to the EXE and not have to worry about command line parameters that may not work during the Post Install phase of OS deployment.

Hope that all makes sense.

Hello,

Maybe this wil help!!

http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/330817.html


Greetz,


Funzyworld

Well, a boot strapper will work if thats the way you want to do it. In my humble opinion its just an extra unecessary step.

All of our programs called either msiexec, or the exe we captured with wise.

How are you guys doing this ?? I would like to deploy via GPO. I am TOTALLY lost !! I have never done a package before. I have tried the Adobe tuner but I cannot bypass the setup.exe any clues ???? Thank You !

Well as far as I can see so far I can't use an MSIEXEC style command during the State Restore/Post Install phase of Operating System deployment. However if I use a full UNC path to a SETUP.EXE then the program can launch fine.

I've just got to work out repackaging it correctly now.

Hopefully I can help shed a little light here. In regards to packaging Acrobat Reader, check out this link regarding Packaging Acrobat Reader 7.0 (Packaging Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0). This will give you detailed instructions on how to package it.

In regards to deploying the application using the OSD, the application should first be set up as a package in SMS. The program within that package must be completely silent. Any dialog windows or command shell windows that pop will be interpreted as an error. Our Acrobat Reader package is an .MSI using a transform we created using WISE Package Studio. Next, all applications should be installed during the State Restore phase only!!! The Post Install phase occurs after the "image" has been copied, but before the reboot and the start of MiniSetup.

In the Program Properties dialog, on the Advanced tab, select State Restore from the drop down window. Click the Add button. In the Add Action:State Restore window, select Run Software Distribution Program and click OK. In the Run SWD Program dialog, give the app an easy name to recall in the Name field (in this instance - Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0). In the Package field, click on the drop down and find the name of the package you used (mine is Acrobat Reader - *** NOTE *** only the actual name of the package is shown, not the entire Manufacturer+Name+Version+Language that is show in the SMS interface in the Packages tree). Then in the Program field, select the program you created that runs completely silent (mine is Install - Silent). Now click OK. After you return to the Advanced tab in the Program Properties dialog, and you have added multiple SWD programs, you can then use the Move Up and Move down buttons to specify the order the apps are installed.

I hope this helps. Sorry if I rambled... It took me many hours to finally get this to work the way that I wanted it to, but now that it does, it is awesome. Microsoft did this right.

Jeff

ORIGINAL: Jabenedicic

Well as far as I can see so far I can't use an MSIEXEC style command during the State Restore/Post Install phase of Operating System deployment. However if I use a full UNC path to a SETUP.EXE then the program can launch fine.

I've just got to work out repackaging it correctly now.



Hi Jabenedicic,

The above statement of yours looks like "Windows Installer" is not yet installed before you called your Acrobat MSI. MSI engine is needed. Can you confirm?

See my post above, from the 14th of July. There is a link there to tell you how to extract the .MSI from the Setup.exe wrapper.