Software Deployment

msiexec /i {msi file name} transform={mst file name} patch={path and file name of msp} /qb

You should be using an Administrative Installation Point (AIP). You would then apply the patch to the AIP, then execute the MSI + MST against your clients.

Is there any documents or link which explains about AIP how it can be used effectively.

You may not need any document, the below steps are not much complicated.
1. Run the command 'msiexec.exe /a <MSI Name>'.
2. You will be prompted to save the newly created MSI(AIP).
3. Run the command 'msiexec.exe /p <MSP Name> /a <MSI(AIP) Name>'

Now, your MSI(AIP) does contain the required patch contents.
For deployment - Use this MSI with the transform that you must have already created.

I'm confused concerning AIPs. Following the above instructions, some questions I have are. When you create the AIP, it creates several folders + the MSI file in directory you create for the AIP. Are these folders now necessary to retain with the MSI? Is the network path you selected during the /a install important to retain or is it portable? And when you apply the patch to the AIP, you're prompted to create a new directory for the new patched AIP... or can you just install this over top the old AIP directory, in effect keeping it "current"? And, again, are all the extra folders required for distributing this new MSI or is it independent?

- Are these folders now necessary to retain with the MSI?
Yes

- Is the network path you selected during the /a install important to retain or is it portable?
No it's not important and yes, it's portable.

- And when you apply the patch to the AIP, you're prompted to create a new directory for the new patched AIP... or can you just install this over top the old AIP directory, in effect keeping it "current"? And, again, are all the extra folders required for distributing this new MSI or is it independent?
Apply the patch directly to the AIP. You may wish to take a differential back-up of the original folder and MSI so that you revert if need be.

I'd like to continue this discussion if possible. Adobe is making my head hurt over this stuff. Everytime I think I have it figured out, I'm wrong.

What I did is - create a 10.0.0 AIP
Patch the 10.0.0 AIP to 10.0.1 according to Adobe's instructions
Created an MST file.

When I try to install on a system with 10.0.0, it says it is already installed. Would LOVE some help on this issue.

Patches don't normally change the ProductCode of the base MSI, so to Windows Installer, the patched version is the same product as the non-patched version, hence the "already installed" situation. You can't install one on top of the other. You would have to reinstall/repair the installation to apply the changes, or you can completely uninstall Adobe Reader 10.0.0 from the user's workstation, then reinstall using your patched AIP.

As an alternative to the AIP solution, you could start with the base Adobe Reader 10.0.0 release product, install that on your end users' machines, then distribute the cumulative patches to your users' machines. When another patch comes out, you distribute it to your users, instead of having to update an AIP and reinstall/repair on everyone. This is the way Microsoft handles patching their large products (they stopped using AIP for the most part a while back), and it's probably the way I'm gonna go in my environment.

well, I originally had done that with patching individual machines. Its just very frustrating because of the software we try to update frequently, Acrobat Reader is the only one that has all these crappy patching issues. I want to do it the "correct" way, which I thought was to have an AIP....

The problem is, if I patch the AIP, as according to adobe, you do have to do the reinstall stuff as you mentioned. I don't have a problem doing that if it would work - but the issue I'm running into is when I either patch or run a patched AIP install, my customizations from my transforms file goes away.... I don't know how to prevent it from taking away those customizations. Again, thanks for replies - very happy to have a place to chat about this.

hi,

just to clarify, did you use this following command to slipstream the msp in AIP?
msiexec /a setup.msi /p setup.msp ?

*take note the changes of size of msi right after the slipstreaming. Or you can see the changes by using msi differencing.

then applying transform from the newly patched msi for your customisation? if yes, you wouldn't be experiencing any problem at all.

Yep - That is what I have tried with my AIP. It does patch, because I can get my install on clients to update, but the transforms does not seem to work anymore at that point.

I don't mind going another route with it - like not doing the AIP - but I can't seem to do anything that works consistently. And also, while we generally try to make sure everything we have is consistent, we may be at times upgrading from both the previous version as well as some that are older... and the question I have with that is should I check to see what is currently installed and run a different install string, or should I just do the reinstall on everything?

Did you log the install, to check that your transform was being applied?

I don't believe in this case I did - I've done so many things I can't remember! I've also tried the bootstrapper installation vs just the msi. Could you recommend straight out the steps? What I'd like to do I guess is get to 10.0.1 although yesterday 10.0.2 came out so I guess that is really where I need to be.

I don't believe in this case I didAre you testing this with "live" targets?!? Are you not using VMs/VPCs/VirtualBoxes?!?

If any of your users have installed Adobe Reader X on their own, you'll need to completely uninstall it and ensure that everyone has your packaged version installed so that your customizations are applied. Windows Installer won't install something that it thinks is already installed, and running a repair won't dynamically apply any customizations from your transform. The transform has to be applied at initial installation.

When reinstalling the AIP package on the users' workstations, make sure you're including your transform on the command line. For diagnostics, enable logging. For example:

msiexec.exe /i <AIP-package>.msi TRANSFORMS=<custom-transform>.mst /qn REBOOT=ReallySuppress REINSTALL=ALL REINSTALLMODE=vomus /l*v <log-pathname>.log

--Josh

ORIGINAL: VBScab

I don't believe in this case I didAre you testing this with "live" targets?!? Are you not using VMs/VPCs/VirtualBoxes?!?



No - I have a machine that is version 10 and I test something and then if it doesn't work how I want, I re-image it.

ORIGINAL: mazessj

If any of your users have installed Adobe Reader X on their own, you'll need to completely uninstall it and ensure that everyone has your packaged version installed so that your customizations are applied. Windows Installer won't install something that it thinks is already installed, and running a repair won't dynamically apply any customizations from your transform. The transform has to be applied at initial installation.

When reinstalling the AIP package on the users' workstations, make sure you're including your transform on the command line. For diagnostics, enable logging. For example:

msiexec.exe /i <AIP-package>.msi TRANSFORMS=<custom-transform>.mst /qn REBOOT=ReallySuppress REINSTALL=ALL REINSTALLMODE=vomus /l*v <log-pathname>.log

--Josh


Thanks - I don't mind uninstalling everywhere if it means getting on the right track. Let me start from scratch. What I'll do is re-make a 10.0.0 AIP, then patch it to 10.0.1, then I guess at that point I'll generate the transforms.

One question I do have - what is common practice on working with the AIP for customization? It resides on a server, but do you usually initially set it up, patch it, and customize locally then just move it out to a share?

It seems my session timed out and I lost the reply I had typed, so I'll be brief...

I don't think it matters when you create the transform, as the enterprise configuration should be unaffected by converting to an AIP or applying patches.

Make sure you're using Adobe Customization Wizard 10 to create your initial transform and to apply your enterprise customizations.

It doesn't matter whether you create the AIP on a network share or locally -- the path information is not part of the package. You can copy to a network share when you're done. I personally prefer to work off of a network share designated for packaging so that if I'm ever out of the office, someone else can pick it up and work on it.

--Josh

Ug - I'm still having problems. The thing that is so confusing to me is the inconsistency on the packages. I mean what is it I'm using to make the AIP??

Here is what I understand I should be doing:
1) msiexec /a AcroRead.msi (as extracted from AdbeRdr1000_en_US.exe) - choose an AIP location
2) msiexec /a AcroRead.msi /p AdbeRdrUpd1001_Tier1.msp (and then choose the aip location)
3) msiexec /p AcroRead.msi /p AcrobatSecUpd1002.msp (and then choose the aip location)

So what the heck am I doing wrong here - sorry - it just never seems to work the same for me from one version to the next and want to know what I'm doing wrong here.

3) msiexec /p AcroRead.msi /p AcrobatSecUpd1002.msp (and then choose the aip location) 3) msiexec /a AcroRead.msi /p AcrobatSecUpd1002.msp (and then choose the aip location)

Hi folks,
you are very close. But hey, this is the Adobe world, remember... ;-)

This message (same version already installed) comes from the Upgrade table, which still has the values for v10.0.0.
You need to change the following lines in the Upgrade table, like this:

{A6EADE66-0000-0000-484E-7E8A45000000} 10.0.2 258 UT_FRB
{A6EADE66-0000-0000-76A5-7E8A45000000} 10.0.2 258 UT_FRS


Further, Adobe has its own imagination about a GUID. They abuse it, to put various product and version information into it.
And they use CA's, which look for it.
Therefore, you have to change the productcode in the property table like this:
{AC76BA86-7AD7-1031-7B44-AA0100000001}

To make it complete, change the package code also.

AND YES: Do this in the MSI package by using ORCA, that sort of thing is beyond transforming...

See: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/837/cpsid_83709/attachments/Acrobat_Enterprise_Administration.pdf

BTW: When chaining MSP together, always check the versions in the Upgrade table.

Regards, Nick

ORIGINAL: VBScab

3) msiexec /p AcroRead.msi /p AcrobatSecUpd1002.msp (and then choose the aip location) 3) msiexec /a AcroRead.msi /p AcrobatSecUpd1002.msp (and then choose the aip location)


Sorry - that was a typo - I was doing what you suggested.

Am I doing this the correct way to start off with? Obtain the full .exe, extract with the -nos_ne switch?

Also am i running the msiexec /p command against the ORIGINAL AcroRead.msi that was extracted or against the one that is in my AIP The admin guide shows:

msiexec /p PRODUCTSOURCE/AcroRead.msi /p PRODUCTAIP/AcrobatSecUpd1002.msp

which doesn't really make sense to me - seems you'd want to be patching what is in your AIP.

Also - what I would be editing in Orca - is the acroread.msi in my AIP that is patched to 10.0.1, correct? I found the upgrade cude area but wasn't sure about the other parts...still get an error when I try to patch....So what I'm getting from this is that Adobe doesn't really WANT anyone to upgrade?

I struggled with this a while back and was back on the site recently, thought I'd share some of what I've learned about Reader and Acrobat. It can be such a PITA until you understand.
Note, also, there is no need to be extracting stuff from EXE files.
You can acquire all necessary files from ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/acrobat/win/ & ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/reader/win except for the base installer for Acrobat Standard or Professional, that you get when you buy it.
All software customization should be done with the Adobe Customization Wizard. This generates your MST file, and all customizations are contained within it. There is no need for extensive command line switching.

I will try to say this as simply and straight forward as I can:
#1 Forget about the AIP crap, it's pointless.
From a base install, you apply either the minor version patches applicable to the major version of the base installer, OR ONE MAJOR VERSION PATCH + minor version patches specific to that major version.
With Reader, you can always download a full base installer for any major version, you then apply any remaining minor version patches specific to that major version.
But with Acrobat, you will always need to install from the original base installer + the major version patch + minor version patches specific to that major version.

You can distribute minor version patches simply, like this... (minor version patches should always be applied consecutively, meaning you don't skip any, apply them all, in order from the most recent one applied)
MsiExec.exe /qr /norestart /p AdbeRdrUpd1001_Tier1
MsiExec.exe /qr /norestart /p AcrobatSecUpd1002.msp
MsiExec.exe /qr /norestart /p AcrobatSecUpd1003.msp

To do a clean install or to do a major version upgrade, you can create a BAT file to uninstall any existing versions, install the base package, apply a major version patch and then apply any minor version patches specific to that major version, like so...
MsiExec.exe /qn /X {AC76BA86-7AD7-1033-7B44-AA0000000001}
MsiExec.exe /qn /X {AC76BA86-1033-F400-BA7E-000000000005}
MsiExec.exe /qr /norestart /i AcroStan.msi TRANSFORMS="AcroStan.mst"
MsiExec.exe /qr /norestart /p AcrobatUpd1010.msp

Hope this has been helpful. There should be an Acrobat / Reader sticky post to clarify this for everyone.
The problem with AIP's is that once you apply a minor version patch to an AIP, you cannot install a major version patch to it.
Hence, IMO, it's pointless. You're better off simply maintaining a full installer script and rolling out minor patches until a major version release. Then everyone gets queued for a re-install.

There should be an Acrobat / Reader sticky post to clarify this for everyone. Tim, that's what the Package KB is for. It would be helpful to post your notes there. Note that entries do not appear immediately after submission.