Software Deployment

knorpen,

I managed to install just the AdobePhotoshop10en_US_volume.msi.
For testing purposes you can copy the AdobePhotoshop10en_US_volume directory from CD to the local disk.

From there edit the en_US.mst file

Deleting the launch condition won't work (tried that one out)

Add the properties ADOBE_SETUP and UPGRADINGPRODUCTCODE and give them the value 1.
Now the msi runs without complaining about the setup.exe or any other failures.

Note that you also install the AdobeALMAnchorServiceAll.msi using the same properties as above.
If you do not, you get a license error while starting Photoshop CS3.

I haven't tried installing the shares components yet or configuring the xml override file.
Maybe i'll get to that soon.

G'Day People,

We are just finishing up the complete msi install of the CS3 suite.

What started us off was our friend Marin's advice on incorporating the property values as he mentioned into the transform file (we usually chose the en_US.mst). Although the properties can be speced on the command line from a shortcut.
There is a custom action in the launch condition sequence somthing like CheckForConflicts; because we deploy via GP before login we commented this CA out. It was bombing out otherwise and would either not install or not remove the CS3 app.

Once we could install without the setup.exe, we then had to install the AddOns before we installed our adobe application. There are 38 addons in our CS3 suite each has the aforementioned property values added and all have the latest adobe updates applied where possible; so that they are configured for msi installation and with our specs for folder redirection in thier options. All Addons get installed as prereq for one or more CS3 suite apps. PS you'll also need Quicktime for the Flash Video Encoder Addon.
If the Adobe Updates addon is not installed then there is no need to block updates in any way. Bonus!
The AdobeAnchorServiceAll.msi installs the FlexNet licensing service. This can be left in a manual state as it is only activated when you switch from Design Standard to Web Standard application where all the addons are re-registered when the Adobe CS Suite app is launched. This is logged in the ALM.log in the %temp% folder.

The important customised files used on each Adobe CS3 app have been:
1) application.xml (this has the adobe code for the Adobe CS3 app you are installing). It's needed for the FlexNet licensing service to authenticate. Do a vanilla install and copy out the file then substitute it into your custom transform. We don't compress our files so gave the file it's correct folder path, attribute it 8192 and change the file sequence so that it is not cabed.
This file can be found in the AMT folder, but be aware that it is not in the same location path for each CS3 app (no standards; funny that). Also when we ran the msi install this way some of the Adobe components; especially the AMT stuff and Help was not being installed. There was a Adobe condition(Adobe_"some adobe code") associated with these components which must get varified when running setup.exe but not when the msi is run. We ditched the condition on these components.
2)We did a fully licensed CS3 install and opened each app, licensed it and then copied out the cache.db, caps.db, pcd.db and the tsf file in the All Users appdata Flexnet folder.

We have created a custom msi which gets installed as prereq addon with these files for all our CS3 apps without problems. If we do get a licensing error or the ambitious 'fatal error' it's usually the application.xml or other files in the AMT folder or one of these files cache.db, caps.db or pcd.db storing corrupt data. Maybe, like I experienced, the license code was for a single seat instead of a volume license. Lesson learnt there; like don't assume[8|].

I also disabled the Bonjour service in the Firewall exclusion policy and changed the service to manual. Having experienced slow logins being attributed to this service running in auto.

With regards to Photoshop CS3 we copied the Prefs file out of the install of the adminuser profile and placed it in our package with Active Setup on the componet CurrentUserSettings.

Hope this helps someone; Adobe can be tamed, but it is a pain in the.....

Regards
Wayne

Is [link]http://itninja.com/link/very-useful-deployment-kb-article-from-those-nice-people-at-adobe[/link] any good for you?

Thanks

But I have alreaddy read this messeage...

// Micke

While adobe may be on verison 10 of photoshop, they are on an alpha version 1.0 of their new installation program. It sucks... royally.

For a silent install, the only thing you can do is make it silent and input the serial number. there are *ZERO* other configuration options available.

Has anyone manage to installed just the .msi files ?

I've been wrestling with CS3 install issues as well and as far as I know, there's no way to extract the MSI files and they would be completely useless anyway because Adobe uses a proprietary installer. The only real "options" Adobe has offered with their executable is --mode=Silent and --deploymentFile=path to deployment.xml. Although the XML and payload distribution idea is cool, it's horribly applied in this case.

I started another thread about CS3 and there is one response that looks like it could be useful if read by the right person.

http://itninja.com/question/how-do-you-roll-out-new-machines?6716

Update:

I managed to supress the registration by installing the MSI without the setup.exe
Just install the software once by using the setup.exe --mode=Silent deploymentFile=file.xml

During this installation there are 2 files that u need for the MSI.

This one hold the license code info:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Adobe PCD\cache\cache.db

This file supresses the activation:
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS3\AMT\application.xml

Marin,
I'm having difficulty replicating your results. The version of CS3 I'm using (Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Standard) has only AdobePhotoshop10en_US.msi (no _volume)
What version are you using?

Thanks
Rob

Hi Wayne,
you're definitely my man of the week!
Great work! Have to test it as soon as i find time for it...
Regards, Nick

Good job, Wayne. Have you added this to the Package KB?

Thanks Nick,
Appreciate the advice you've provided on the forum previously, saved my bacon more than once.

We've been hard at it. I haven't worked on the Adobe Suites before, so it's been an... um humbling experience.Just doing a tidy up of Illustrator CS3 and then UAT here we come.

Cheers mate,
Wayne

Many thanks for sharing your know-how [:)]

Super Wayne,

will try it out at once [:D]

yeah guys i jst completed installing the adobe photoshop cs3 calling the silent installation and uninstallation in blank msi and installed it sucessfully.it took me 4days to find out all the methods to install and uninstall.

Hi Sharan,
would you please be so kind to publish your cookbook in the packages KB?
Regards, Nick

yup...it's time to publish it......guys carry out this method for adobe photshop version 10.0 cs3


The following steps involved here are mentioned below.

1. Take a blank msi where in you have to add an embedded vb script for installating silent setup for the exe.
The command line to install the application is
"source\adobe cs3\setup.exe" --mode=silent --deploymentFile="source\adobe cs3\Adobe Photoshop CS3.install.xml"
here the source indicates c:\ or d:\ where the source folder is kept.
similarly the command line for uninstallation of the application is
"source\adobe cs3\setup.exe" --mode=silent --deploymentFile="source\adobe cs3\Adobe Photoshop CS3.remove.xml"


2. How we write a embedded vb script in the msi script
under execute immediate before intallfinalize.

if NOT installed then
call VBscript from embedded code(installation)
end

under this vb script you have to set the source path and execute the external vbscript .The vb script which is embedded is mentioned below.

Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Dim strpath, Executingpath
strpath = Session.Property("SOURCEDIR")
systempath = objFSO.getspecialfolder(1)
Executingpath = systempath & "\Cscript.exe /s " & chr(34) & strpath & "Adobe CS3\install.vbs" & chr(34)
Set wshShell1 = CreateObject ("WSCript.shell")
Set oExec = wshShell.Exec(Executingpath)
Set wshshell = Nothing

3. The external vb script logic contains vb script calling the setup.exe in the silent mode and deleting the arp entry which is generated by the setup.exe and the setup.exe is executed with the above mentioned command line. The following vb script named as install.vbs and kept under adobe cs3 folder

Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set WshShell = wscript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set objApp = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Dim strpath, Executingpath
Dim objApp
strpath = wscript.ScriptFullName
strPath = left(strpath, InStrRev(strpath, "\"))
Executingpath = chr(34) & strpath & "Setup.exe" & chr(34) & " --mode=silent --deploymentFile=" & chr(34) & strpath & "Adobe Photoshop CS3.install.xml" & chr(34)
Set wshShell = CreateObject ("WSCript.shell")
Set oExec = wshShell.Exec(Executingpath)
Do While oExec.Status = 0
DisplayEnddialog
Loop
Function DisplayEndDialog()
Const wshYesNoDialog = 0
Const wshQuestionMark = 64
Dim intval
intval = 0
intval = WshShell.Popup("Installing Adobe_Adobe Photoshop_CS3_ENG_1.0.0", _
5, "Installing",wshYesNoDialog + wshQuestionMark)

End function
objApp.Run "cmd /C reg DELETE HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Adobe_719d6f144d0c086a0dfa7ff76bb9ac1 /f"

set wshShell = nothing
Set objFSO = nothing
set objApp = nothing


4. Handling the unistallation part in the package

Create a custom action under execute immediate after installinitialize

If remove=”ALL” then
Execute program from destination cmd.exe /c delete.bat default directory program Files\common files(unistallation)
End.

Create the following files

a. Delete.bat
b. uninstall.vbs
c. Deletefiles.exe

and include these files in the c:\program Files\common files in the blank msi.

a. what exactly the delete.bat file contains .The logic behind this bat file is to executes the vbscript which is installed under c:\program files\common files\unistall.vbs and the next step is to execute the wisescript that is deletefiles.exe which is ment for clean uninstallation after the vb script running for silent unistallation for that exe.

cscript.exe /s "c:\Program Files\Common Files\Uninstall.vbs"
"C:\Program Files\Common Files\DelFiles.EXE" /S
del /f "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Uninstall.vbs"
del /f "C:\Program Files\Common Files\DelFiles.EXE"
del /f "C:\Program Files\Common Files\delete.bat"

b.what uinstall.vbs contains

Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set WshShell = wscript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Dim strpath, Executingpath
strpath = wscript.ScriptFullName
strPath = left(strpath, InStrRev(strpath, "\"))
Executingpath = chr(34) & strpath & "Adobe\Installers\719d6f144d0c086a0dfa7ff76bb9ac1\Setup.exe" & chr(34) & " --mode=silent --deploymentFile=" & chr(34) & strpath & "Adobe\Installers\719d6f144d0c086a0dfa7ff76bb9ac1\Adobe Photoshop CS3.remove.xml" & chr(34)
Set wshShell = CreateObject ("WSCript.shell")
Set oExec = wshShell.Exec(Executingpath)
Do While oExec.Status = 0
DisplayEnddialog
Loop
'objFSO.deletefile(strPath & "\Adobe Photoshop CS3.remove.xml")
'objFSO.deletefile(strPath & "\Deployment.xml")
'Execu = "c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe /c " & chr(34) & strpath & "delete.bat" & chr(34)
'set oExec = wshShell.Exec(Execu)
set wshShell = nothing
Dim objApp
Set objApp = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
objApp.Run "cmd /C reg DELETE HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Macrovision /f"
objApp.Run "cmd /C reg DELETE " & chr(34) & "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Apple Computer, Inc." & chr(34) & " /f"
Function DisplayEndDialog()
Const wshYesNoDialog = 0
Const wshQuestionMark = 64
Dim intval
intval = 0
intval = WshShell.Popup("Uninstalling Adobe_Adobe Photoshop_CS3_ENG_1.0.0", _
5, "Uninstalling",wshYesNoDialog + wshQuestionMark)
End function

c.deletefiles
write a wisescript and delete all files and folder related to application after uninstallation of silent setup and add in the package and execute it through the batfile.



This is how the package works with the blank msi with silent installation and unistallation.

I hope this helps to work out any external logics to be applied for this package further.

hi wayne! Am a new to this forum and i find it very useful and more informational. The Details provided by u for Adobe CS3 msi is quite perfect. Now coming to the party, i am trying to install adobe photoshop 10 msi alone. i have copied the three folders
- AdobeALMAnchorServiceAll.msi
- AdobeVersionCueClient3All.msi
- AdobePhotoshop10en_US_volume.msi
from the Source , installed setup.exe in silent mode using the override file where is recorded all the options listed. i have got the cache.db as well as application.xml file. I would like to know a detailed steps to follow to add this files to the Adobe_Feature_id17852592 and en_US_applicationxml in the mst. should i want to use tools to do this like Installshield?.

Reply is much appreciated!

kartic v

I'm wondering if I can run the deployment with this method (http://www.adobe.com/support/deployment/cs3_deployment.pdf) in gui mode but not have to click all the next button and fill in the key etc.

Can I put some code in install.xml that fix that?

AdobeVersionCueClient3All.msi is what installs the Bonjour service, via a merge module. There are 3 components related to bonjour, disabling these is sufficient to keep the service from being installed.