Software Deployment

Go to Adobe.com and DL the Customization wizard. Deploy the application with the MST created.

Okay, I made a MST file so now I'm confused at what to do next...I'll explain what I've done.

I launched the Customization Wizard and configured to my liking.
I saved the .MST file in the directory with the AcroPro.msi file, Setup.ini file, and Setup.exe file

I then did a Admin install to server share (msiexec.exe /a AcroPro.msi) and trying to specify the TRANSFORMS for the MST file, no go.

So, I then tested the AcroPro.msi file to see if it was silent w/ Progress bar....Nothing

Next, I tried specifying /TRANSFORMS=myMSTfile.mst
Negative -- not unattend w/ progress bar.

I tried running the Setup.exe for kicks to rule that out, and it ran just how I configured it.

This is running this app off my computer and not the Server share -- because on the server the files are arranged differently.

How do I go about using this .MST file on the server? Do I need the Admin install?

Thanks

I just ran the Setup.exe file from the server share and it installed as configured. The files I placed on the server share were just the source files along with the MST file created by the Customization Wizard. I configured the Installation Options --> Run Installation to be unattended in the Customization Wizard.

Copy install dir to a server share, Run the MSI command line to deploy Adobe Pro 9.

MSIEXEC /i"c:/path/AcroPro.msi" TRANSFORMS="AcroPro.mst" /quiet

Okay, I now tried copying the Setup.exe file to the Server share and it did not run, it complained about :

"Error applying transforms. Verify that the specified transform paths are valid."

Now I have the transform file in the same directory. (This is running off the server share that is using a admin install)

Okay, I didn't copy any files, because I did not know what you mean by Install DIR, but I tried the command you posted and it ran the installer.

I'm trying to figure out how to get it to run like the SETUP.exe file that is stored locally on my machine. It displays only a progress bar. Did I even need to do a Admin install?

Oops, An Admin install point on the server is what I meant.

Can you be a little more specific? I'm trying to explain all the things I've done so far and if someone can tell me if this is correct, or if I need to omit this, etc etc...

---This is done locally on my machine----
I extracted our Adobe .exe file so that I have all the Adobe files to work with....
I open Customization Wizard and edit settings (I also added the server share to the server locations)

I save the .MST file in the Adobe directory with the AcroPro.msi and Setup.exe file.
**I did read that you can edit the Setup.ini and/or the ABCpy.ini file to include the Serial, but I want silent w/ progress bar

I then do: msiexec.exe /a "AcroPro.msi" to make an admin install/image directory on the server share. ???Is this needed or correct? ???

So, I'm little confused fro mthe last step I did and now...

How do I make it possible to run the AcroPro.msi file or Setup.exe file on the server and make it silent with a progress bar and not ask the client anything?

I would rather not have them type in msiexec.exe /i"blah" /TRANSFORMS="Blah" or make a back file for this.

I aprreciate your patience and responses.

Just to provide an update -- this is what I did (trying to go off Timanator's post)

I copied these files from my computer to the Admin install/image on the server share. Because the I tried to do an admin install/image like so: msiexec.exe /a "AcroPro.msi" /t"MyMSTFile.mst" <--I thought it might make it use the contents of the mst file, which didn't work..

myMSTfile.mst
1031.mst
1036.mst
AcroPro.mst
setup.ini
1033.mst
Abcpy.ini
Data1.cab
Some Windows installer file KB893803
AcroPro.msi and Setup.exe

Okay, so I did all that and here are the results:

AcroPro.msi does not read the .mst file apparently because it is not silent w/ progress bar. I think it is reading the setup.ini and Abcpy.ini file -- because it had the User,Company Name, and Serial.

Setup.exe runs like it does on my machine.

Any thoughts??? Tips on how to do this better??

Bump...

anyone critique this??

I would like a stronger understanding and I feel like I just got lucky

So here are the steps that you should be doing.

Create an admin installation of your media. This will in theory extract all of the files that are required for the installation into the folder structure that you should see on the client PC. From the look of the files that you have on the server you haven't done this correctly as you still have the data1.cab file and no structure (e.g. a ProgramFiles folder). To create you admin install run msiexec.exe /a acropro.msi This will ask you where you want to create the administrative installation (which you will eventually copy to the server where your users will install it from).

Then use the Customization Wizard to create your transform with your desired changes. Once you have your transform (MtMSTFile.mst), copy it into the location of the admin install.

You should now be good to install the application using the following command msiexec.exe /i AcroPro.msi TRANSFORMS=MyMSTFile.MST /qb-!

You may have to include the full path to the msi and the transform, in which case the command line will look something like this msiexec.exe /i %path to msi%\AcroPro.msi TRANSFORMS="%path to transform\MyMSTFile.MST" /qb-! (e.g. msiexec.exe /i C:\Temp\AcroPro.msi TRANSFORMS="C:\Temp\MyMSTFile.MST" /qb-! )

The trailing /qb-! can be varied to control the amount of display that you want the end user to see, but /qb-! will install it with just a progress bar and nothing else. You should test the install without the /qb-! first to see if your changes are as you expect them to be.

Hope that helps.

PS. You probably want to include the correct language transform as well in your command line. For English use the 1033.mst transform and the transforms section of you command line should look something like this TRANSFORMS=1033.MST;MyMSTFile.MST

what is your deployment mechanism...?

I know I did the Admin install correctly, because I did have a Windows, Program Files folders and some others.
I then used the Customization Wizard to make a .MST file.

Which worked out okay...It's just I don't want the user to have type in any commands to get it unattended with a progress bar. I want it to just install itself basically. Which is what happened when I ran Setup.exe. It ran without me having to type any commands or provide any input to the install process. But when I ran the AcroPro.msi it only filled i nthe sections that I provided in the Abcpy.ini file.

I believe I tried several times at inputing msiexec.exe /i AcroPro.msi /TRANSFORMS="myMSTfile.mst" , but I left off the /ab-! part.
It just doesn't make any sense to provide the /qb or any of that, considering the used the Customization Wizard to do it for me, any thoughts?

I guess I will try it some more at home, because I did theAdmin install to a server share...I then ran the Customaztion Wizard on my local copy of AcroPro.msi and made my mst file. I then copied the *.ini files, AcroPro.msi, and Setup.exe to the server share and it works when I run Setup.exe, but not really so much when I run AcroPro.msi --- It grabs contents from Abcpy.ini instead of MST file. but I think it was because I tried running it without any /qb-* switch.


My only means of deploying is just putting it on a server share and having users go to it on their own. Not all of them need it, but when they do -- it's there. I will also be putting it in our images for the desktops and laptops.

I took a look at the WinInstall LE, but I may have to read through the help files for it.

Thanks

Let me know any mroe idea's!

ORIGINAL: jace5869
It's just I don't want the user to have type in any commands to get it unattended with a progress bar. I want it to just install itself basically. Which is what happened when I ran Setup.exe. It ran without me having to type any commands or provide any input to the install process. So why not build a CMD/BAT file containing the required command line? Your users can then simply double-click that.

BTW, that will only be successful if your users have local administrator privilieges or, at the very least, write access to all of the local hard drive and the HKLM registry hive. Bad idea...If those users are part of a Windows network domain, consider using Group Policy to deploy instead. It isn't ideal [insert required number of exclamation marks here] but you get it for free and your users won't need admin rights to install software. If you're already using some other deployment mechanism, have that run the CMD/BAT.

msiexec.exe /i AcroPro.msi /TRANSFORMS="myMSTfile.mst" Create a bat/cmd file with the following commandline in the directory where the MSI/transform pair are:

%windir%\system32\msiexec.exe /i "%~dp0AcroPro.msi" TRANSFORMS="~dp0myMSTfile.mst" /qb!- /l*v "%Temp%\AcroPro90.log"

Test it & post the log here if it fails...

=== Verbose logging started: 10/22/2008 15:47:46 Build type: SHIP UNICODE 3.01.4000.4039 Calling process: C:\WINDOWS\system32\msiexec.exe ===
MSI (c) (44:58) [15:47:46:265]: Resetting cached policy values
MSI (c) (44:58) [15:47:46:265]: Machine policy value 'Debug' is 0
MSI (c) (44:58) [15:47:46:265]: ******* RunEngine:
******* Product: AcroPro.msi
******* Action:
******* CommandLine: **********
MSI (c) (44:58) [15:47:46:281]: Client-side and UI is none or basic: Running entire install on the server.
MSI (c) (44:58) [15:47:46:281]: Grabbed execution mutex.
MSI (c) (44:58) [15:47:46:296]: Cloaking enabled.
MSI (c) (44:58) [15:47:46:296]: Attempting to enable all disabled priveleges before calling Install on Server
MSI (c) (44:58) [15:47:46:296]: Incrementing counter to disable shutdown. Counter after increment: 0
MSI (s) (14:94) [15:47:46:328]: Grabbed execution mutex.
MSI (s) (14:7C) [15:47:46:328]: Resetting cached policy values
MSI (s) (14:7C) [15:47:46:328]: Machine policy value 'Debug' is 0
MSI (s) (14:7C) [15:47:46:328]: ******* RunEngine:
******* Product: C:\WINDOWS\AcroPro.msi
******* Action:
******* CommandLine: **********
MSI (s) (14:7C) [15:47:46:328]: Note: 1: 2203 2: C:\WINDOWS\AcroPro.msi 3: -2147287038
MSI (s) (14:7C) [15:47:46:328]: MainEngineThread is returning 2
MSI (c) (44:58) [15:47:46:328]: Decrementing counter to disable shutdown. If counter >= 0, shutdown will be denied. Counter after decrement: -1
MSI (c) (44:58) [15:47:46:328]: MainEngineThread is returning 2
=== Verbose logging stopped: 10/22/2008 15:47:46 ===

That log suggests to me that AcroPro.MSI isn't located t in the C:\Windows folder. Verbose logs are just a *tad* larger than 24 lines. LOL

The command line examples shown need to be edited to include the full path to the MSI and MST, e.g

%windir%\system32\msiexec.exe /i "[path_to_AcroPro.MSI]AcroPro.msi" TRANSFORMS="[path_to_myMSTfile.mst]myMSTfile.mst" /qb!- /l*v "%Temp%\AcroPro90.log"

The command line examples shown need to be edited to include the full path to the MSI and MST, e.g Ian, creating a bat/cmd file in the same directory as the MSI/MST pair, then using the "%~dp0" var, should use the directory from which the file was executed as the current dir & prefix this path to launching the file. I posit that either the cmd line was not used as presented, or the cmd/bat was located elsewhere...

Yes, I changed the CMD/BAT file after it didn't run properly to this:

%windir%\system32\msiexec.exe /i "%~dp0AcroPro.msi" TRANSFORMS="MSTSilent.mst" /qb!- /l*v "%Temp%\AcroPro90.log"

I do not know what this %~dp0 is though??? But it works

Sorry....I took out the %~ dp0 part and they work...but still what are those?

ORIGINAL: jace5869
Sorry....I took out the %~ dp0 part and they work...but still what are those? Hey! I've stumbled across this new-fangled search thingy called 'Google'. It's great! I'm surprised more people haven't heard of it.

%~ dp0 ORIGINAL: VBScab

ORIGINAL: jace5869
Sorry....I took out the %~ dp0 part and they work...but still what are those? Hey! I've stumbled across this new-fangled search thingy called 'Google'. It's great! I'm surprised more people haven't heard of it.



Wow! Amazing tool there...Thinks for the guidance...I found this

another little known one I find myself using alot is the "%~dp0" macro which resolves to the fully expanded path to the directory containing the batch file. This allows batch files to run regardless of the current working directory. So for example Visual Studio post build events run with the current working directory set to bin\Debug or (bin\Release). But you probably have the postbuild.bat file sitting up a couple directories along side the csproj/vbproj project file. So adding a %~dp0 in front of things you do in the batch file give you location independence without having to do hard-coded paths or a lot of ..\..'s all over the place. So the following will always find the "sometool.exe" sitting right next to the batch file no matter where it's run from.

[font="courier new"]setlocal
"%~dp0sometool.exe" > temp.txt
set /p TOOLOUTPUT= < temp.txt
del temp.txt
..do something with %TOOLOUTPUT%...
endlocal
http://weblogs.asp.net/lorenh/archive/2006/03/24/441004.aspx

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb491071.aspx