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AdminStudio repackaging issue

We just purchased admin studio 7.5 for our repackaging software. I am new to repackaging, so go easy on me. I was using the trial, but was informed that in order to convert isscript packages, we needed the full version. So we bought it. I still cannot convert any of the isscript packages like their instructions say. I tried about 4 different applications, and none of them are popping up the install Script Identified panel asking if I want to convert. Has anybody gotten this to work, or know of any tricks to get it to work. i will be very disappointed and out a lot of cash if it does not work like they stated. Thanks

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Answers (13)

Posted by: bkelly 17 years ago
Red Belt
2
Just so you don't think you are crazy: you are not alone on this. According to a support call I opened with Macrovision, InstallScript Scan fails to detect the latest release of QuickTime as an InstallScript driven package due to the fact that Apple used a third-party tool to create the self extracting executable.

I just added a new video to the AppDeploy Library on this subject, covering how to bypass the check by creating an MST that deletes the custom action which performs the setup.exe check, by passing the ISSETUPDRIVEN property and using InstallScript Scan. I have to say I am very unimpressed with this InstallScript Scan feature- it just does not work. At least in v6.5 of AdminStudio, even if it detected InstallScript Scan it would break all kinds of rules in the resulting MSI it provided. By this I mean it modifies the vendor MSI and in several cases I saw it assigning new GUIDs to components present within the vendor MSI. Very ugly.

FYI, I've also posted a new PDF on the command line support provided by InstallShield setups (MSI and InstallScript) here: http://itninja.com/blog/view/installshield-setup-parameters
Posted by: turbokitty 17 years ago
6th Degree Black Belt
0
This is a new feature that I haven't been able to test yet. I'm skeptical.

If you can point me at some free software somewhere on the Internet that has Installscript, I can test it for you with our implementation of AdminStudio 7.5.

If you don't have Installshield support, I can open a ticket if it fails.
Posted by: mls15000 17 years ago
Senior Yellow Belt
0
A free software I was trying was the blackberry desktop manager v4.1. Its a self extracting exe with all the msi, exe and cab files in it. We dont have a service contract with install shield yet, we were hoping we didnt need to purchase that also, but we may have to.
Posted by: bkelly 17 years ago
Red Belt
0
I took a close look at this feature and was also confused. From a functionality standpoint, you are essentially repackaging an InstallShield Script dependant MSI and the repackager is supposed to be smart enough to only take what takes place outside of the MSI (in the external script logic) and merge that with the actual MSI. It does NOT automagically convert MSI Script to native MSI actions.

I questioned InstallShield and was told...The InstallScript Conversion with Recapturing feature is designed only for InstallScript MSI installation types...where InstallScript is driving the installation process. When using this feature, the repackaging process will still proceed as it would when repackaging any other application. The full capture process is required to diagnose the delta between what changes the MSI package makes to the target machine and what changes may be being made by the compiled installation script. The difference is that the build process will merge the compiled installation script delta with the contents of the original MSI package and convert the original InstallScript MSI into a pure MSI installation.

I walked through the documented process and found that it did not work and it essentially had you repackaging an MSI (many, but not all of the component GUIDs were changing just as I feared). That all said, I was working with the first release of the feature and Macrovision assured me that it was being updated and enhanced (to what measure I do not know). Bottom line: this probably doesn't do what you want it to do and your best bet is to deploy InstallShield Script separately and then modify your MSI/MST (or set properties from the command line) to skip the check for ISScript during the actual installation. See this tip for details: http://itninja.com/blog/view/launching-msi-packages-from-the-command-line6
Posted by: mls15000 17 years ago
Senior Yellow Belt
0
Their original advertising, and even instructions are very misleading. From their help file:

Also, if an InstallScript MSI installation is repackaged using traditional methods (OS Snapshot or Installation Monitoring), significant platform-specific or custom installation, maintenance, and uninstallation logic, and user interface information is lost because those methods only record the installation activities for the specific platform used during repackaging.

Therefore, it is recommended that you use InstallScript Scan to convert an InstallScript MSI installation to a Basic MSI package with InstallScript support. InstallScript Scan preserves the original components and much of the InstallScript installation logic, architecture, and maintainability of the original installation package.

Select one of the following options:

Yes—Use InstallScript Scan to automatically extract the MSI package and convert it to Basic MSI, while preserving the original components and installation logic. This is the default selection.


Here are their step by step instructions, but it never pops up a box about converting the msi.

It is supposed to create a single MSI for ease of deployment, I think I will be getting a refund on this software. Now I will have to make sure that for each application I need to publish to our end users, that they know to install the correct version of isscript first. It would be nice if the different versions were backward compatible. I even tried editing the MSI directly and changing the isscript version required to a version already installed, but that doesn't work either. Would be nice if you could install all the versions ahead of time so they are available, but I heard they just overwrite each other. Oh what a mess I got my self into. Life was alot easier when our users had rights to install their own software.


[edited for line wrapping - used QUOTE tag instead of CODE] -bk
Posted by: bkelly 17 years ago
Red Belt
0
If it works as advertised, you will end up with a single MSI that does not require InstallShield Script. I had trouble in an earlier version, but would not expect the same problems today. It just does not do the "conversion" I was hoping- it is simply a repackage and it only takes into account InstallShield Script used to wrap an MSI setup (not any InstallShield Script Custom Actions that may exist).

One tip for getting it to work: you need to select the setup.exe and not the MSI in the repackager- this should be the trigger for AdminStudio to see you are dealing with an InstallShield Script wrapped MSI package.

Hope this helps,
Bob
Posted by: mls15000 17 years ago
Senior Yellow Belt
0
I tried the setup.exe, both msi files and still just runs through the standard repackaging wizard that outputs a project file that then needs to be compiled. Very unhappy with them.
Posted by: turbokitty 17 years ago
6th Degree Black Belt
0
I've tested this and I'm having the same issue. The dialog identifying the setup as an Installscipt MSI doesn't pop up. Doesn't matter if I choose the setup or the MSI directly.
Help states that you can't use multi-step snapshots, but even when I don't, it doesn't work.
I'm trying it on the Blackberry software. Maybe we should try a different setup to see if that makes a difference?
Posted by: bkelly 17 years ago
Red Belt
0
It definitely saw my package as a candidate for InstallScript Scan and let me make the choice- it was after that I had problems. When I tested it, I performed the steps on QuickTime 7 using what is admittedly a very “dirty” machine so there were many extra files that do not belong- no big deal because I was just looking to see how it worked. I exported the results of the components table before and after the process and they were clearly different. Some of concern: Qtinfo.exe, Qtuipanelcontrol.dll, Qtplugininstaller.exe, qtjava.dll all had new component GUID ID values (I did notice the case was differnt between the two, which makes me think there may have been a case-sensitivity bug).

I also saw all the custom actions missing from the new version as well as the many merge modules that were then gone. I had a hard time distinguishing what I saw using this feature from that of a repackaged MSI- which we all know is discouraged.

This was with v7, and I just got v7.5 in the mail last week. I'll be taking another close look as I am working on a video about InstallShield Script and now to understand and deal with such packages. As a paper it is about half way done, but I've not started the video/demos yet. Look for it some time next month (July).
Posted by: mls15000 17 years ago
Senior Yellow Belt
0
Thanks for yor efforts BKelly. I tried quicktime (without i-tunes), Blackberry desktop manager, Scansoft PDF converter, and a few others and never got the pop up. I think I may just go with created a wrapper for each version of isscript and force depoly those, then just advertise the rest hoping they work. Now onto my next challenge...getting scansoft pdf converter to install to all users deploying the msi (only does it when the exe is run).
Posted by: AngelD 17 years ago
Red Belt
0
Hi mls15000,

Instead of creating a wrapper you could use the "InstallShieldScriptingEngine" merge module instead, have a look at http://www.appdeploy.com/messageboards/fb.asp?m=18926&key=InstallShieldScriptingEngine
Posted by: turbokitty 17 years ago
6th Degree Black Belt
0
I opened a support call on this issue and apparently the issue is that only certain types of Installscipt setup's are detected by the Repackager.

Our installation authoring tool allows the following two configuration among others:
1. Project of type Installscript MSI. This one requires the install to be run by running the EXE and not the MSI directly. Also, the entire UI is handled by the Installscript engine and not MSI. There are also other complexities introduced due to the intertwining of the installscript and msi engines.

2. Basic MSI project. The installation author can choose to include installscript custom actions. If so, then isscriptX.msi needs to be installed because it is also the engine for the custom actions. All user interface sequence is handled by MSI and not installscript engine.

In case #2, you can simply create a MST for the MSI and pre-install the appropriate version of isscript MSI. Then you can deploy the MSI using any deployment tool.

In case #1, you cannot use deployment tools like Active Directory that rely on the install being run by running a MSI. Instead of treating this as a legacy install, Installshield will cleverly retain all the information in the MSI table when converting it to a pure MSI. So the feature, component structure will be intact as well as all GUIDs, etc. The Repackager's installscript MSI feature is targeted towards case #1.
Posted by: kkaminsk 17 years ago
9th Degree Black Belt
0
ORIGINAL: bkelly

FYI, I've also posted a new PDF on the command line support provided by InstallShield setups (MSI and InstallScript) here: http://itninja.com/blog/view/installshield-setup-parameters


Wow, that's the best reference on the topic I've seen!
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