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Completely new to this and I think I need help...

Ok, between this and OCD inventory I am about ready to cry. If I am understanding appdeploy correctly, I fire it up, point it to the launch file (in this case, the latest java version from java.com). I then let appdeploy take a snapshot of my registry. Then it runs the launch file and takes another snap shot of my registry. It then packages it into an MSI. I then deploy that MSI via GPO. It looks like it is installing on the machine start up (AD>GPO>computer settings>Software>New Package) but the machine doesn't actually show it has java installed.

What did I do wrong?

I am using server 2003 with XP Pro machines.

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Answers (5)

Posted by: anonymous_9363 15 years ago
Red Belt
0
If you're referring to the JRE, this is already supplied in MSI form (although it may be disguised "inside" an EXE stub) so re-packaging it into a new MSI is a mistake. Always, ALWAYS create transforms for vendor-supplied MSIs.

Also, testing your MSI by attempting a GPO deployment is another mistake. Make sure your package installs on a stand-alone basis first.

Lastly, when testing your GPO deployment, enable MSI logging (which you can do through GP) on your test workstations. If anything goes wrong, GPResults tells you absolutely zero about why: an MSI log, in contrast, will be chock-full with information. Remember that policy-enabled MSI logging is an all or nothing setting (and will include advertising logs, too) so be sure to turn it off afterwards! Logs end up in %SystemRoot%\TEMP, with a prefix of 'MSI' and a .LOG extension and you'll need to search for some unique text to determine which applies to a particular deployment. I tend to use the command-line tool FIND as it's an order of magnitude quicker than Windows Search (but then, what isn't?), as in

..........FIND /I "text_I_want_to_find" %SystemRoot%\TEMP\MSI*.LOG
Posted by: justcrash 15 years ago
Yellow Belt
0
ORIGINAL: VBScab

If you're referring to the JRE, this is already supplied in MSI form (although it may be disguised "inside" an EXE stub) so re-packaging it into a new MSI is a mistake. Always, ALWAYS create transforms for vendor-supplied MSIs.

Also, testing your MSI by attempting a GPO deployment is another mistake. Make sure your package installs on a stand-alone basis first.

Lastly, when testing your GPO deployment, enable MSI logging (which you can do through GP) on your test workstations. If anything goes wrong, GPResults tells you absolutely zero about why: an MSI log, in contrast, will be chock-full with information. Remember that policy-enabled MSI logging is an all or nothing setting (and will include advertising logs, too) so be sure to turn it off afterwards! Logs end up in %SystemRoot%\TEMP, with a prefix of 'MSI' and a .LOG extension and you'll need to search for some unique text to determine which applies to a particular deployment. I tend to use the command-line tool FIND as it's an order of magnitude quicker than Windows Search (but then, what isn't?), as in

..........FIND /I "text_I_want_to_find" %SystemRoot%\TEMP\MSI*.LOG


What is a "Transform" for a vendor MSI and how do I do it?

I tried using the java msi that installs with the .exe, the issue is it also installs either open office or the google tool bar, both of which my boss does not want installed. So I thought it would be nice to have this MSI that records what I do with it and does NOT install those two items, since I tried to edit that MSI with orca before and had no clue what I was looking at. Any advice?
Posted by: anonymous_9363 15 years ago
Red Belt
0
You're using the wrong tool. AppDeploy's Repackager is designed to capture so-called "legacy" (i.e. non-MSI) installations. I'd recommend you obtain a decent packaging tool to create your transform which is, in simple terms, a delta of the MSI it's based on.

Part of the purpose of using a transform is to tailor an installation. Disabling selected features is one of the options you would have.

There are some freeware tools but I've never used them in anger, preferring either of the two "big hitters" in this market, Wise Package Studio and InstallShield AdminStudio. They're both pretty hefty, price-wise, but given your level of knowledge, I honestly couldn't recommend another route, other than perhaps farming the work out to a third-party for a set fee.

Lastly, I wouldn't recommend persevering with what you have. Making it work will be more effort and will probably take much longer than doing the job properly, as is usually the case, of course.

EDIT:
If you can find a copy, I *do* recall using WinInstall LE at one client. That might be worth pursuing...
Posted by: jmcfadyen 15 years ago
5th Degree Black Belt
0
no offence intended but we see this time and time again. you have walked into an incredibly complex field, your in for about a years muddling around not knowing what to do if your in on this alone.

i strongly recommend getting some training and or someone that has used this technology before. Its is a minefield of complications and troubles. Often you can be cruising along thinking things are just fine not aware of the traps that await when you start uninstalling some of the things you created six months ago.

all that aside there is not many resources around for this atm. one of hte best guides I ever read was Darwin Sanoys definitive guide to windows installer. (can be found at www.realtimepublishers.com).

perhaps you may want to read some of this as well http://johnmcfadyen.spaces.live.com
Posted by: justcrash 15 years ago
Yellow Belt
0
ORIGINAL: jmcfadyen

no offence intended but we see this time and time again. you have walked into an incredibly complex field, your in for about a years muddling around not knowing what to do if your in on this alone.

i strongly recommend getting some training and or someone that has used this technology before. Its is a minefield of complications and troubles. Often you can be cruising along thinking things are just fine not aware of the traps that await when you start uninstalling some of the things you created six months ago.

all that aside there is not many resources around for this atm. one of hte best guides I ever read was Darwin Sanoys definitive guide to windows installer. (can be found at www.realtimepublishers.com).

perhaps you may want to read some of this as well http://johnmcfadyen.spaces.live.com


No offence taken. I would love to take classes, just not an option. I recently started a job in a small public schoo district, K-12. Ironically enough, there is no money for education. I never said during the interview process that I was anything resembling a network admin, only that in my last job I had to trouble shoot server 2003 and active directory type issues (real simple stuff).

Never the less, I know more about networking than any of the other 2 guys in my department (that alone is hilarious) so I have been unoffically cast as the network administrator. :rolleyes:

Trust me when I tell you this, a real network admin wouldn't touch the job for 4x as much as they are paying me. :(
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