climb21cj Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Hi, This is my first post. I have been reading the forums for a couple of days and working on some AutoIT scripts. The app is really cool, but I think I may have run into a problem, not necessarily with AutoIT, but with the way I am deploying the end package. Summary: Anyone know a way to install an app that doesn't have any kind of "silent switch" without spawning a real window? Long version: I am using a configuration management program that deploys software to systems w/o logging in (it works great in Linux environments). The program uses an agent running on the box, and uses a python process to call applications. The program (on the server) communicates with the agent (on the remote system) but never actually logs in. The preferred method for deploying MS applications through this program is with MSI's, so I have packaged the application (Sorenson 3), first using AutoIT to enter the serial key and make choices, and then using MakeMSI to get it into an MSI. This works great locally, and I have made it completely handsfree, and mostly silent other than the AutoIT portion. When I deploy the MSI that uses AutoIT to install an application the deploy just hangs until it times out. I can only imagine that when the MSI calls sorensoninstall.exe (the exe i created with AutoIT) it attempts to open a window (duh), but where does this window go if there is no login (shell or otherwise)? I know this post is pretty vague. I am still learning the deploy program at this time, but I am hoping someone finds this and has had a familiar experience. My final goal is to package as many MS applications that we use as possible into the deploy program. My short-term goal is to install 8 applications on 48 servers for video encoding. Some of these I can install silently, and use a combination of NSIS and MakeMSI to package. I know some can't be installed silently, mainly because of the way it was packaged, and this is where I am stuck. Thanks in advance for any help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bert Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 I know what you need to do. Do you have a Generic PC you can do an install on? If so, you can do a repackage. In a nutshell, you take a snapshot of the PC and all it's settings. You then install the package. Get a second snapshot, and see what is different. The differences are what you package into an installer that you can run silently. Both InstallShield and Wise Installation Studio can do this. Wise - http://www.symantec.com/business/wise-installation-studioInstallShield - http://www.acresso.com/products/is/install...ld-overview.htmI did a Google search for open sourcehttp://www.google.com/search?num=100&h...amp;btnG=Search The Vollatran project My blog: http://www.vollysinterestingshit.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
climb21cj Posted January 9, 2009 Author Share Posted January 9, 2009 Thanks! I had read about this before, but figured i'd need a license to do it. I will try this out. Very much appreciated! Cheers!Another dept. in my company uses Altiris to deploy Windows apps, so that may be a last chance possiblity, but inter-dept. cooperation..... you know... I know what you need to do. Do you have a Generic PC you can do an install on? If so, you can do a repackage. In a nutshell, you take a snapshot of the PC and all it's settings. You then install the package. Get a second snapshot, and see what is different. The differences are what you package into an installer that you can run silently. Both InstallShield and Wise Installation Studio can do this. Wise - http://www.symantec.com/business/wise-installation-studioInstallShield - http://www.acresso.com/products/is/install...ld-overview.htmI did a Google search for open sourcehttp://www.google.com/search?num=100&h...amp;btnG=Search Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurionAltec Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 For free software, look at open source Regshothttp://sourceforge.net/projects/regshotIt will tell you what changed (registry entries, files), but it's up to you to figure out what you need, and package it yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurionAltec Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Another option is RegFromApphttp://www.nirsoft.net/utils/reg_file_from_application.htmlWhich will generate .reg files, and you can tell it the specific process to monitor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy99 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 (edited) You can do it by repackaging but make sure you have good backups. You're basically going to be over writing registry information. Rule of thumb is it's never a good idea to repackage and MSI with another MSI. I only did it once and boy did I learn from my mistake, I don't recall the app specifically but I swore after hours of recovery I'd never do it again. If your trying to use Autoit to emulate control commands, mouse click, whatever on a Windows Server, you have to be logged in, you can't run an application that interacts with the desktop like that if you are not logged in. That is probably the hang you mentioned unless I'm not getting what your describing. Edited January 12, 2009 by Legacy99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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