[techtype]

OK Here is new toy to test:
Alpha -Alpha - Advanced Users Only!!!!

Now called AppsXP since it installs just about anything (but includes most of the original UpdateXP code). This can do all the hotfixes plus install applications or be set to do any combination or just used as an application installer. The applications themselves can have a selection screen or be fully automatic.

New features:

1. Application Selector
2. Auto detect CD
2. Map Network Drive
4. Pass any switches
5. Prompt for Second CD
6. New Graphic progress bar
7. Run more than once with different configuration files and/or from different places

Old features still included:

1. Auto-run type1 and type 2 hotfixes
2. Auto-reboot

This program is controlled by an ini file -default is apps.ini - edit this file to run what you wish. Most entries should be self-explanatory, if not, examine test.ini for some examples.

Edit: default screens changed





Note: no longer in development!

[GreenMachine]

****, I was going to try it until I saw that "Advanced user" warning!

Lookin' good, techtype. I'm just on my way out the door, but wanted to be the first!

Careful, or they'll banish you to your own forum, too!

[nuhi]

Application selector was on my wish list so long that i planned to make it...but now all i need is to say Thanks !

[Famer]

@techtype as you progress with this app,,, will you write some kind of guide or is it so easy to use that one is not need,,, from you have posted it looks very good but as you said it's just an alpha, so i guess your a long ways away from a beta1


@GM will you be implementing some kind of gui for your program,, not saying that one is needed as it rocks just the way it is

[Alanoll]

@Famer

again you fail to do a search in the XPC forum.
GM said that he removed it because he went to far too fast. He said he would consider it, but it's not too high on his priorities.


@techtype
goodie, another program to find faults with
I sure hope too many people don't make new programs.....


looks really nice so far (I'm a quick tester ). I think I'll stick with XPlode for my unattend purposes (it shows more info, like howmany remaining and what not) but I do believe I shall use this for my Hotifx CD, as it would be easier to tell the path and have it auto, then type it all in an XML. lol.

One thing though it the ability to change the width and heights. And in your code that searches for the CD, add in the INI a variable for a tag file, incase people have two CD/DVD ROMS (I got 3)

[Famer]

@Alanoll I can read and i know GM took it out i was asking if he had planed on working it back in to a later version

[techtype]

Thanks for testing Allanoll!! I may just add in more info and I can easily program it to find the right CD drive from several. I planned for that, I just left it out of the alpha to simplify things.

Here is an another alternative progress bar:




Here are some other choices for the the Selector too.
Edit: These are now the defaults.

Another progress bar

More select screens

[pachelbeljoe]

Hi nice work,

so many commercial progs are so big and so ugly and yours is so nice and so small sized. I´ll give it a try. Hope you´ll reach the beta stadium soon!

pachelbeljoe

EDIT:

Gave it a first try with a dummy file to test it and it works realy fine (especially for a alpha version) Your alpha is much better than some RTM from M$

I have one question: Where should your program be run from? Via GuiRunOnce or via RunOnceEx?

pachelbeljoe

[pachelbeljoe]

Played with it for a while and everything seems to work good and stable. Will give it a try on my unattended DVD when i go home from work. Still my question: can it be run from RunOnceEX.cmd and where do i have to place my files?
And another question: is it possible to put apps in the selection list, which are not selected by default?

pachelbeljoe

[techtype]

@Pachelbeljoe

Thanks for your report. (You're right, it has been tested more and has more error checking than most betas let alone alphas - but little in the way of documentation) You can run it from any of the usual places (as far as I know) depending on your purpose. If you're going to use it as an Application Selector, I would suggest running from runonce (not runonceex). This will, I believe, allow the registry to stabilize before your apps are installed. This can be crucial to a succeesful install of some programs. Guirunonce should also work for most things. Your files can be anywhere as you are entering the complete path in the "Torun" key. There is not currently a way to have some apps not pre-selected.

[pachelbeljoe]

I´m making unattended DVD´s for month but what do you mean with runonce? Do you mean i should call it via RunOnceEx as a registry entry to be running like the windows update function or do you mean anything else (maybe another part in winnt.sif?). i´d like to use it as an application switcher and want it to run as stable as possible.
By the way: Did you think about a version that would give you let´s say two minutes to deselect some items to install and then installs automaticly when no user interaction happens. That would be a nice feature. Maybe for the beta-version?

pachelbeljoe

[techtype]

Runonceex and runonce are both registry keys that are run at almost the same time. Runonceex puts a message on the screen and waits until the entry is finished executing. Runonce does not place anything on the screen. For what we are trying to do here, this suits our purpose better. I'm considering all suggestions for an additional release.

[pachelbeljoe]

OK I´ll try RunOnceEx first and then will see how it works.
But i have another question:
When i use the ini-file for Office or any Instalshield installer from cd, how does it work or how must the command look like to work?

Thats the code by now:

%cdrom%\install\Applications\Office\setup.exe TRANSFORMS=%cdrom%\install\Applications\Office\Unattended.MST /qb-

Should it look like this?

\install\Applications\Office\setup.exe TRANSFORMS=\install\Applications\Office\Unattended.MST /qb-

pachelbeljoe :flowers:

[pachelbeljoe]

Ok by the way that all didn´t work for me so far. I tried to use Runonce Registry key for starting appsxp and it didn´t start. I tried RunOnceEx and it said that it couldn´t find the background image and the ini file.
Next i´ll try to use GuiRunOnce in winnt.sif and see if that works.
What didn´t work also was the office 2003 files with the transform option. It didnt install. Same with iss files.

pachelbeljoe

[techtype]

I've got to work today, but I'll check those things out later. Are you putting the "Switches" on the switch line in the ini file? They cannot be on the same line as the command to run the program.

[pachelbeljoe]

techtype, on Mar 9 2004, 06:53 AM, said:

I've got to work today, but I'll check those things out later. Are you putting the "Switches" on the switch line in the ini file? They cannot be on the same line as the command to run the program.

Yes, because i thought that there was a sence therein that you made this line. And it worked fine for nero qucktime alternative etc.

pachelbeljoe

I´m still trying to get it to work. I´ve transferd the .ins and the .mst files to the systemdrive and i hope this works

\install\Applications\Office\setup.exe TRANSFORMS=%systemdrive\Test\Office\Unattended.MST

[pachelbeljoe]

Ok it still say that it can´t find the background image and that it cannot locate the ini file. (Via RunOnxeEX Regkey).
And still with the .ins and the .mst files on harddisc this won´t work

pachelbeljoe

Manualy starting appsxp after loading windows works fine.
???

This seams to work for Office:

ToRun4=\install\Applications\Office\setup.exe 
Switches4=TRANSFORMS=%systemdrive%\Test\Office\Unattended.MST /qb-

[techtype]

I tested your switches and they get passed to the program correctly. Something else is going on, you'll have to give more information about what happens than "It didnt install". By the way, your second choice seems correct - if you are running from CD and if you marked RunFromCD. Maybe, the problem does lie with running from CD.

Edit: Duh, the switches line is expecting the CD letter. I'll have to add a CDROM variable for situations like this, so that you can still pass the CD letter on the switches line. I'll add that when I get back today. Good testing!
By the way, it looks like you are missing a "%" on your last example.

[pachelbeljoe]

techtype, on Mar 9 2004, 07:27 AM, said:

I tested your switches and they get passed to the program correctly. Something else is going on, you'll have to give more information about what happens than "It didnt install". By the way, your second choice seems correct - if you are running from CD and if you marked RunFromCD. Maybe, the problem does lie with running from CD.

Edit: Duh, the switches line is expecting the CD letter. I'll have to add a CDROM variable for situations like this, so that you can still pass the CD letter on the switches line. I'll add that when I get back today. Good testing!

Ok like you can see in my last post i solved the problem with office etc.
And the second one: Does it mean RunFromCD is only for Appspx running from cd?
Then it was my fault!

pachelbeljoe

And there is another thing:

i can´t install Daemontools because the switch reboot=realysupress has a = in it and that gives you two of them in the switch line and that doesn´t work

[techtype]

It will pass an "=" just fine, you did for Office. Try spelling realy as really and supress as suppress. (thanks Allanoll)

You had it right - RunFromCD means: Find the first CD drive letter and add the drive letter plus a colon to the command line. However, until I change something, it does not add anything or change anything on the switches line. Thus we end up missing the CD letter on your Office switches line.