Windows Installer Helper Utility

[BenjaminKalytta]

Note also, if a tree is unchecked none of its subtrees/items will be executed. (This also applys to descriptive keys which contains one or more subitems)

this doesn´t work i tried it with some progs.

i have an tree with two subtrees and if i uncheck the tree both sub trees are executet.

note: the subtrees are hidden.

Please show me your install.ini and describe if and which items you are changed within WIHU.

Benjamin

[Osmosis Jones]

[Multimedia]
description.0=CDex - MP3 Extraktions Programm
command.0=%systemroot%\system32\msiexec.exe /i cdex.msi /qn
selected.0=1
hidden.0=1

for example this here.

wenn i uncheck the maintree "multimedia"

cdex ist installed nevertheless.

i tried it again with sub trees

description.2=Mozilla
command.2=*
description.2.0=Thunderbird - E-mail client
 description.2.0.0=Thunderbird profil
command.2.0=Thunderbird\Thunderbird.exe /S
 command.2.0.0=REGEDIT.exe /S Thunderbird\Thunderbird.reg
 command.2.0.1=XCOPY /q /Y /i /S /E "Thunderbird\Profile\*.*" "%UserProfile%\Anwendungsdaten\Thunderbird"
hidden.2.0=0
 hidden.2.0.0=1
 hidden.2.0.1=1
selected.2.0 = 0
 selected.2.0.0 =1
 selected.2.0.1 =1

here it works if i uncheck mozilla nothing is executed

[BenjaminKalytta]

@Osmosis Jones:

Thx, I'll take a look at it.

@all: Im just thinking about to remove Shell Folder Environment Variables entirely from install.ini and add them in users.ini.

To set shell folder environment variables for default user, one have to create a default user (default=1) by specifying any name which may be overriden by /user=<name> switch or by changing the name in wihu interface.

Any objections?

Benjamin

[Osmosis Jones]

where is the advantage?

[BenjaminKalytta]

Other question, where is the disadvantage? It's easier to handle and makes code clearer ... it's currently already a mess so that it is very hard to change anything.

If you don't want 2 INI files just specify /users=install.ini and create an [users] section

Benjamin

[Osmosis Jones]

It's easier to handle and makes code clearer ... it's currently already a mess so that it is very hard to change anything.

thats´s an big advantage.

edit:

i don´t know if it´s a bug.

in wihu 2.0 i can choose during user creation between my templates for example "standart user" and "new admin"

since wihu 2.1 it´s not possible.

[BenjaminKalytta]

i don´t know if it´s a bug.

in wihu 2.0 i can choose during user creation between my templates for example "standart user" and "new admin"

No this is not a bug. It's only the example users.ini which is loaded with WIHU ... which wasn't shipped with WIHU 2.1 since now.

Benjamin

[Osmosis Jones]

no i have an user.ini and i can´t choose a user.

edit

oh sorry so i haven´t understand it right.

my fault again

[BenjaminKalytta]

This isn't a list for user choosing, but a list which lists all users and to create new one or delete.

But may be I could add this. So user can choose which of the listed users should be used for software installation.

Benjamin

[BenjaminKalytta]

I released an updated beta, I changed a lot of things there.

1. Shell folder can be specified per user as before but can also be edited with WIHU now.

2. Shell folders can't be specified in install.ini any more in [environment] section, but instead use [users] section in users.ini (Example below) or install.ini (Example below)

3. Environment variables can now be edited with WIHU

4. I fixed a bug in TreeView software selection

5. I did a bit of code rework ... it's easier to maintain now.

Example for how to specify shell folders for default user:

Either you can do this by users.ini or by install.ini.

You have to create a section (either in one of this INI files) named "[users]".

Add a user here like:

[users]
user.0=any user
...
default = 0

This will tell WIHU that this user should be used for software installation. To override this name just use /user=<name> switch, or change the name in WIHU it self. Now you are able to specify any shell folders:

[users]
user.0=other user
...
user.1=any user
My Video.1=%systemdrive%\My Video
...
default = 1

May be I'll add persistent user environment variables i.e. will be saved later in registry.

@Osmosis Jones: The bug you found is already fixed here.

So it's late, will to bed now.

Benjamin

[midiboy]

Hi Benjamin,

your latest changes to the user creation process have good and bad effects for my needs, maybe you can help a bit here ....

I am not using Wihu the same way you might. I use it for a CD that will be used on different PC´s and therefore on each PC there are different users to be created. I cannot allow a predefined user to be created and I need to be sure that someone who uses my CD does not accidentally forget to delete or change the "default user" so please add a possibility to NOT use predefined users but to still have default shell folders which a new user gets by default. This was possible with Wihu 2.0 by leaving users.ini empty and adding shell folders to install.ini

Now, with Wihu 2.1 this seems to not be possible anymore. I just tried it. The "default user" in users.ini will always show up on the second dialog under "Benutzerkonten" . Of course it can be deleted there but people might forget about this ...

I also cannot use the /users= switch as you suggested because I would need to know in advance what the new user will be and I do not know this at the time I create my unattended CD.

All the other changes look great. If I am not mistaken one can now define multiple users in Wihu and change shell folders for each of them ? However, I just tried this and the default shell folder definitions in users.ini seemingly did not affect them ? Are they only for the one default user ? If so, could you please add default shell folder definitions for ALL users created in Wihu ? ( using %ThisUser% variable)

I hope I am making myself clear and I am not explaining to complicated

Ah ... one more thing ....

I see now that you added a way to change the default Windows environment variables. Is this only for the first user ? Is it possible to define Homepath and Homedrive to point to the current "Personal" shell folder like this:

Personal Shellfolder:

D:\Data\%NewUserName%

Homedrive therefore:

D:

Homepath therefore:

\Data\%NewUserName%

?

I currently also do not understand what difference there is between %NewUserName% and %ThisUser%.

Sorry for the long post, I would appreciate it very much if you could add a few comments to each question

Thanks,

Alex

[BenjaminKalytta]

Hi Alex,

First let me explain good news. %ThisUser% will definitely work. Settings shellfolders for each new user also works. (See Image)

The difference between %ThisUser% and %NewUserName% is the same as before. %ThisUser% is only valid in [users] section which describe the corresponding user. Example:

User.0=User 1
My Video.0=%systemdrive%\%ThisUser%\My Video
User.1=User 2
My Video.0=%systemdrive%\%ThisUser%\My Video

In My Video.0 %ThisUser% will be replaced by "User 1" in second one it will be replaced by "User 2" (see attached image)

%NewUserName% will be replaced by the default user which will be used for software installation.

What does default user mean?

If you enter a name in WIHU settings dialog you automatically creates a new default user. The only way to skip this is to check "[x] Use currently logged on user" Button. In this case currently logged on user will be used for software installation. In other words, either you define a default user or currently logged on user will be used for installation.

And no, you can't delete this default user in User account dialog. This was also NOT possible in Wihu 2.0!

So to set the default shellfolders for the default user you have to create this user explicitly in [users] section (anyway WIHU will create this) and add Shell folders there. As I said, the name will be overriden by /user switch or by entering another name in WIHU.

Environmentvariables can only be changed temporary for WIHU installation.

After WIHU is closed nothing is changed any more. As I said I will add persistent environment variables per user which then will be stored in registry for later usage.

So is there any need for global shell folders i.e. shellfolders which will be used as default for each user if the user don't specify this?

Or should I then change the behaviour of [environment] section regards to overriding user specifify variables? Currently [environment] data will be overriden by user specific data ... may be the behaviour should be reversed?

Benjamin

Edited July 24, 2004 by BenjaminKalytta

[midiboy]

Hey Benjamin,

I will write the following in German ( sorry to all English speaking folks here but I think we have a communication problem here and it may be language related so I have to do this in German ! )

Benjamin,

ich glaub du hast nicht ganz verstanden was ich gemeint hab. Also ich benutze keine fix angelegten User. Auch keinen "default user". In Wihu 2.0 war das kein Problem, da war meine user.ini einfach leer und die shell folder die ich in install.ini eingetragen hab bezogen sich dann auf den user den ich in Wihu direkt auf der ersten Seite eingegeben habe. Nachdem die unattended CD auf verschiedenen Rechnern laufen soll ist es für mich absolut notwendig daß kein vordefinierter User angelegt wird sondern nur der, der auf der 1. Seite in Wihu angelegt wird bzw. die user die dann unter "Benutzerkonten" auf der 2. Seite eingetragen werden.

Mit Wihu 2.0 war das möglich, mit Wihu 2.1 geht das nicht mehr bzw. wenn ich in Wihu 2.1 die user.ini leer lasse dann gibts auch keine shell folder mehr.

Also ich seh 2 Lösungsmöglichkeiten:

1. Eine Art übergeordnete Shelfolder sektion in user.ini (oder wie bisher in install.ini ) , die für alle user übergeordnet gilt falls sie nicht durch shell folder für einen einzelnen user ausser kraft gesetzt wird. Dadurch könnte ich die user.ini ansonsten leer lassen und es würden keine user angelegt die ich nicht in Wihu direkt eingebe. Diese bekämen dann aber alle defaultmässig mal die übergeordneten shellfolder verpasst.

Das wär mir am Liebsten so.

Als 2. Möglichkeit könntest du ja auch einen switch einbauen sodass der default user nicht anlegt wird. Aber dann besteht wieder das Problem daß die in Wihu direkt angelegt user auch nicht die default shell folder "erben". Also die 1. Möglichkeit wär da besser.

Wär doch cool zb. so:

users.ini:

[defaultShellFolder]

Personal=D:\%NewUserName%
My Video=D:\%NewUserName%\Eigene Videos
My Music=D:\%NewUserName%\Eigene Musik
My Pictures=D:\%NewUserName%\Eigene Bilder
Favorites=D:\%NewUserName%\Favoriten

[Users]

Default=0
User.0=New User
Group.0=1
Status.0=0x0020
Script.0=logon.cmd
Comment.0=This is a new example user created with WIHU users.ini
My Video.0=c:\%ThisUser%\Videos

Auf diese Weise würde der user 0 jetzt die Default shell folder erben bis auf My Video, das wurde ja für diesen user geändert. Wenn ich nun die komplette [users] Sektion lösche, würde kein default user angelegt und die default Shell folder würden dennoch für alle user mal defaultmässig gelten die ich dann in Wihu direkt anlege.

So stell ich mir das zumindest vor. Wär das ned machbar ?

BIIIIIITE !!

Danke und schönen Tag noch,

Alex

[BenjaminKalytta]

... ist es für mich absolut notwendig daß kein vordefinierter User angelegt wird sondern nur der, der auf der 1. Seite in Wihu angelegt wird bzw. die user die dann unter "Benutzerkonten" auf der 2. Seite eingetragen werden.

Ja und genau das ist der Default User . Aber ich habe das eh wieder geändert sodass wieder zuerst die Shell folder von der install.ini übernommen werden.

@all: I restored old shellfolder behaviour again.

Benjamin

[midiboy]

Ja und genau das ist der Default User

Das stimmt schon, aber wie du beim angehängten Bild sehen kannst, wird sowohl der default user angelegt ( Bernd ) als auch der "New User" der in users.ini drinsteht. Oder ist das nur ein Bug ?

Aber ich habe das eh wieder geändert sodass wieder zuerst die Shell folder von der install.ini übernommen werden.

Oh, ich bin schuld !

Ich find deine Idee das userspezifische in der users.ini zu machen ned schlecht, es sollte nur eine Möglichkeit geben übergeordnete Shell folder zu kreieren die dann für alle user gelten ( die in der user.ini angelegten und die in Wihu angelegten ) ausser man setzt sie manuell in Wihu und/oder in der users.ini für einzelne user ausser kraft.

Ciao,

Alex