collecting data - wpi adobe photoshop

[rhvkl]

hi,

as i described myself in the user introduction i'm collecting now infos (phase a - planning):

i will implement photoshop [with livereg] in my silent installation - and yes i own the orig - but i will get an activation screen, which i will follow but which thing suits me best:

wpi does install a bunch of programs, but does it install programs just one after one with user interactivity? [live registration, individual keys (3 license keys for the same software - needed in gfx offices on one system i.e. or just on different systems), ...]

or should i use an msi installer which will guide me through all programms i have to install?

i've also read about autoit3 ... not sure if it will help me anything,

and is every complex-installation program packable and selfextracting in theory? [saw a guide for norton internet security 2005]

(for now) my conclusion is:

[phase a - planning]

1. creating an unattended xp cd with custom installation screen (read how it works)

1.5 integrating individual drivers

1.6 make a decision between post windows installation runtimes

2. plannings about a guide through all programs i've planned to integrate

2.1 applications like putty, adobe reader, ... just "copying" on hdd

2.2 running applications with user "activity" (complex programs)

2.5 registry hacks integration for i.e. *.mp3 should be opened by winamp (or replacement not sure yet) not by the win media player

3.0 testing on my old pc, because i don't own a legal vmware version or free replacement

4.0 burning as a bootable dvd (i don't think that i have enough space on a cdr)

5.0 earning honors from my Assistant Professor

any help, suggestions, comments & ideas (innovations) are welcome, thx

please do not bother with my little wisdom about this project yet (absolutly newbee) and be friendly with missplaced postings and bad expressions (still a language intermediate [english, jscript, java, ...]

cya soon again ... will post my development status for interested people in upcoming posts

rhvkl

Edited April 6, 2005 by rhvkl

[Kelsenellenelvian]

wpi is usually installed one at a time silently with no maximum number of progs to install. Since this works daisy chain style if a app requires a user answer then wpi will still wait until the main proccess ends IE... Blahinstall.exe.

So this would work fine for you.

Since most of us prefer to have no-user interaction what so-ever we also use auto-it in conjunction with wpi for the apps that want to be difficult.

[rhvkl]

hi kelsenellenelvian

my porject is ready to become an integration of the wpi project but i have some problems:

ok lets say i want more than one wpi because wpi just run once (am i wrong?)

//EDIT:

yes i was wrong, for newbies as i am: the wpi will you give once the option to set your applications you want to install ... you can boot as often as needed it will not stop before you reached the last application! (hmm i hope you understand what i was trying to say)

running some small tools (0)

install application a - f (1)

restart

install application g - j (2)

restart

install application k-z (3)

set some windows registry tweaks [so i do not need runoncex.cmd any longer] (4)

restart again to apply latest changes

be happy with complete os

(0) xp-antispy & this perfect little wihulite (just to make a unique id to have lan/wan active while installing - liveregs)

(1) installing .net, java, flash, isobuster, winrar and symantec internet sec 2005 (livereg)

(2) installing photoshop (livereg), office (livereg) and nero

(3) installing small things like isobuster, filezilla, xampp, ...

(4) making windows(explorer) system tweaks and customization and deleting temp files, right now i'm doing some of them in the runoncex but this file doesn't start after wpi

------------

note: it's not important do handle all installations without user interactivity because complexe things i would prefer to do by myself

is it possible to make more than one wpi and copy a cmd in the autostart each time? perhaps wpi2.cmd running wpi2 cleanup (deleting the autostart entry and makeing the wpi++), ehm is copy and moving files possible in simple .cmd's? haven't found anything about this ... let's say: copy readme.txt from %cdrom% to ...desktop?

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Carefully number all of your installations and everytime you need a restart call a command to restart. As long as WPI still has numbered installations to run it will pop back up after reboot and continue along its merry installing way.

Use this in your cmd file = shutdown.exe -r -f -t 10 -c "Reboot in 10 sec..."

is it possible to make more than one wpi and copy a cmd in the autostart each time? perhaps wpi2.cmd running wpi2 cleanup (deleting the autostart entry and makeing the wpi++), ehm is copy and moving files possible in simple .cmd's? haven't found anything about this ... let's say: copy readme.txt from %cdrom% to ...desktop?

I use winrar and make an sfx that points to where I want the files copied.

As long as you set the options right it will copy any files and overwrite any needed files silently.

commands can be complex =

Path=%Systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\%Username%\Desktop

SavePath

Silent=1

Overwrite=1

this sfx comments will place contained files on the desktop of the user that runs it.

Plus the sfx above can be called without switches and runs fully silently.

[rhvkl]

ok thx ... this helps me out a a lot! ... i think i can resume my work now ... but one last question ...

i own 3 license keys for one prog (is it possible to popup a text file which shows me this keys while setup runs)

this is good in case you have the box or downwritten keys in the other room / building ... i'm really lazy

---

also nice if i need a personal prereadme (coworker dial 00000 in case of probs ... or anything like this) before i run the installation of a special application

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Hmmmm kinda difficult but maybee you could write a text file and then just call blah.txt during WPI running and it would open the text file to the top and you could use cut and paste or just type. The window would stay open untill the user closed it or untill WPI called for the reboot.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

also nice if i need a personal prereadme (coworker dial 00000 in case of probs ... or anything like this) before i run the installation of a special application

Pay attention to the part where it says "REM Ask if WPI really is wanted to run."

@ECHO OFF

REM
REM WPI startup module.
REM 

REM Example, how to look for CDROM-drive. Must have a file to identify in its root (like WIN51 or WPI.ico).
for %%i in (C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%i:\wpi.ico set CDROM=%%i:
echo Found CD-Rom as drive %CDROM%

REM Determine the WPI startup path. 
REM if wpi should run off the cd the replace %~dp0 with %CDROM%.
set wpipath=%CDROM%

REM Hide this command window.
"%wpipath%\common\cmdow.exe" @ /hid

REM Font installation - the smooth and customizable way.
start /wait %wpipath%\common\fonts\fontinstaller.exe

REM Special registry tweak needed.
regedit /s "%wpipath%\common\wpi.reg"

REM Make WPI directory the current directory.
for /f "delims=: tokens=1" %%i in ("%wpipath%") do %%i:
cd "%wpipath%"

REM Ask if WPI really is wanted to run.
echo Dim WshShell, oExec>%tmp%\WPI.vbs
echo Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")>>%tmp%\WPI.vbs
echo answer = Msgbox("At times during the install process some of the programs will" + vbCRLF + "use the cursor and answer the boxes automatically. So it is" + vbCRLF + "suggested that you start WPI and then leave your PC alone until" + vbCRLF + "the installation process has completed." + vbCRLF + "" + vbCRLF + "Also the screen resolution will be changed to 1280x1024 for the" + vbCRLF + "interface to be displayed properly. You may need to return it to" + vbCRLF + "the settings you prefer when WPI is finished." + vbCRLF + "" + vbCRLF + "Do you wish to continue?",VBYesNo,"Windows Post Installation Wizard")>>%tmp%\WPI.vbs
echo if answer = 6 then>>%tmp%\WPI.vbs
echo oExec = WshShell.Run("common\VideoChanger.exe 1280x1024x32@85 -q", 1, true)>>%tmp%\WPI.vbs
echo oExec = WshShell.Run("wpi.hta", 1, true)>>%tmp%\WPI.vbs
echo end if>>%tmp%\WPI.vbs
echo set WshShell = nothing>>%tmp%\WPI.vbs
%tmp%\WPI.vbs
del /q %tmp%\WPI.vbs

REM Cleaning up the desktop.
del /s/q "%userprofile%\desktop\*.lnk"

REM Confirming a reboot...
echo Dim WshShell, oExec>%tmp%\WPI.vbs
echo Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")>>%tmp%\WPI.vbs
echo answer = Msgbox("The installation process has finished. Do you wish to reboot now?",VBYesNo,"Windows Post Installation Wizard")>>%tmp%\WPI.vbs
echo if answer = 6 then>>%tmp%\WPI.vbs
echo oExec = WshShell.Run("SHUTDOWN -r -t 0", 1, true)>>%tmp%\WPI.vbs
echo end if>>%tmp%\WPI.vbs
echo set WshShell = nothing>>%tmp%\WPI.vbs
%tmp%\WPI.vbs
del /q %tmp%\WPI.vbs

exit

:end

This is the personal CD .cmd file I use, The popup box shows text and when the user clicks yes WPI will run. Maybee this will suit your needs with some modification to the text portion?

[rhvkl]

man you saved my day again ...

i tried to understand what's in your wpi.cmd ... perhaps i copy the restart system from your version

... the thing with opening the files i do with a simple command:

start notepad.exe MYSTUDIO_KEYS.README

EXIT

thx, i have finally one last "bug" in my wpi and then it's perfect:

when i set a restartpoint after (1) [above] the installation will not stop until the countdown ends ... should i set the time to 0sec ... so the installation of the next application (2) hasn't the time to start itself?

____________________________

copy files anywhere (kelsenellenelvian already explained, i just confirm this here)

SFX WINRAR

Path=%Systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\%Username%\Desktop

SavePath

Silent=1

Overwrite=1

...perhaps it's not the smallest or the best way, but it works pretty good!

[Kelsenellenelvian]

when i set a restartpoint after (1) [above]the installation will not stop until the countdown ends ... should i set the time to 0sec ... so the installation of the next application (2) hasn't the time to start itself?

yes!

[rhvkl]

yes!

done and ready to burn

thx again kelsenellenelvian, finally it was you how let me finish my work.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Your welcome I am glad to help.