Lotus Notes Unattended Install

[programmindude12]

Our company uses Lotus Notes as our default e-mail application. Normally, each individual laptop has to be configured to use notes. I was wondering if anyone knows a way to set it up so that notes will install and configure itself, based on settings we define in a file. This would greatly decrease the amount of time it takes to prepare a laptop for a user. Any help is appreciated.

Edited June 22, 2005 by programmindude12

[sintaxasn]

hey there,

there's a few ways you can do it. With Notes 6.5.x, here's what we do, obviously all scripted:

Install the MSI -

<msi_name>.MSI /QB! NOTESDIR=C:\Notes DATADIR=C:\Notes\Data ALLUSERS=0

This creates a flat install of Notes as opposed to a per-user install. Per-user installs the Data folder structure to C:\Documents And Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Lotus\Notes\Data and is specific to each user.

Personalise Notes -

Copy a clean Notes.INI to C:\Notes. This should include a line "ConfigFile=ConfigFile.Txt"

Copy your customised ConfigFile.Txt - I've attached a sample one below. You need to change a few items with a script, like mail server, sametime info, user details

Copy ID file to C:\Notes\Data, along with a customised bookmark.NTF and pernames.NTF (that's if you need to do customisations).

Sample ConfigFile:

;This file is used to setup the Notes client environment.

;

;

;*****User Details********

;

;Username= [e.g. User Name/OU/O]

;KeyfileName= [e.g. C:\Notes\Data\User.ID]

;

;;*****Server Details********

;

;Domino.Name [Domino server name e.g. MAILSERVER1]

;Domino.Address [iP address of Domino server]

;Domino.Port=TCPIP

;Domino.Server= [1 to connect to the server, 0 for no connection]

;

;*****Internet Accounts********

;

;

AdditionalServices=0

;Mail.Incoming.Name= [incoming POP or IMAP server name]

;Mail.Incoming.Server= [1 for POP or 2for IMAP]

;Mail.Incoming.Protocol=

;Mail.Incoming.Username= [Mail account user name or login name]

;Mail.Incoming.Password= [Mail account password]

;Mail.Incoming.SSL= [1 to use SSL; 0 not to use SSL]

;Mail.Outgoing.Name= [Outgoing mail account name, a friendly name used to refer to these settings]

;Mail.Outgoing.Server= [Outgoing mail (SMTP) server name]

;Mail.Outgoing.Address= [user's Internet mail address, such as user@isp.com]

;Mail.InternetDomain= [internet Mail domain name such as isp.com]

;Directory.Name= [Directory account name, a friendly name used to refer to these settings]

;Directory.Server= [Directory (LDAP) server name]

;

;

;*****Dialup settings********

;

;NetworkDial.EntryName= [Name of remote network dialup phone book entry]

;NetworkDial.Phonenumber= [Dial-in number]

;NetworkDial.Username= [Remote network user name]

;NetworkDial.Password= [Remote network password]

;NetworkDial.Domain= [Remote network domain]

;DirectDial.Phonenumber= [Dial-in number]

;DirectDial.Prefix= [Dialup prefix, if required. For example, 9 to access an outside line.]

;DirectDial.Port= [COM port to which the modem is connected]

;DirectDial.Modem= [File specification of modem file]

;

;

;*****Proxy Settings********

;

;Proxy.HTTP= [HTTP proxy server and port - e.g, proxy.isp.com:8080]

;Proxy.FTP= [FTP proxy server and port - e.g, proxy.isp.com:8080]

;Proxy.SSL= [sSL proxy server and port - e.g, proxy.isp.com:8080]

;Proxy.HTTPTunnel= [HTTP Tunneling proxy server and port - e.g, proxy.isp.com:8080]

;Proxy.SOCKS= [sOCKS proxy server and port - e.g, proxy.isp.com:8080]

;Proxy.None= [Do not use a proxy for these hosts or domains]

;Proxy.UseHTTP= [use the HTTP proxy server for FTP, Gopher, and SSL security proxies]

;Proxy.Username= [user name if logon is required]

;Proxy.Password= [user password]

;

;

;*****Replication Settings********

;

;Replication.Threshold= [Transfer outgoing mail if this number of messages held in local mailbox]

;Replication.Schedule= [Enable replication schedule]

;

;

;*****Instant Messaging Settings********

;

IM.Server=

IM.Port=1533

IM.ConnectWhen=1

IM.Protocol=0

;IM.ProxyType=

;IM.ProxyServer=

;IM.ProxyPort=

;IM.ServerNameResolve=

;IM.ProxyUsername=

One thing to note, you can NOT get rid of the "Notes Setup is Complete" message when you first start notes. I've tried in vain, and ended up having to use a sendkeys.

There's probably more that've I've forgotten, and you'll find more info in the Notes whitepapers on how to set up everything (like your standard Notes.INI).

Hope this helps, Dan.

[programmindude12]

Thanks Dan. This is exactly what we were looking for. It should make our work easier.

[moeti]

sorry for bringing this up again

if i use the parameters notesdir and datadir, the installer still puts a lot of files to the default-path (c:\programme\lotus\notes\ in my case).

actually there are about 100mb in c:\notes and 150mb in c:\programme\lotus\notes\

in the end notes is working like it should, but i still need everything in c:\notes

is there another parameter for that?

wasnt able to find anything helpful around.

thx in advance!

moeTi

[moeti]

ok, found it myself now.

for everyone with the same problem:

instead of NOTESDIR use PROGDIR

it now installs all data to the specified path, and nothing to "c:\program files\lotus\notes"

[jfmartel]

Maybe you should post in the "application installation" thread. You might get more answer there, or it might be already answered there

[Bastian_W]

Sorry, for pushing this up, but there exist a "Lotus Notes Installshield Tuner" it can be downloaded for free from the IBM Download Section.

With this "tool" you can change many settings and create a complete unattended installation.

[rsbennett00]

Sorry, for pushing this up, but there exist a "Lotus Notes Installshield Tuner" it can be downloaded for free from the IBM Download Section.

With this "tool" you can change many settings and create a complete unattended installation.

Do you have the link? I'm not finding it nor is google.

[cmowl]

Sorry, for pushing this up, but there exist a "Lotus Notes Installshield Tuner" it can be downloaded for free from the IBM Download Section.

With this "tool" you can change many settings and create a complete unattended installation.

Do you have the link? I'm not finding it nor is google.

it's a utility on the Lotus Notes CD, IBM either doesn't make it available on their website, or make it impossible to find because IBM sux big rocks. When I built my RIS image I had to jump through all of these hoops to make Notes install silently (multi-user) with the Lotus Notes Single-Sign On service installed by default. Even then I still have to launch notes and walk through the initial user setup.

Longing for Exchange/Outlook.....................

[hankejp]

Sorry, for pushing this up, but there exist a "Lotus Notes Installshield Tuner" it can be downloaded for free from the IBM Download Section.

With this "tool" you can change many settings and create a complete unattended installation.

Do you have the link? I'm not finding it nor is google.

it's a utility on the Lotus Notes CD, IBM either doesn't make it available on their website, or make it impossible to find because IBM sux big rocks. When I built my RIS image I had to jump through all of these hoops to make Notes install silently (multi-user) with the Lotus Notes Single-Sign On service installed by default. Even then I still have to launch notes and walk through the initial user setup.

Longing for Exchange/Outlook.....................

I haven't looked on the 7 cd yet, but if you look on the Lotus Notes 6 cd, there's a folder called Apps. It is in there.

Does anyone know if there is a way to use a variable in the KeyFileName= ****.id ?

I would like to have a variable in there so Lotus Notes will be directed to the users network user directory and then pull the .id file from there. I think this is the only part left before I can go into full testing mode.

[Bastian_W]

It seamed some user have problems to found the Installshield Tuner for Lotus Notes...

IBM has a technote...

Is the InstallShield Tuner for Notes available for download?

http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21226984

So please stop asking me via PM where to download it :-)

[DragonzBreath]

The company where I work also uses Notes. We recently upgraded to Notes 8, which has caused me no end of headaches.

We have decided not to use the productivity tools, so a basic install suits fine. However, depending on whether I install the application manually, or silently with the /qb argument I get a different outcome.

Manually, everything works out well. Sametime integrates with Notes and I'm happy chappy (aside from the time it's taken to sit there and click next)

Silently. everything installs, however Sametime doesn't integrate and will only allow you to view the Sametime contacts list once (after user configuration) once closed you can never open it again.

If anyone has a solution I'd appreciate it. I'm tired of manually installing everything. I went so far as to search the IBM site for hours to find the Installshield tuner, which I did find. But the options are nothing like those seen when you run the installer. I've uploaded a screenie so you can see what I mean.

Edited January 24, 2008 by DragonzBreath