Techy MSI Deploy Question

[InTheWayBoy]

Okay, so we all knot that the only built-in way to deploy applications in an Active Directory is by using MSI's. This is great in most cases, since it's kinda popular now, but there are still far too many that aren't. The obvious solution is to convert/repackage things into MSI's, but I know I'm not as skilled as RogueSpear is

However, I can do a lot. But then I started thinking, what to do about those custom registry settings, like always disabling the Java systray or pre-configuring VNC. Even though I've known about it for a while I only just recently tried out the DesktopStandard Policy Maker Registry Extension. BTW, DesktopStandard just got bought by M$, which I'm not shocked by. These guys did GPO better than the creators, and this free application is proof.

It's a way to deploy regedits to clients via GPO. You need to have a client installed, but since it's MSI you just deploy like the rest of them. After that you can apply computer (HKLM, HKCR) and user (HKCU) settings via GPO, which means you can target the hell outta things! Back to the idea.

So I'm thinking install via MSI, tweak via REG, but that still doesn't handle the file issues. That's where good old scripting comes in, pick your flavor. And all three can reside in a single GPO, giving you a single policy software installation and configuration solution.

Which brings me to my first question, does anyone know the order of execution with a GPO? If one GPO has a software install, a script, and a regedit (Which shows up in GPMC as a whole extra category) which would go first? And is there a way to redirect that? For instance, you wouldn't want a filecopy from your script to go before the install, since the install would most likely copy over that custom file.

Next question, for things like single file exe applications (Putty, Notepad2, etc) is there a good and simple way to make a dummy MSI installer? Let's use putty as an example. The software install part of the GPO would run the MSI which would just put the file in the right place and do all it's other magic. Next the regedits would go in place and setup custom sessions, and finally the script would copy over the privatekey and set permissions on it.

I just can't figure out an easy way to create the dummy MSI file. I was kinda looking for something like WiX, where it's script based until you compile it. That would make it easy to add changes and standardize things. I guess I haven't given it enough time, but any suggestions would be great!

In the end I would love to be able to install all my apps like this, even repackage provided MSI into this GPO MSI thing. What ya think?

[dbareis]

Hi,

You could write a MAKEMSI script which will simply grab whatever files are in the current directory (notepad.exe etc). Reuse the same script for other similar installers.

Bye,

Dennis

Edited December 9, 2006 by dbareis

[Justinw]

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