Wise Package Studio, Part 2: Building Your First Package
In this second article of the series Wise Package Studio we are going to build our first customized MSI. For this MSI we are going to use Abiword and we are going to make sure that we have the necessary dictionaries in it.
Why do we build customized MSI's?
We build MSI's because we need a solid generic software package. If we roll out Abiword by using the downloaded executable we need to do every installation manually. During this installation we have to select options. To make sure that every client in our network have the same identical features building an MSI makes our job easier.
The built MSI can then be used with our Altiris deployment solution to deploy them on every client. That will make sure every installation is generic.
This article is just a basic example and will only show you one possibility. Wise Package Studio is very comprehensive, and has lots of options to be succesful in packaging. There is no way to teach you everything through articles. The best way to learn this is by taking a course, and practice, practice and lot's of practice.
Let's start with a simple software package like Abiword.
You can download the software that we need for this article from www.abiword.org
Download the windows version. It is not necessary to download dictionaries. During the packaging we can select additional dictionaries and these will be downloaded during the process.
First we start Wise Package Studio.
Then in the top left we select File New Project.
When you selected New Project, the screen above appears. Fill in the wanted options.
The Project name will be Abiword.
When you leave the project directory as default it will create a new folder with the same name as the project has.
Status will stay open.
The product vendor in this case is Abiword
The Application name will be Abiword 2.6.5 where 2.6.5 is the version number.
The package name is the name that you want to use for the package.
The filename is the name you want to give to the msi
In vendor package you browse to the downloaded software.
As Process we select Repackage for Windows installer.
You may enter additional notes if you want.
Press Close to go to the next step.
First click on Create Package.
Click Next to continue.
We have created a Virtual OS snapshot, and now we are going to use it. Select Virtual Capture, and click Next.
We only have created a Virtual OS for Windows 2003, so now we are going to use that. Select it and click next and click Next again. The virtual OS is now being loaded.
When the OS is completely loaded, then you see the screen with the executable that you have selected. Click Next to continue.
The installation of the software will now start.
Click OK to start the setup. You may choose a different language over here. The language you select here is only for the setup process, and will not affect the language of Abiword when it is installed.
Click Next to confirm the welcome screen.
Click Next to confirm the license agreement after you have read it.
Now you can select the options you want. When you scroll down a little bit, you can select various Dictionaries that you want.
In this article I load the Dutch, English, German, French and Esperanto dictionaries.
Click Next to continue.
Select the path were you like to install it.
Then you can select the folder were you like the start up icons in the start menu.
The last screen is to select a download mirror where you like to download the additional dictionaries from. I leave the default.
When it is completely finished, de-select the button run Abiword and click Finish.
The installation is now completely finished.
Click Next to start the Virtual OS scan so that the changes are captured.
In this screen you see all the changes that are captured. You might edit them if you like. For this first installation it is not necessary to alter these.
Click Next to continue.
The wizard ready screen appears. You can change settings here if you like. Click finish to close the wizard.
Our package is now created. Next step is to open it in the Windows Installer editor.
Click on run in the line Edit package.
In the right screen you see the Project overview.
By clicking on the various options in the left you can edit your package as you like. It is not so difficult to build your own cool settings. For this tutorial we do no need to edit anything, but just take a look at all the options.
In the next article I will guide you through all the options in the Windows Installer editor. Also I will guide you through building custom installation screens so every body sees that you builded this installer for your company.
Close this screen by clicking on the cross in the upper right or select File close.
Our third option is to validate the package with standards.
You have to select the options that you want to be tested and click Next to start the test. When there is something detected you can solve it, and then click Finish.
Now I'm going to import the software into the Sharepoint directory. This will help me at my next step. When you click on run it will copy the software. When that is finished the next step will automatically be selected.
All software that I build is imported in the Software Management Database. So that is going to be my next step. Click on run on the line Import into Software Management Database. The software will now be imported.
Now we are ready to resolve any conflicts if they exist.
Click on Run on the line resolve conflicts.
Off course we have no conflicts because this is our first package. When we build the next we are able to see the conflicts if they exist and we can repair them.
Let's make the package available for use. In the next step you can select what tool to use to distribute a package.
Available options are:
- Altiris Software Delivery Solution
- IBM Tivoli
- Landesk Management Suite
- Microsoft Active Directory
- Microsoft SMS
- Novadigm Radia
- Novell ZENworks
- On Command MSI Package Wizard
- Distribute to the Sharepoint Directory
- Network
- FTP server
- Administrative Installation
Click on run on the line make package available to select your option.
I just need a compiled package. So I select network and then Compiled package. Click Next to continue.
Select the network directory were you can place the package. The Destination File Name option is only necessary when you want to save it under a different name then the one we chose in the beginning. I leave it empty.
Click Finish to save it.
Now when I browse to my repository I will find the file over there. The MSI is completely compiled and every installation that I now perform is identical. It contains all the selected dictionaries, in our case French, Dutch, English, German and Esperanto.
I can double click on the MSI to install it, but I can also run it with parameters. It is also now possible to use it in our Deployment Solution.
Best of all is that our package is tested against the validation rules and that we did conflict testing. When we now build the second, third and more packages with Wise Package Studio we are sure that any conflicts are detected and we can solve them.
Let's see how it looks like when we double click it and want to install it.
Browse to the repository where you located the file and double click on it.
This is how our welcome screen looks In the Windows Package editor you are able to customize this. Click Next to continue.
The second screen enables us to give a different name and to use it for the user only or for all user on this computer. Click Next to continue.
Now we can also change the default installation path if we like.
Click Next to continue.
When we now click Next, the software is installed, with everything we added during the downloaded install.
In the next article I will guide you through the Windows Installer editor so you are able to customize these screens also.
Wise Package Studio, Part 1: Installing and Configuring Wise Package Studio 7
Comments
A good, quick overview of a
A good, quick overview of a basic setup capture, but you are doing all of this on the server that you installed WPS..
In a real world scenario, you would do it on a client machine. I would request that you go through setting up a client machine as well.
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