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Official Wise Package Studio End-Of-Life info

Updated: 25 Nov 2011 | 25 comments
Evan.Border@gmail.com's picture
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Wise Package Studio is now EOL.  Flexera AdminStudio for Symantec will replace it.

Here's the info, which includes a download link for the trialware of AdminStudio for Symantec:

http://www.symantec.com/business/theme.jsp?themeid=wise-package-studio-migration

Comments

CnK's picture
07
Nov
2011
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oooh I so much liked WISE

oooh I so much liked WISE Package Studio.

:( :(

VBScab's picture
08
Nov
2011
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Problem was...

...Symantec didn't.

Don't know why 'x' happened? Want to know why 'y' happened? Use ProcMon and it will tell you.
Think about using http://www.google.com before posting.

EdT's picture
08
Nov
2011
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Symantec like any product as

Symantec like any product as long as the revenue exceeds development costs by a good margin. Once that stops, the product gets end of lifed.

If your issue has been solved, please use the "Mark as Solution" link on the most relevant thread.

andykn101's picture
17
Nov
2011
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Admin Studio is better

According to my boss who's used both.

VBScab's picture
17
Nov
2011
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...which is a bit like saying...

...that English Breakfast tea is better than Earl Grey tea. It's a moot point anyway, since Wise is dead!

Don't know why 'x' happened? Want to know why 'y' happened? Use ProcMon and it will tell you.
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Evan.Border@FlexeraSoftwaredotcom's picture
17
Nov
2011
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Matter of opinion...to a point

It's certainly a subjective thing from the perspective of MSI/MST authoring.  But, as it relates to support for various virtualization formats and ISO tagging standards, AdminStudio is way ahead.

-Evan  (to e-mail me, replace the "dotcom" at the end of my screen name with .com)

Evan.Border@FlexeraSoftwaredotcom's picture
17
Nov
2011
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What a coincidence

Admin Studio is better
According to my boss who's used both

Funny thing, my new boss says the same thing :)

There are strengths and weaknesses in both.  But, with the exception of next year's WPS 8 maintenance release, only AdminStudio will be getting better.

-Evan  (to e-mail me, replace the "dotcom" at the end of my screen name with .com)

EdT's picture
17
Nov
2011
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I would hope so as otherwise

I would hope so as otherwise it would be a damning indictment of the product, since you now appear to be working at Flexera!

Having used both products myself, I much prefer the functionality of Wise. I am heartened by the notion that Adminstudio can only get better - frankly if they take a leaf out of the Wise design it will get much better!!

If your issue has been solved, please use the "Mark as Solution" link on the most relevant thread.

Evan.Border@FlexeraSoftwaredotcom's picture
17
Nov
2011
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I'll see what I can do, but...

I'm not likely to get traction on a major UI overhaul.  The general look-and-feel of the InstallShield Editor is similar to Visual Studio.  Believe it or not, there are more than a few people out there that prefer the UI design of AdminStudio to Wise Package Studio.

I do prefer the cleaner somewhat easier-to-navigate UI in the Wise Windows Installer Editor.  But as VBScab said, it's sort of a English Breakfast tea vs Earl Grey tea debate.

-Evan  (to e-mail me, replace the "dotcom" at the end of my screen name with .com)

Mistral's picture
22
Nov
2011
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There is one feature im

There is one feature im really missing in the InstallShield Editor:

  • Using drag and drop to move resources to another component. Doing this in the Direct Editor is quite advanced and labor intensive.

 

And two more things i dont know how to perform with AdminStudio right now (as Repackager seems to be unable to update existing projects):

  • Creating "First Use Settings" transforms
  • Repackage a patch (integrate the changes into a copy of the prior release, make the necessary changes in the GUIDs and generate a patch from the delta).

I can live with major updates only, skipping the patches, but the First Use Settings transforms make me scratch my head for weeks now.

 

Beside this InstallShield, i think, adds unused properties in Basic MSI projects like "RebootYesNo" just in case. I am still not sure which i could delete.

 

Anything else seems quiet comparable, or even advanced.

autoowned's picture
17
Nov
2011
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I installed the trialware

I installed the trialware earlier this week and I immediatly didn't like it only because it was different.  The fact is, nobody likes change but Symantec is forcing our hand on this one.

 

Is there really any reason to jump into the new product though unless you want to brag that you're using the latest & greatest?  I'm going keep using my trusty old WPS until I need the new functionality.

Evan.Border@FlexeraSoftwaredotcom's picture
17
Nov
2011
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True dat

Good point.  A big advantage I see in AS is that their project format, .ism, can be auto-converted into an MS App-v, VMware ThinApp or Citrix virtual package (as well as a basic MSI, of course); So you have a lot more flexibility and less re-work if you're looking to virtualize.

But, with a little tweaking, WPS 8 is Windows 7 ready (mostly) and there is the looming maintenance release that'll add 64-bit support.

-Evan  (to e-mail me, replace the "dotcom" at the end of my screen name with .com)

autoowned's picture
17
Nov
2011
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But isn't one of the

But isn't one of the disadvantages of AS their inability to properly convert custom actions and dlls when converting to virtual packages?

 

I recall being in a sales meeting where they were touting that functionality and when asked that question, they said we would still have to manually handle those CAs outside of the package not saving that much time really.  Unless that's changed now that it's Adminstudio for Symantec, I don't see it being much of an advantage.

Evan.Border@FlexeraSoftwaredotcom's picture
17
Nov
2011
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That will likely always be

That will likely always be the case, as the Custom Actions are "foreign code" that perform God-knows-what.  You'd have to address the purpose of the CA's regardless of how you create the virtual layer or bubble.  But this saves you the time of running another capture and performing clean up, as you already trust the resources that are in your current package (as long as good packaging practices have been followed).

I can't really cite that as a ding...you're certainly not saving time doing it all in MS's Sequencer (quite the opposite).  AS provides a consistent UI for the whole process, regardless of the format you're outputting.

(BTW, I see no possible way that the whole thing will ever be the Staples easy button.)

-Evan  (to e-mail me, replace the "dotcom" at the end of my screen name with .com)

EdT's picture
18
Nov
2011
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What we must not lose sight

What we must not lose sight of is that if it WERE possible to do this stuff automagically, then the packaging community would be out of a collective job.  While we continue to need to exercise our skills in the packaging environment, we are assured of work, which is not a bad thing these days.

If your issue has been solved, please use the "Mark as Solution" link on the most relevant thread.

piyushnasa's picture
27
Nov
2011
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WISE Certification

What will happen to our certification in Altiris WISE Package Studio.. It will suddenly become useless..

Piyush Nasa Altiris Certified Professional (ACP)

http://msiworld.blogspot.com/

Evan.Border@FlexeraSoftwaredotcom's picture
27
Nov
2011
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Being that it's been a number

Being that it's been a number of years since such a certification even existed, I'd say that status was achieved some time ago.

-Evan  (to e-mail me, replace the "dotcom" at the end of my screen name with .com)

VBScab's picture
28
Nov
2011
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Since I've been doing this nonsense...

...not a single client (or agent) ever asked me if I had it.

Don't know why 'x' happened? Want to know why 'y' happened? Use ProcMon and it will tell you.
Think about using http://www.google.com before posting.

EdT's picture
28
Nov
2011
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Which version did you have

Which version did you have certification in?  Not that it makes a huge difference as the versions were pretty much identical in their method of operation with only the virtualisation aspect coming into WPS7 and 8.

Frankly, those who continue to use WPS will continue to accept that certification implies some skill and knowledge in the product - the certification remains valid just as certification in NT3.51 and NT4 continues to be valid. It is just the marketability of the certification that will diminish in time, as for ANY certification. That is the way of the IT business.

If your issue has been solved, please use the "Mark as Solution" link on the most relevant thread.

piyushnasa's picture
28
Nov
2011
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Yeah, rightly said EdT..  It

Yeah, rightly said EdT..  It is just the marketability of the certification which we use while switching jobs :)

Anyways, I did my certification WPS 7.

I know its too early but, any idea about new certification which will come up for Flexera for Symantec product..

Piyush Nasa Altiris Certified Professional (ACP)

http://msiworld.blogspot.com/

EdT's picture
29
Nov
2011
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The Flexera for Symantec

The Flexera for Symantec product is basically Adminstudio as far as I am aware, and the Wisescript technology will not be included until a release around Q2 or Q3 of 2012. So if you are looking for new certification, I would suggest you check out what certifications are on offer from Flexera.

If your issue has been solved, please use the "Mark as Solution" link on the most relevant thread.

Anthony De Silva's picture
13
Dec
2011
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EdT, So are you saying the

EdT,

So are you saying the WISESCRIPT Package Editor utility will be released as part of the AdminStudio suite later on in the year (2012)? Will this allow us to use the same (.WSE) scripts created in WPS 7 or 8 and re-compile it in the AdminStudio verion? Please advise.

The reason I am asking is we have many packages which we build EXE's through WISESCRIPT editor and have many customizations and options built into the scripts. Would make our lives alot easier rather than having to re-build from scratch.

 

Thanks,

Anthony

Evan.Border@FlexeraSoftwaredotcom's picture
13
Dec
2011
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That's the plan

That's the plan, as I understand it.  Symantec should be making the WiseScript editor separately available for users of the current release of AdminStudio for Symantec (I do not know when it will be available, but I'd think it would be quite soon).  Later, in Q2 or Q3 of 2012, a new release of AdminStudio for Symantec will actually include the WiseScript editor.  The WiseScript Editor should absolutely be able to compile .wse files from WPS 7 or 8 (and likely all the older version too).

I'd bug your Symantec sales rep about when Symantec will release the WiseScript Editor for AdminStudio for Symantec.

-Evan  (to e-mail me, replace the "dotcom" at the end of my screen name with .com)

Anthony De Silva's picture
14
Dec
2011
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Thank so you Evan & EdT for

Thank so you Evan & EdT for clarifying this!

Evan.Border@FlexeraSoftwaredotcom's picture
13
Dec
2011
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There is no certification

BTW, I have been told by more than a few people in Flexera that there is no certification for AdminStudio.  And I've heard nothing about any plans for one.

-Evan  (to e-mail me, replace the "dotcom" at the end of my screen name with .com)