Custom Package Library

[benfeea1]

I would guess most of us are creating similar packages.
Should we create a library of packages that we have worked on?
I know there are defiantly licensing issue to think about with retail software.
I was thinking of starting with non-retail types of packages.
Utilitarian packages like configuring network settings, turning on services, configuring time zones…

Can AFP548 provide us a place to upload package and script examples?

I think this would help get rid on a lot of duplication of effort. I personally have created 25 Packages for use with InstaDMG.
By the way I mostly use Iceberg for packaging.
I figure for retail software you cold just post an iceberg file and any scripts.

[knowmad]

I don’t have much to add just yet, but I would be happy to contribute what I can…. plus I would really like to see what other people are writing script wise to help with my very minimal script writing skills….
So yeah, I would be interested…. If the guys at 548 cannot make the repository for some reason, maybe we can (with their blessing) find somewhere else (I might have a space)

[knowmad]

so… how do we get started?

[pteeter]

Brilliant idea, really. Can’t believe no one suggested it sooner.

I knew I should have been saving those Package Maker project files and logGen diff files.

I *will* certainly hold onto them now.

I’ve mostly completed our ‘3rd party licensed applications’ packages. And will begin work on shareware/freeware ‘3rd party applications’ this week.

I bet PFergus has info to contribute to this too.

[pteeter]

One thing I just thought of…you know how logGen includes a number of files that aren’t really necessary when creating a package?

Perhaps we ought to define a standard for what to omit from the file listing?

.DS_Store file
any cache file

etc.

Or just insist on people submitting file listings with no modifications?

Just a thought.

[Chris George]

*bump* So… I assume this idea just sort of died, huh? Glanced around the My Downloads section, didn’t see anything like this.

Too bad, seemed like a good idea to save thousands of Mac administrators from reinventing the wheel hundreds of times each. 🙁

[pteeter]

Sadly, it lost steam b/c we all went to work on our imaging building trains.

I do have tons of tested & known-good logGen diff files, scripts (preflight & postflight), PackageMaker projects, and now Iceberg projects.

I’m happy to post them but think we need some type of standard for what files need to be included.

1. diff file from logGen or whatever snapshot tool is used
2. commented scripts – preflight, postflight, etc.
3. PackageMaker or Iceberg project
4. README of some sort describing what you’re trying to package, how you did it, and how you tested it

Something like that maybe?

[Chris George]

[QUOTE][u]Quote by: pteeter[/u][p]Sadly, it lost steam b/c we all went to work on our imaging building trains.

I do have tons of tested & known-good logGen diff files, scripts (preflight & postflight), PackageMaker projects, and now Iceberg projects.

I’m happy to post them but think we need some type of standard for what files need to be included.

1. diff file from logGen or whatever snapshot tool is used
2. commented scripts – preflight, postflight, etc.
3. PackageMaker or Iceberg project
4. README of some sort describing what you’re trying to package, how you did it, and how you tested it

Something like that maybe?

[/p][/QUOTE]

Yeah, that would be probably a good basic model.

Also useful, I think, would be a list of modifications to pre-existing Installer packages (pre/postflights, etc) required to get them to work in InstaDMG. As an example, the changes required to the iTunes packages to prevent launching files from the resulting image.

[Greg Neagle]

Maybe we should be talking to the people at http://www.appdeploy.com.

They maintain a database of receipes/packages/notes for deploying Windows software. They are supported by the folks at KACE, who offer the KBOX Systems Management Appliance, which among other things, supports software deployment to OS X clients. So there should be an interest there in working silent installs of Mac OS X software as well.

-Greg

[pteeter]

[i]1. diff file from logGen or whatever snapshot tool is used
2. commented scripts – preflight, postflight, etc.
3. PackageMaker or Iceberg project
4. README of some sort describing what you’re trying to package, how you did it, and how you tested it

Yeah, that would be probably a good basic model.

Also useful, I think, would be a list of modifications to pre-existing Installer packages (pre/postflights, etc) required to get them to work in InstaDMG. As an example, the changes required to the iTunes packages to prevent launching files from the resulting image.[/i]

I guess I figured the README would cover that. And the presence of a commented pre/post-flight script would indicate what was tweaked.

BTW – I am simply relying on InstaDMG or a home-made ‘framework’ script to kill the iTunesHelper.

[pteeter]

[QUOTE][u]Quote by: gneagle[/u][p]Maybe we should be talking to the people at http://www.appdeploy.com.

They maintain a database of receipes/packages/notes for deploying Windows software. They are supported by the folks at KACE, who offer the KBOX Systems Management Appliance, which among other things, supports software deployment to OS X clients. So there should be an interest there in working silent installs of Mac OS X software as well.
[/p][/QUOTE]

I love that site for GPO/MSI installs.

Do you have a contact?

[Author]

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