2.5.6 msi install via AD GPO file extension?

I have distributed Spark via a AD group policy using both spark 2.5.5 and 2.5.6 msi. However It never actually installs so that the use can use it.

When i look at the package the msi greys out the option “Auto-install the application by file extension activation” However what file extensions is it associated with? moreover why is it setup this way, I really just want to get it installed so everone has it even the new users can use it.

Thanks

Wookey

I have just been told this will be greyed out when the app will install upon startup, so i assume then that the spark msi is broke… I guess then I have the same problem as everyone else! and wait for the 2.5.7 release. Thanks

The other issue with deploying Spark via AD is that you can not deploy a preference set with the application for existing users as Spark does not place its preference foldre in the proper location for an MSI to target. You would need to write a custom installer to add the preferences to each user account (This should be rectified in a future release). I took this one step further and build custom installer for spark as well. I was able to deploy the software via AD once I did this. My custom spark install encorporates a default set of preferences placed in the root of the Default User folder so that any new users to a computer will have spark automatically configured for them. It also adds spark to the All Users Startup folder. I also encorporated all files needed to make SSO work for windows.

yup thats what ive done, using ghost AI packager, to deploy the exe. I wrote some vbs to run on login, checks to see if the machine has spark, if not installs it, then sets up the spark.properties file with the servername, their username etc, then modifies the registry (tgt changes in case i actually get SSO to work then writes in the krb5.ini file same reason…

Its a shame that spark.properties, infact the whole spark folder couldnt be moved to say my documents, that way with folder redirection the profile would be portable.!

Ignite is in the process of moving the spark pref folder to a folder that can be targeted by an MSI installer. Until that point I really like EMCO MSI Package Builder. It can deconstruct MSI or monitor an exe install to allow you to build custom MSI installers.

Thank you for publishing your experience. This is exactly what I was hoping to do this weekend. Obviously it wont’ be such a simple project.

Also I’ve dabbled in .msi installer packagers and it was just to involved for the time I had to explore them. I’ll take your recommendation under wing and give that one a looksy.

Any idea when Ignite is going to pull this together?