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Help with customizing MSI install

Spark Spark Support
#1

Hello all,

I am planing on switching from Pandion to Spark when 2.5 comes out of beta. Right now I am playing with it, and can’‘t figure out exactly how to customize the install. With Pandion it was easy…just edit the settings and brand XML files. I don’‘t see any such files with Spark. I also opened up the MSI in Orca to attempt creating a MST file, but i don’'t see anything in there that I really want to change. What i want to customize would be the login settings (server, and enable SSO if that does infact make it into the final build) and enable auto login and load at startup. Is there a way to do that with an MST file or am i stuck creating a custom MSI like i had to do with Pandion?

Thanks,

Josh

#2

Ok i found most of the settings I want in user\spark\spark.preferences…so should i just customize this file and push it out though the login script?? Or is there a way to do it with an MST file? Also, i would think the Spark directory should be under user\application data, instead of the user’'s root folder…anyone else agree? The way it is now, their settings will not be included in their roaming profile, but they would if it was in the application data folder.

Josh

#3

How did you get the .msi file? I can’'t find it…

#4

On the download page, you just click on Windows and theres a link to the MSI.

I still havent had any luck with this if anyone can give me some advice. I know how to deploy the MSI through GP but i can’'t figure out how to actually customize the installation. I downloaded the MS orca program and had no idea what to do with it.

Thanks

#5

Anyone???

#6

I know it’'s been a few days… so you may have figured it out…

Anyrate I do it by a two step process.

Push out the MSI via GPO and run a batch file (logon script) in the GPO to set preferences.

here is a copy of the batch file I run.

@echo off

REM this Check area allows you to not setup a profile for certain machines (such as our servers)

REM Just copy and paste for as many machines as you need.

:CHECK

IF %COMPUTERNAME%==TheServerName EXIT

REM This Checks if a properites file has been published

REM This way you can update the file rename it here and it will overwrite

REM The settings file. Just change the 1 to 2 here and at the bottom and

REM it will update the properties file

REM you’‘ll want this because you don’'t want it to overwrite on every logon

REM because it will erase the password if they click save

IF EXIST “%USERPROFILE%\Spark\spark.properties.1” GOTO END

REM this section creates the profile with the preferences I wanted

:PROFILE

CLS

ECHO.

ECHO Setting up new Spark user profile - Please wait!

IF NOT EXIST “%USERPROFILE%\Spark” mkdir “%USERPROFILE%\Spark”

CD “%USERPROFILE%\Spark”

IF EXIST “%USERPROFILE%\Spark\spark.properties” DEL “%USERPROFILE%\Spark\spark.properties”

SET SPARKPREFS="%USERPROFILE%\Spark\spark.properties"

ECHO timeDisplayed=true >> %SPARKPREFS%

ECHO username=%USERNAME% >> %SPARKPREFS%

ECHO toasterPopup=true >> %SPARKPREFS%

ECHO server=portal.calistogaranch.com >> %SPARKPREFS%

ECHO passwordSaved=true >> %SPARKPREFS%

ECHO toasterPopup=true >> %SPARKPREFS%

REM Remember to change the number here too

COPY Spark.properties spark.properties.1

#7

Thanks! That helps alot, although i was hoping they would have built in a more streamlined way to do it, that works just fine.

Thanks Again