sequencer

App-V 5 Modify a shortcut

Posted by nickekallen on in App-V 6 Comments

When you create a new package and deploy it, there usually are some things that might resurface after the initial testing of a package. Such details might be the placement and name of a shortcut.

If you open an existing package in the sequencer you have three options;

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Select Update Application in Existing Package will present you with a stripped version of the sequencing wizard. Aiming for the Edit Package will head you straight to tab-based part of the wizard where we can review and edit the package on a more detailed level;

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Ponder this image above for a few seconds and lets continue with the Add New Application option.

Selecting the Add New Application is the route of upgrading packages that I personally recommend. The reason are simple;

There are no options removed while performing the updated sequence.

The Edit Package route (obviously) takes us to the tab-based edit mode and doesn’t allow us to capture any additional installers.

What might havechanged in the App-V 5 sequencer as the ability to edit and alter shortcuts actually shows up in the Edit-mode after you have finished either Update Application in Existing Package or Add New Application and choose Customize. The below tabs can be seen. For some reason – Shortcuts and FTAs isn’t visible when selecting Edit, but for the rest of the possible routes the full view of tabs is visible.

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There seems to be “light” Edit and “advanced” Edit. Advanced Edit seems to only be available by strolling along the two wizard-based routes, where as light Edit can be directly accessed when opening a package. Light Edit does not allow you to alter shortcuts and file type associations.

App-V 5 Powershell Sequencing

Posted by nickekallen on in App-V 2 Comments

Yeah – its pretty cool. Create a folder with the installation file named c:\source. As sample media VLC will be used. The installation-file is called; vlc-2.0.2-win32.exe

Run the following from Powershell to setup the sequencer cmdlets.

Set-Executionpolicy RemoteSigned
Import-module appvsequencer

Run the below to create two directories and then run through the installer.

$package = 'VLC'
new-item c:\source\$package -type directory
new-item c:\$package -type directory
New-AppvSequencerPackage -Name $package -Path c:\source\$package -Installer C:\source\vlc-2.0.2-win32.exe -PrimaryVirtualApplicationDirectory C:\$package –FullLoad

The final package gets created within c:\source\VLC

Successful sequencing (or an interview with the guy who solved the pdapp.exe crash)

Posted by nickekallen on in App-V 0 Comment

[repost]

imageTo continue to highlight successful sequencing and the efforts and mindset that goes into it – here comes the a second interview. Fellow Microsoft MVP, who I actually have met in person, Tsuneyuki Mitsugi from Japan who posted a very specific fix for resolving a PDApp.exe crash – quite common when sequencing several Adobe applications. Tsuneyuki unfortunately doesn’t speak English and therefore this interview is only possible by using the powers of interpretation and Google Translate. Even though there is a barrier of lacking a common language, lets hope that everyone can enjoy the below answers and understand the importance of sharing knowledge.
(another fix by Tsuneyuki for Quicktime)

 

Hi Nicke Källén san

It answers your question.
Please E-mail when you do not understand the translation. English

>How long experience do you have of App-v (or softgrid?) and what type of environments have you been working with  (TS, desktop)?
From 2005, since it was Softricity Softgrid – working with a lot of desktops.
Original;
It is from 2005. It does from Softricity SoftGrid. There are a lot of Desktop.

>What communities are you active in? Any public blog / forums that you might show up in?
It acts in a Japanese Microsoft forum of App-V
Twitter @tunemicky
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/forums/ja-JP/appvja/threads/

>What is installed on your computer? Whats the must-have application you always use?
Microsoft Office2010（Excel,Word,PowerPoint,Access,Outlook）
Visual Studio 2010
Firefox
Google Chrome
IE9

>Since you posted a recipe for Photoshop Elements – lets ask how that came about
>How long did it take?
3 takes
First time is fail
Information on the forum was found by the Google

Second time is succuess
It moved when executing it based on the information.
But PDapp.exe crash issue happen
Third time is success perfectory
It moved without trouble when the DLL version of the module of the third error was updated and it corresponded.
It fed back to the forum.

>What problems did you experience and how did you find the solutions to them?
Because PDapp.exe had crashed by the application error, the event viewer was confirmed.
Side by Side (SxS) error had occurred.
The “Resource Hacker” confirmed PDapp.exe.
http://angusj.com/resourcehacker/
Embedded Application Manifest file is setting fixed version Microsoft.VC90.CRT Runtime requirements
It is difference version dll.
Next I check it from c:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\OOBE\PDApp\core\Microsoft.VC90.CRT files version
Next step
I check it from Q:\<PACKAGE_ROOT_DIR>\VFS\CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMON\Adobe\OOBE\PDApp\core\Microsoft.VC90.CRT
This problem is that perhaps, DLL of the version difference is in the Microsoft.VC90.CRT folder.

>Any special tools in use while troubleshooting?
Sysinternal Tools
SoftGrid Sequencer version 4.1.0.56
version 4.1.0.56 sequencer is not generation *.config files , Microsoft.VC90.CRT folder
Because it sequencer version not support SxS

>How many applications have you sequenced?
over 200 apps

>Was the solutions above mostly based on experience or from the general documentation of MS / elsewhere?
I read MS documentation English ,Japanese
Aaron Parker’s Blog
http://blog.stealthpuppy.com/appvrecipes/

SoftGridGuru
http://www.softgridguru.com/

AppDeploy.com
http://www.appdeploy.com/

>How come you decided to share your solution?
It acts in a Japanese Microsoft forum of App-V
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/forums/ja-JP/appvja/threads/

>Any special thanks you wish to send-out?
Aaron Parker
Aaron Parker’s Blog!! very nice

>What improvements do you wish to see in app-v?
Not generation *.config files , Microsoft.VC90.CRT folder!
like a version 4.1.0.56 sequencer
it is not generation *.config files , Microsoft.VC90.CRT folder
Because it sequencer version not support SxS

best regards
@tunemicky

App-V 4.6 SP1 Sequencer and Long Package Names

Posted by nickekallen on in App-V 2 Comments

After running into an issue when testing the App-V 4.6 SP1 Hotfix 3 sequencer to provide two Mozilla-programs; Thunderbird and Firefox – an minor investigation came into play to locate the part of everything involved that broke a key feature of App-V 4.6 SP1.

Lets start at the beginning;
One key feature of App-V 4.6 SP1 is to allow the administrator to avoid thinking about setting up the sequencer with all minor tweaks and details that allows for a smooth sequencer experience as well as minimizing effort during sequencing. Part of this change is;

1. Support for using long-names for package names and root-directories
2. Creation of prerequisites such as the mount point (Q: ) and dummy ODBC-connections
3. Reports on potential issues before and after sequencing

During the initial release of 4.6 SP1 of the brand new sequencer – there was a minor bug relating to bullet # 2 and how the new sequencer setup the Q: – drive and  handling registrations of resources resulting in  failure when using packages on the client.
To remedy the problem a new hotfix was released that resolved this.

Bullet # 1 is the topic of interest for this next peculiar issue – how this feature works is quite elegant in some ways, however it does remove some of the control from the administrator if using long-names for package root and package names.

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As you can see – package name and root directory (named Primary Virtual Application Directory in the above screenshot) are linked  together – you can check the Edit (Advanced) checkbox to type in your own root directory. Previously a strict enforcement was used to ensure that no short name was created for the root directory – simply by only allowing a 8.3-compliant name to be used as root directory. App-V 4.6 SP1 introduced the possibility to used long names. The requirement of a unique 8.3-root directory is still there, but instead the sequencer will generate a randomized short name for you.

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As the sequencer generates this for you – the need and worry about having conflicting root directories disappears. As you can see in the above screenshot – a completely random short name is generated by the sequencer.

After completing an installation of Mozilla Firefox 9 or Mozilla Thunderbird 9 to the recommended root directory (not the default installation path) – the following occurs;

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As you can see – once the installation is completed for Firefox 9 – the randomized short name is gone and instead replaced by a system generated short name.

The previously very delicate and important topic of ensuring unique and short name-compliant root directories just became very important – again. Why this happens (so far only seen with Mozilla installers) is unknown.

Trying to import two packages will generate a failure. Saving the package and opening it in the Package Editor reveals the following details as part of the package under the Files-tab;

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Repeating the procedure, but instead performing an installation to the suggested default installation directory maintains the randomly generated short name.