Deploying software with OCS for Windows

Question

My OCS installation is working fine and I'm also able to deploy software. However, right now I'm looking into ways to distribute software for Windows. How are you guys doing it for standard software (e.g. something like VLC, Firefox, Java, etc.). Not always is there a MSI installer and I want to be able to install such software, too.

I'm experimenting with AutoIT right now, which can click through installers. In theory this works fine, but in practice installers tend to behave differently on different systems and its a major PITA to get this working robustly on all systems.

Do you guys have any suggestions in terms of what packaging solution to use? Can you give me some insights how you are dealing with this?

Answer 1

you can deploy most of the software with silent installer options

just create a folder

put the exe file into the folder and a script to un/install the software

rudimentary example for vlc

scriptname is installvlc.cmd

CMD /C "%Programfiles%\VideoLAN\VLC\uninstall.exe" /S /NCRC

CMD /C "%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\VideoLAN\VLC\uninstall.exe" /S /NCRC
CMD /C vlc-2.2.1-win32.exe /L=1033 /S

The first two command's are for uninstallaing any previous version in 32bit or 64 systems

then just zip everything in this folder (NOT the folder itself) an then just upload this file and use the launch action in conjunction with the script name

the advantage to use a script is that you can do nearly everything with a script - for example you can distinguish beetween x86 or x64 operatings systems - check registry entrys - and deploy software depening on language

I install anything with scripts - Java or even office - printerdrivers - just search the internet for

script

silent

program name

I check everything in script - so i have to create only one package and i can deploy this single package to every windows client - from xp - to windows 10 - the check routines in the script make different installation setting depending on th OS.

Kind regards