Pinnacle Studio 10 - how do you deploy it?

[tarquel]

Hi all

Got 7 copies [10.6 Platinum Edition - the 20th anniversary edition thingy] sitting by the side of me [that have been here a few months] and Media Studies and co. need to get cracking at using them, so i've had a quick look at the DVD[s] and theres a ton of stuff to install...

while 7 of them wont take amazingly long to install, it still serves as a PITA when I have to redeploy XP on those machines every so often...

So I open it up to you guys.... any one know of any way to deploy it?

I've not got anything special to help me in the task except good ol' orca & some good old batch scripting knowledge lol so any ideas would be good...

Even if you have managed to do it via some packing software and add the serial via a reg, then if u have any idea how i can pack just the software etc.... it would be appreciated

Cheers
Nath

[srochford]

I haven't got this package but a good trick for a lot of software is to see if it can be run as a silent install.

When you start the setup process, check to see if it's an Installshield package (the setup program normally has this down at the bottom left of the main dialogue box). If it has then it will almost certainly install silently. Run the setup program with the -r switch. This records all your answers in a file called setup.iss (it will be put in the windows folder - copy it somewhere safe!). Next time you want to install silently you just run:

setup -s -f1<sourcefolder>\setup.iss -f2c:\temp\logfile.log

this tells it to install silently using your setup.iss file. You don't need the second bit but it gives you a log file - useful if something goes wrong :-)

If there isn't a setup.exe but you suspect that it's installshield then have a look in your temp folder while setup is running - often there's a single big exe file which unpacks stuff and then runs setup. Capture the contents of the folder under temp and then run setup from that copy.

[tarquel]

Thanks for the reply, but i know about IS

Was hoping someone had a idea of how to deploy it via GP....

although I guess I could first make it silently install, then deploy that via computer startup with a batch script.

EDIT: forgot to mention that what makes it harder is that there is alot of extra content too that are on seperate CD/DVD's [the main install is a DVD].

Nath.

[HodgeHi]

Have a look on the Pinnacle forums. Maybe some information on there that may help.

I would also recommend checking on there anyway to see if there are A, any updates for your version and B, if they actually work. I had version 9.4.3 if i recall the version correctly which just basically broke the software and the only way to get it working was to purchase v10.

Personally i would forget about pinnacle all together and run some mac software if possible, since it does the job very well, but thats just my opinion, as when i used to use it there were a tonne of dropped frames and sync issues with the software. Maybe (hopefully) these have been rectified in your version, and it does also depend on what the users plan on doing with the software as well.

Just my rant on the Pinnacle stuff (which i used at home and at work for about a year and have now switched to iLife).

Good luck with the deployment anyhow.

[tarquel]

Thanks for the comments HodgeHi.

Been on the Pinnacle forums and I was surprised that it seems to have never been mentioned. At least thats what serching threw up.... nothing hehe Along with browsing the threads too.

Alas forgetting about pinnacle would be a bit difficult being that we are a small school with a low budget, and they've bought 7 copies of the software. Media Studies its for I believe, which has had a dedicated machine for working on, but they now want to use some pc's in one of the computer suites to give more scope to the pupils doing the course.

The course itself hasnt got much money, so not knowing didley about which software to suggest [nor having the time to look into it] left me just say "that sounds good" when the teacher suggested getting it.

The good thing is that version 10 is vista compatible [or is partically compatible etc] which is handy in that the computer suite in question may well turn fully vista. Depends how things shape up.

And I did like the look of iLife when I saw it at the Edugeek Conf [north] last summer/year] *notice the shameless plugging here hehe*

Think I'll have to wrap the main install and take it from there.... when I get a chance to that is

Cheers
Nath

[Norphy]

Perhaps Ghost or one of its free alternatives would be the best solution here?

[bossman]

tarquel:
For seven workstations i wouldn't waste my time deploying through GPO just install manually and create user groups with shortcut. how long is that gonna take against how long to build and deploy.

[tarquel]

I dont know.... but I shall try one and see

[there are 5 disc's in the package - and at least two is a DVD]

But my point is that as they machines are formatted and deployed at least bi-annually, I'll have to spend the same amount of time installing them manually every time I wipe them, whereas if it takes me x time to work out how to deploy them automatically through the network, then when the clients are wiped and re-reployed, it will automatically get installed.

Of course, there is also that they may want to buy more copies of it if they like it and the course gets bigger [more students start taking it etc].

So thats why I'm asking hehe

Nath.

[tarquel]

At least 20 mins - just installing the install DVD lol

*sighs*