Automated Installer

[GRitchie]

Hello,

I have written a long batch script to automatically install software, and it has a few input forms at the start.

 

I was wondering if there was an easy way of making this a nice installation wizard?

More user friendly and not within the command prompt box.

But still as fully automated as the command prompt.

 

 

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[dhicks]

I have written a long batch script to automatically install software, and it has a few input forms at the start.

I was wondering if there was an easy way of making this a nice installation wizard?

 

Probably re-write it as a VBScript file - it should be easy enough, we converted our install script from a batch file to a VBS file and it translated pretty much line-by-line.

[GRitchie]

Probably re-write it as a VBScript file - it should be easy enough, we converted our install script from a batch file to a VBS file and it translated pretty much line-by-line.

 

Is it sensible to do this in Visual Studio or?

I'm not too familiar with VB :-/

[Arthur]

The PowerShell App Deployment Toolkit would be a far better choice than a VBScript since it has been specifically designed to install software.

 

What sort of input does the script require?

[GRitchie]

The PowerShell App Deployment Toolkit would be a far better choice than a VBScript since it has been specifically designed to install software.

 

What sort of input does the script require?

 

Just two at the start, a staff username and a department

These then are referenced to map drives and add printers dependent on location.

[DrPerceptron]

I quite like "Advanced Installer" - used it to create silent installs for Eclipse and various other bits of software that we used to push around.

[GRitchie]

I quite like "Advanced Installer" - used it to create silent installs for Eclipse and various other bits of software that we used to push around.

 

Unfortunately not freeware though

[GRitchie]

bumpppppp

[dhicks]

Is it sensible to do this in Visual Studio or?

I'm not too familiar with VB :-/

 

VBScript you just write with a text editor, Notepad will do. Arthur's suggestion of using the Powershell App Deployment Toolkit probably makes most sense, though - it's free and has all the functionality pre-done for you, you pretty much just point it at your installer files.

[GRitchie]

VBScript you just write with a text editor, Notepad will do. Arthur's suggestion of using the Powershell App Deployment Toolkit probably makes most sense, though - it's free and has all the functionality pre-done for you, you pretty much just point it at your installer files.

 

I had a look at the PowerShell stuff, looks all a bit too confusing!

[JJanisch]

That PowerShell toolkit looks brilliant, good job by the authors. I use SpecOps at the schools I support so it's not much use for me but would recommend to have a real look at this, I'll have to find a reason... PowerShell is going to continue to grow in the Windows Server-sphere so encourage yourself to learn it before you're forced into it!

[dhicks]

I had a look at the PowerShell stuff, looks all a bit too confusing!

 

It shouldn't be much different at all from your batch file - just one instruction after another (run this installer, copy this file here, put this registry setting here, etc), it's just that PowerShell probably looks a bit more verbose with more descriptive function names. Once you get used to it it'll probably be easier to read.