studio ct

[SimpleSi]

I just don't believe it

 

One of my schools has just bought Textease Studio CT and I've just looked at the network install instructions - I have to install it on the server (fair enough) and then go and install it manually on each client workstation

 

I thought the software deployment world had moved on in last 10 years!!!! and it was just me that was living in the past

 

 

Back to AutoIt then

 

regards

 

Simon

PS The instructions even refer to installing on Win98 - even I don't have any Win98 clients.

[Jon]

You can safely ignore those instructions...

 

I have it installed quite happily in several schools using the msi and group policy to deploy.

[SimpleSi]

Have you got any instructions on how to do that - will it pick up sn/key automatically???

 

regards

 

Simon

[browolf]

just use AppDeploy > Downloads > WinINSTALL LE

[HiredGoon]

we contacted Texttease support, they emailed back within a day msi for the serial number/key.

[SimpleSi]

I need more help than this please - remember I'm not called simplesi for nothing

 

I never had to make an msi before - I just greatfully use them use them in a batch file to ease my workload

 

So, will RM do me a "special" msi with my sn/key in it?

 

What about setting path defaults for load/save wordbanks etc?????

 

Do I need to map a drive letter to the server or will the mis just install it locally - how are updates handled????

 

regards

 

Simon

[HiredGoon]

yeh rm/or Lightbox Education just provided a msi for the serial no. And we just deployed the textease msi and the serial no. msi through Group policy to all clients.

Havent applied any updates as of yet.

Dont know about you but a 2nd Cd called Resources was also provided, which they advised to install locally, which we did.

 

Hope that helps?

[Jon]

If you run the setup.exe it will extract the msi into a temp directory, can't remeber where but if you search for textease.msi you will find it.

 

as has been said if you call softease ( in my opinion thier support is excellent) they will supply you with an msi for the serail/key.

 

The resources are best installed on the server, you can make a .reg file to get textease to use this shared location for resources, again cant remember off the top of my head what it is exactly but remeber it being fairly straightforward...

[softease]

We are looking into changing the installation instructions as the current network installation is a fairly big job with having to visit the clients. It is also difficult with this install method in regards to applying program updates, so we advise using Group Policy where possible.

 

As mentioned we do supply msi’s for the program, resources and serial/key. Anyone who needs an msi for the serial/key only need to call support (Studio CT only, not Studio Plus or Textease 2000).

 

Lightbox Education (formally Softease)

[SimpleSi]

Thanks to Paul at Lightbox I've got an msi with my sn/key

 

But still left with problem of defining save/load folders and I'm assuming I still need to lock path to resources like old Textease Studio

 

regards

 

Simon

[elsiegee40]

We are looking into changing the installation instructions as the current network installation is a fairly big job with having to visit the clients. It is also difficult with this install method in regards to applying program updates, so we advise using Group Policy where possible.

 

As mentioned we do supply msi’s for the program, resources and serial/key. Anyone who needs an msi for the serial/key only need to call support (Studio CT only, not Studio Plus or Textease 2000).

 

Lightbox Education (formally Softease)

 

FormERly not formALly

 

Pedantry aside, I'm glad you are taking this issue up. It is a shame that it has taken this long for the company to recognise that one machine at a time just is not practical in most schools.

 

Lightbox Education (formerly Softease) are not alone in this sadly. While Textease's instructions imply installATion is a PITA, at least there is an msi available. Sadly too many other companies don't seem to recognise that, in the real world, schools have had networks and large numbers of computers for many years.

Edited December 2, 2009 by elsiegee40
SPELLING

[SimpleSi]

The man Paul at Lightbox has emailed me with

To define the save/load path look in Tools > Options > Administration.

 

The program resources (Resources tab) are locked to the top level (Textease Resources folder), so users cannot browse above that. The My Resources tab is a free for all so users can browse anywhere. You can restrict this on Resource Bank tab, still in the Options.

 

Once you set the options the files are updated in C:\Program Files\Softease\Textease 6\Option so you can copy the Option folder to the same location on each pc to save setting them in the program.

 

So I've installed it on one workstation and I'm just configuring it and then i'll try deploying the 3 msi's and copy the options folder using a batch file

 

regards

 

Simon

[SimpleSi]

well that failed - couldn't save from options said I didn't have permission to save to this location

 

And as you all know, I give everyone and everything full read/write anywhere, anytime!

 

 

regards

 

Simon

[SimpleSi]

mm - it seems to have actually saved my changes so I'm back on with it

 

regards

 

Simon

[softease]

FormERly not formALly

 

Pedantry aside, I'm glad you are taking this issue up. It is a shame that it has taken this long for the company to recognise that one machine at a time just is not practical in most schools.

 

Lightbox Education (formerly Softease) are not alone in this sadly. While Textease's instructions imply installion is a PITA, at least there is an msi available. Sadly too many other companies don't seem to recognise that, in the real world, schools have had networks and large numbers of computers for many years.

 

Installation not installion

 

In any case we have had msi's for our products since 2005 so it hasn’t just been a recent addition. We do understand the systems that schools utilise and do our best to accommodate them, whether it’s vanilla, CC3 etc. I’m sure we will continue to make msi’s available for future products to make it easier for you guys.

[SimpleSi]

In any case we have had msi's for our products since 2005

 

But you can't get the packaging dept to put better instructions in the case

 

regards

 

Simon

[SimpleSi]

One forward - one back again.

 

No softease folder exists in Program Files

 

regards

 

Simon

[SimpleSi]

Its in Prog Files/Lightbox - don't you love branding changes

 

regards

 

Simon

[elsiegee40]

Installation not installion

 

 

(but I have to write something too)

[SimpleSi]

Well back at the school again - copied the Option folder onto network and used it to deploy to workstations - nothing seemed to be set.

 

When I checked the datetime of the 2 files in the Option folder - they said 10/3/2006 - so that's not where Studio CT holds these settings!!! :mad:

 

Done a quick search on all files in c:\prog files\lightbox ed\Textease 6 and can't find any files with a Dec datetime stamp!

 

Give me strength!

 

Try registry now

 

Simon

[softease]

Have a look in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Research Machines\Softease\Option

[SimpleSi]

This is a good game:mad:

[SimpleSi]

Well on the machine where I've manually installed and configured StudioCT - the files called C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Research Machines\Softease\Option\Admin (and Options and default) change their datestamp when I alter the save/load file path in Tools-Options.

 

I've coped these to network and downloaded them to target machine that has had StudioCT installed using the msis and the save/load path didn't change

 

So I altered save/load filepath on msi machine - and nothing changed in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Research Machines\Softease\Option

 

 

Simon

PS Must remember to remove my Edugeek Polo-Shirt and identity tags when I "visit" the RM/Lightbox/Softease (or whatever they call themselves next year) BETT stand

[SimpleSi]

Well I decided I'd need to try out a big boys and girls tool - Sysinternals Procmon - and see what was happening!

 

It would seem (but I woudn't bet that even this is consistant!) that if you install StudioCT "by hand" it holds its settings in %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Research Machines\Softease\option but if you use the msi packages it hold them in C:\program files\Lightbox Education\Textease 6\Option

 

JFI - here is my postinstall.bat (I use WPKG for package deployment)

copy  "%PACKAGES%\studioct\option\Admin"  "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Research Machines\Softease\option\Admin" /y
copy  "%PACKAGES%\studioct\option\default"  "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Research Machines\Softease\option\default" /y
copy  "%PACKAGES%\studioct\option\Options"  "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Research Machines\Softease\option\Options" /y

copy  "%PACKAGES%\studioct\option\Admin"  "C:\program files\Lightbox Education\Textease 6\Option\Admin" /y
copy  "%PACKAGES%\studioct\option\default"  "C:\program files\Lightbox Education\Textease 6\Option\default" /y
copy  "%PACKAGES%\studioct\option\Options"  "C:\program files\Lightbox Education\Textease 6\Option\Options" /y

rem get rid of "demo" product shortcuts!
del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Desktop\Textease IdeasMap.lnk" /q
del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Desktop\Textease Timeline.lnk" /q
rem pause

 

Off to try the suite out now - goodness knows what the next issue I'm going to find is!

 

regards

Simon

NIL ILLEGITIUM CARBORUNDUM

[SimpleSi]

Well - that seemed to work ... but .... if I double-click on a old textease file - it loads StudioCT but there are no toolbar visible - I have to manually tick General and Publisher to get it to look and feel the same as whne you launch it from the desktop!

 

 

Simon