InstallAware Virtualization 4.0 issues and feedback
Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 11:08 am
Hello,
The Virtualization 4.0 documentation is quite poor, nothing has been added to it since 3.1. There are even options, fields that are no explained...
What's "Input EXE?"
I'm assuming an InstallAware setup file.
What works here? Web? Compressed Single? DVD Layout?
What do the options under Options do?
Etc. etc.
Essentially I'm having many issues (sometimes errors are thrown without explanations) and here is what I'm doing:
1.) I have my 2012 Admin Studio project open.
2.) I click the Virtualization button. (I have not built the project, no where does it say I must...)
3.) It does its "processing file records" in my case it says 20375 file records...
4.) Once that completes I get the option to build or startup the IDE for customization.
5.) It prompts me to save the Virtualization project file (.miv).
6.) I choose to save it its own folder (no recommendations as to where it should be saved so I assume this is fine.)
7.) The IDE pops up and there are NO files populated in the [All Files] field (after processing "20375 file records...)?
8.) The IDE also populates Input EXE with the folder to where I saved the .miv file, in this case D:\PKG\InstallAware\proj\Virtualization
9.) The output file is being saved to D:\pkg\installaware\proj\Virtualization\_Virtualized.exe
10.) One would assume the project IDE would populate the Input EXE with the file listed in the default MSI code here?
- I'd assume this would be populated with the executable found here:
if Variable SUCCESS Equals COMPLETE
Run Program $TARGETDIR$\demostartup.exe
Comment: TO-DO: Insert command that starts your application here
End
11.) So I then click "Make EXE" and I get "Unable to open file D:\pkg\installaware\proj\Virtualization" GetLastError()=5...
17.) Skipping project input/ conversion and adding my files/ folders manually - I then get "Error when patching, GetLastError()=8..., again with no explanation...
18.) The application won't build if there are many files to be included, I'm not sure what the upper limit is, but why is there one to begin with? (I've got about 20,000-22,000 files in this thing as I'm bundling tomcat etc.
Any help would be great here
.
Other issues I have with the IDE...
When I add folders/ files manually within the IDE, it automatically adds parent folders... For example say I select D:\pkg\installaware\proj\demo\pkgcontent\tomcat, it will add D:\, pkg, etc. etc.
If I add files it auto populates them under <exedir> but then if I right click on an exe file listed, there's no option to "auto launch" or "Run at startup?"
Documentation: Suppose you have packed notepad.exe. Add a virtual file "1.txt" to your project, and specify "<BoxedAppVar:ExeFullPath>" 1.txt as the command line. Your packed notepad.exe will load 1.txt from the virtual file system upon launch.
What if I pack demostatup.exe and demoshutdown.exe…
How would I define say "<BoxedAppVar:ExeFullPath>" to launch demoshutdown.exe upon exit? (Assuming I’m even able to get this thing to build and run)
Also, the IDE has an issue where Add Folder Drops (loses alignment) with Add Files…
And it is frequently crashing (stopping) without throwing errors.
See attached...
Thanks,
Chris
The Virtualization 4.0 documentation is quite poor, nothing has been added to it since 3.1. There are even options, fields that are no explained...
What's "Input EXE?"
I'm assuming an InstallAware setup file.
What works here? Web? Compressed Single? DVD Layout?
What do the options under Options do?
Etc. etc.
Essentially I'm having many issues (sometimes errors are thrown without explanations) and here is what I'm doing:
1.) I have my 2012 Admin Studio project open.
2.) I click the Virtualization button. (I have not built the project, no where does it say I must...)
3.) It does its "processing file records" in my case it says 20375 file records...
4.) Once that completes I get the option to build or startup the IDE for customization.
5.) It prompts me to save the Virtualization project file (.miv).
6.) I choose to save it its own folder (no recommendations as to where it should be saved so I assume this is fine.)
7.) The IDE pops up and there are NO files populated in the [All Files] field (after processing "20375 file records...)?
8.) The IDE also populates Input EXE with the folder to where I saved the .miv file, in this case D:\PKG\InstallAware\proj\Virtualization
9.) The output file is being saved to D:\pkg\installaware\proj\Virtualization\_Virtualized.exe
10.) One would assume the project IDE would populate the Input EXE with the file listed in the default MSI code here?
- I'd assume this would be populated with the executable found here:
if Variable SUCCESS Equals COMPLETE
Run Program $TARGETDIR$\demostartup.exe
Comment: TO-DO: Insert command that starts your application here
End
11.) So I then click "Make EXE" and I get "Unable to open file D:\pkg\installaware\proj\Virtualization" GetLastError()=5...
17.) Skipping project input/ conversion and adding my files/ folders manually - I then get "Error when patching, GetLastError()=8..., again with no explanation...
18.) The application won't build if there are many files to be included, I'm not sure what the upper limit is, but why is there one to begin with? (I've got about 20,000-22,000 files in this thing as I'm bundling tomcat etc.
Any help would be great here
.Other issues I have with the IDE...
When I add folders/ files manually within the IDE, it automatically adds parent folders... For example say I select D:\pkg\installaware\proj\demo\pkgcontent\tomcat, it will add D:\, pkg, etc. etc.
If I add files it auto populates them under <exedir> but then if I right click on an exe file listed, there's no option to "auto launch" or "Run at startup?"
Documentation: Suppose you have packed notepad.exe. Add a virtual file "1.txt" to your project, and specify "<BoxedAppVar:ExeFullPath>" 1.txt as the command line. Your packed notepad.exe will load 1.txt from the virtual file system upon launch.
What if I pack demostatup.exe and demoshutdown.exe…
How would I define say "<BoxedAppVar:ExeFullPath>" to launch demoshutdown.exe upon exit? (Assuming I’m even able to get this thing to build and run)
Also, the IDE has an issue where Add Folder Drops (loses alignment) with Add Files…
And it is frequently crashing (stopping) without throwing errors.
See attached...
Thanks,
Chris