|
Building App-V Packages
InstallAware may build your setups as application virtualization packages targeting App-V 5, beginning with InstallAware version 17. App-V 4.x support has also been available since InstallAware 2012.
Packages built are compatible with App-V client version 5, or App-V client versions 4.x; based on your selection of which type of package to create.
To start the tool, on the tab, in the group, click , and choose .
- Enter the full path to the InstallAware project to build as an App-V package in the field.
- Click the button to begin the build process.
- In the next few moments, the conversion process merges all your setup scripts and parses project content.
- In the dialog, check each entry-point application for the virtualized package. Applications not selected in this dialog may not be directly launched. You must select at least one entry-point application.
- Click the button to continue.
- In the dialog, choose the detailed App-V package creation settings you desire (these settings are described in detail in the following sections).
- Click the button to select an output folder for the App-V package to build in the field.
- Click to begin the build process.
- The tool builds an App-V application virtualization package out of your InstallAware setup project.
The following considerations apply for the build process:
- All files and registry keys you are installing as part of your existing setup will be built.
- Since they are supported by App-V technology, shortcuts, environment variables, file types, and services will also be built.
- The tool will intelligently parse file system and registry paths and attempt to replicate the exact structure found within your installation.
- Where possible, script variables will be replaced with their literal values, and intelligently resolved to meaningful values.
- Compiler variables will be substituted with their literal values as found in your InstallAware project file.
- Conditional compilation (excluding parts of your scripts based on compiler variable values) is not supported.
- All of your include scripts will be processed.
- Any conditions on script execution will be ignored.
App-V Package Generation Parameters
Make App-V package compressed
Check this box to compress your App-V package using standard App-V compression.
Enhance virtual application's interaction with local applications
Check this box to improve the virtualization success rates of applications that may depend on existing COM objects on the physical system.
To completely isolate your application from the physical system, ensure this box is not checked. Some applications may require complete isolation for successful virtualization.
Create App-V package deployment MSI file in addition to other package files
Check this box to automatically create an MSI file which will create shortcuts for the entry point applications contained inside your App-V package.
Relocate $TARGETDIR$ (full path) to App-V package virtual drive
Check this box to move the main application folder to the App-V package virtual drive, instead of a merged physical-virtual file system folder.
Checking this box may improve the virtualization success rates of applications that need to be completely isolated from the underlying physical system.
App-V Package Publishing Parameters
App-V package name
Indicates the name of your App-V package.
Streaming source to use
Provides the streaming source for your App-V package.
Save converted package to
Indicates the folder where the your App-V package will be built.
App-V Version
Choose whether to target App-V 5 or App-V 4.x clients for your package.
Building App-V Packages from the Command Line
You may also run the tool from the command line. Every field of the tool has corresponding command line parameters.
The first command line parameter must always be the full path to the InstallAware project file to build (with file extension). If any of your command line parameters include spaces, remember to enclose them within double quote signs on the command line.
The remainder command line parameters may be provided in any order and are described below.
| Parameter | Meaning |
|---|---|
| relocate | Relocates to App-V's virtual drive. |
| compress | Compresses the App-V package file. |
| createmsi | Builds an deployment file along with other App-V package files. |
| localinteraction | Relaxes isolation of virtual environment for enhanced COM interop support. |
| name: | Indicates the name of the App-V package. |
| streamingsource: | Provides the streaming source of the App-V package. |
| publishapp: | Comma delimited list of executable file names (without paths) for entry-point applications. Required. |
| output: | App-V package build folder. The specified folder must already exist. Required. |
| appv5 | Target App-V client version 5. If not specified, App-V client versions 4.x are targeted. |
If any parameters other than the first command line parameter are specified, the build will begin immediately and non-interactively, even in the case of build errors. This enables the tool to participate in unattended builds, possibly as part of a larger automated build process, such as batch files.
Examples:
ConvertToAppV.exe "C:\my installers\my setup.mpr"
In the above example, the tool will prepare to build the setup project at the location . Because no additional switches have been specified, the actual build will not begin until end-user interaction.
ConvertToAppV.exe "C:\my installers\my setup.mpr" /publishapp:mainapp.exe "/output:c:\my installers\app-v"
In the above example, the tool will immediately build the setup project at the location with a single entry point application , and with the App-V build output placed in folder . Note that this folder must already exist for the build to succeed.
ConvertToAppV.exe "C:\my installers\my setup.mpr" /publishapp:mainapp.exe,toolapp.exe "/output:c:\my installers\app-v" /relocate /compress /createmsi "/name:Package Name" "/streamingsource:RTSPS://%SFT_SOFTGRIDSERVER%:322/"
In the above example, the tool will immediately build the setup project at the location with two published entry point applications and , with package name set to My Package, streaming server set to RTSPS://%SFT_SOFTGRIDSERVER%:322/, relocation for maximum compatibility, an additional file for deployment, and with the compressed App-V build output placed in folder . Note that this folder must already exist for the build to succeed.
The tool returns the following codes to indicate success/failure:
- 0: Process completed successfully
- 1: Invalid or missing command line parameter(s)
- 2: Error during process