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Lotus Notes of the Windows Installer technology, which allows an administrator to standardize custom installations by distributing pre-configured installation packages. The administrator manipulates the configuration by means of a transform file that the Windows Installer service uses when it is installing an application.
The InstallShield Tuner for Lotus Notes provides administrators with a graphical and easy-to-use method of modifying the default install options of the new installer in Lotus Notes. This allows administrators much more flexibility in their options and enhances control over what an end user can and cannot do or see when installing the program.
Further information
Setting up the InstallShield Tuner Environment
This section how to setup the InstallShield Tuner for customizing Lotus Notes Client packages.
Note: The Install Shield Tuner that is included with Domino works only with Domino, not with other products.
The Basics
First of all, install install the InstallShield Tuner application by runing the setup file from the Domino installation CD. Run setup.exe from the folder "Apps/InstallShield Tuner for LotusNotes“
Important: Make sure you’re installing the correct version:
- For Notes version 6.0.x/6.5.x InstallShield Tuner OEM Edition version 2.0 is required
IBM Part C47CQNA - For Notes version 7.0.x/8.0.x/8.5.x InstallShield Tuner OEM Edition version 6.0 is required
IBM Part C84T5NA
General information about InstallShield Tuner is available at the following web site
http://www.acresso.com/products/is/installshield-overview.htm
The InstallShield Tuner OEM Edition is also available from IBM Passport Advantage, as described at the following Web sites:
http://www.ibm.com/software/howtobuy/passportadvantage/index.html
http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=475&uid=swg21226984
Setting Things Up
Start by creating the following folder structure:
| |
c:\makeinstall\ (e.g., 802 or 850) | This path will contain the tuned client install kit |
| This will contain the original client install kit |
c:\makeinstall\Org850FixPack1 | Optional – which will contain the Fix Pack 1 |
Copy the extracted original package to the win32 folder, if the package is an image downloaded from Passport Advantage, perform the following to extract the files reuqired:
- Create a temp directory (e.g., c:\temp)
- Launch the image (.exe) file
- Specify the temp directory created above to be used for temporary files.
- Stop the install after the extraction
- Copy the files that were created in the temp directory to the Org850 folder
Launch the Tuner
Now you’re read to launch the InstallShield Tuner,
When started, the InstallShield Tuner ((which is normally found in the C:\Program Files\Lotus\InstallShield Tuner for Lotus Notes\System folder - executable is named iside.exe) will first prompt for a configuration file, which has an .itw file name extension. This file is called e.g., Lotusnotes.itw and can be found in the C:\makeinstall\Org850 folder created earlier.
Once started up, the Install Shield Tuner will look like shown below
Option 1 Recording the Setup
One way to go is to record the setup using InstallShield Tuner. This will in effect define the installation settings and you can tweak everything by using the “Features” editor to make choices or the Direct Editor under Additional Tools in the InstallShield Tuner navigator.
There are some shortcomings with this method:
- InstallShield Tuner will not let you de-select some features
- The “Level” and “Attributes” columns of the “Feature” table require good knowledge as to the values placed in them and the impact they might have on the client and the install
- All the environment variables will be inherited from the workstation this method is used
Option 2 Creating a Transform File yourself
Another way is to create a new transform file yourself by performing the following steps:
- Click on "Create a new transform file".
- In the “Select an MSI file” field, select the .msi file
for example, C:\makeinstall\Org85\Lotus Notes 8.5.msi - Specify a custom project name for your transform file. e.g., C:\makeinstall\850\LotusNotes85custom.mst
Note: When specifying the file name, it is essential that the name not include any spaces, otherwise, it will cause problems at the time of the launch of the customized client install package. - Click on the "Create" button at the bottom of the screen.
Understanding InstallShield Tuner Options
This is where we do the actual customization of the installation package. There are many sections to go through and within them, some also have a number of distinct sub-sections.
Prevalidation
This section contains the prevalidation process. This process doesn't need to be performed since we cannot change the base Lotus Notes package provided by Lotus Software. An interesting fact is that the prevalidation process generates a lot of warning and error messages. However, those do not have any impact or incidence on the success of the construction of the customer installation package, nor the success of the upgrade of the Lotus Notes clients
Organization
Sub chapter "Product Properties" allows to customize:
- Default install path of Lotus Notes client binaries
Note: In previous releases of Lotus Notes, files were installed in C:\Lotus\Notes, newer versions of Lotus Notes are being installed to C:\Program Files\IBM\Lotus\Notes by default. - The company name for whom the custom installation package is being built.
Sub chapter "Features" allows to define if and how Lotus Notes client features are being installed. When clicking on "Features", this brings up the Lotus Notes client feature tree structure Each feature can be defined to be visible or invisible. Options are explained when selecting them.
Note: These features are only for the C++ based components, for Eclipse based components of the Lotus Notes client, these are specified via the install.xml file which can be found in the \MakeInstall\Org850\deploy directory.
System Configuration
this section is where it is possible to configure specific parameters for the Lotus Notes client through the custom installation package. The list of sub-sections present in this section are shown below
Files and Folders
Allows additional files (others that those that come standard with the standard installation package) to be added.
Important to understand:
- The file must exist and be complete (in terms of its content) at the time of the creation of the custom installation package, as it is copied into an additional .cab file created at this time.
- if the file is installed somewhere else than in the path referenced by the predefined paths (ProgramFilesFolder, SystemFolder or TempFolder), then the specific path needs to be provided.
To define a fixed path, right-click on the Destination Computer entry in the Destination computer's folder pane and select Add, then enter the directory name of your choice (e.g."Lotus".) subfolders can be created in the same way. Before adding any files via drag and drop, make sure the newly created folder is selected.
Registry
The Source Computer Registry View, which is the top left of the four panes, displays the different registry hives on the local workstation, which is used to create the custom installation package. The Destination Computer Registry view shows the different registry hives on the destination machine upon which the Lotus Notes client will be upgraded. By default, the destination view contains -- in read mode only -- the following hives: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, HKEY_CURRENT_USER, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, HKEY_USERS and HKEY_USER_SELECTABLE.
It is possible to use these to create associated registry keys and values in the same manner as one would with the help of the Registry Editors that come with Windows (e.g.,RegEdit.exe and RegEdt32.exe). Alternatively, it is possible to copy or drag and drop existing keys from the Source Computer Registry Data pane. Furthermore, a .reg file can be used by using the registry import wizard. It is also possible to modify or delete registry keys that are part of the installation. If new keys are added here in the package, they will be added every time the custom installation package is used.
One must be careful when creating new registry keys so as to avoid situations where unfavorable results crop up. It must be specific whether the key should be created at install time, removed at uninstall time or both. These options are mutually exclusive and are available when right-clicking on a key. The explanation of each of these options is provide below:
- Create Key at Install - Creates registry keys during the installation if the key doesn't exist on the destination machine.
- Delete Key at Uninstall - Deletes the key during uninstallation, no matter whether the key existed prior to the installation via the .msi. This means that this key and all sub-keys associated to it will be deleted no matter whether or not other applications are associated to it. This can have a major aspect on other applications; it is thus necessary to use this option with the greatest of care and prudence and only if you are sure that only the key is associated with this .msi and nothing else.
- Both Create and Delete - Both scenarios above with occur.
Shortcuts
Provides a visual method for adding shortcuts and program folders to the customer installation package
Existing shortcuts can be added or removed. The shortcuts can also be placed in folders already predefined in the installation package. These standard folders are predefined in the Windows installer, but there is the flexibility to add new folders as needed. Each shortcut has many properties that indicate the target application, the keyboard key combination, the icon and any other needed information to ensure the proper execution of the application. When you define a new shortcut, it will be created every time the customer installation kit is used.
INI Files
Provides a graphical method to add, modify or delete entries in a specific .ini file.
It displays the content of the IniFile table of the custom client installation package based on the transform file. The view itself is composed of the tree structure of the where the .ini is found and what it is (or will be) called. The other part of the screen, to the left, shows the keys (or parameters) and associated value to be processed in the specified .ini file. The values of the Windows installer and those from the transform file are differentiated by different icons in this section. There is a pane in the bottom right-hand corner, but it simply explains how data needs to be entered in the table above.
Important : Under the new version of the InstallShield Tuner, for the Lotus Notes 8 client, the default folder structure under ProgramFilesFolder is as follows:
ProgramFilesFolder \ IBM \ Lotus \ Notes
NT Services
The NT Services sub-section, this provides the possibility to change parameters for NT services included in the base install package. However, as explained in the InstallShield Tuner, NT services cannot be added to a setup using InstallShield Tuner, it is only possible to make modification to services in the base installer package
Since there aren't any additional NT Services that can be added or, for that matter, tweaked using InstallShield Tuner, there is nothing further to be done here.
ODBC Resources
The left pane of the ODBC resources contains a tree with the three root nodes ODBC Data Sources, ODBC Drivers and ODBC Translators. When any of these are expanded, individual data sources, drivers and translators contained in the custom installation package are displayed. When selected, each of these individual nodes displays information in a property grid displayed in the upper right pane. As a complement of information, for those who are not familiar with such things, Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) resources are those that deal with the interaction with relational database systems.
There are three different types of ODBC resources available for viewing and/or modification via the ODBC resources sub-section:
- ODBC Data Sources - the data source (that is, the type of database) and the information on how to connect to this database. The common types of databases include: Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Access and Visual FoxPro. The connection information can include the database name, the name of the server which manages the database as well as the information on the user names and their password. It is possible to add new ODBC sources to those already in existence on the computer or to remove those that have been added via the custom installation package. It is also possible to add, edit and delete attributes of an ODBC data source. If a specific machine doesn't have the ODBC data source required by the custom installation package, it is possible to enter it in the ODBC data source dialog.
- ODBC Drivers - these are libraries that put in application ODBC-related functions. Each type of database has its own ODBC driver. Only those for which a data source for which an ODBC driver exists in the custom installation package can be added. It is possible to add, edit or delete new attributes for ODBC drivers. It is also possible to edit or delete all the attributes except for File, Setup File and Feature.
- ODBC Translators - these translate a raw data format of data into another format that can be used with a specific type of database. For example, an ODBC translator can convert a code packet from one format to another. It is possible to only see the content of an ODBC translator and it is not possible to add, delete or modify them.
Application Configuration
This section makes it possible to configure parameters used by the application, such as the properties that appear in the add/remove applications dialog box or the dialog boxes that appear as part of the installation of the new Lotus Notes client
Server Locations
If, at a certain point, the custom installation package needs to be configured to be installed from a file server location (as opposed to a local installation, be it on the local hard disk or on a CD/DVD) and that there are additional server location paths specified, it is possible that the Lotus Notes client might need to access sometimes these locations after the initial install of the server. The Notes client can also require access to a specified server is a file is removed or becomes corrupt, as the Notes client can copy the problematic file(s) automatically from the server.
In order to ensure that the users have always access to a server that is available on the network in such circumstances, it is possible to copy the custom installation package to one or more additional servers and then to indicate these servers from the above page. If the primary file server were to become unavailable -- for whatever reason -- the installer will try to connect to the other servers specified here, in the order they are listed. If no server is found, the Windows installation program will invite the user to specify an appropriate server.
Setup Properties
The Setup properties page exposes the entries in the properties table (the fundamental structure of InstallShield-based installation kits) which includes options that are not available elsewhere in the Installshield Tuner. It is also possible to add custom-made properties here.
Properties exist in two formats: Private and Public.
- Private properties are placed by the company that provides the software or placed by the installation program at install time and cannot be changed. The private properties are always written in lowercase and appear in InstallShield Tuner are grayed out entries.
- Public properties are always written in uppercase and can be also placed by the company that provides the software, but can be edited. InstallShield Tuner permits equally the addition of public properties to the transform file. The public properties that are custom created can be edited or deleted as needed, while public properties that existed at the onset can only be edited.
Important: Before all these changes can be made to the properties appearing in the setup properties table, that carefully consideration be applied beforehand. Changes may create validation errors, installation errors or other unplanned and unexpected problems. Especially when changing the default installation path, go through all these options to ensure, at a minimum that the path C:\Program Files\Lotus (...) is replaced by your custom path (for example "C:\Lotus" (...).
Dialogs
This sub category allows to activate or deactivate dialog boxes that appear in the four interface sequences to the end user in the package that we are in the process of customizing
By selecting the installation mode, it is possible to see the dialogs associated with the installation sequence, (1) the administration sequence, (2) the maintenance sequence or (3)the patch sequence for the installation package. Another option (4) admin sequence will appear if you’re depliying a combined client which also contains the administrator and designer client.
By clicking on the selection box at the left of the dialog name to display it (or not display it) when users execute the installation package in this mode.
Properties for each dialog can be shown by clicking on "Properties". Clicking on "Preview".will provide an example of how the dialog box will look like at runtime.
When a dialogue is deactivated, InstallShield Tuner automatically modifies the installation logic so as to ensure that the dialogs are displayed in the proper sequence. Likewise, if a dialog is reactivated, InstallShield Tuner will place the sequence back in the proper order.
Note: A dialog box can only be disabled if the options that it is supposed to configure are predefined in a variable.
Add and Remove Programs
Allows to edit key information that will appear in the dialog screen of the add/remove application (accessible via the Windows Control Panel).
Recommended: Allow the Repair Button to be displayed by changing the value "Disable Repair Button" from "Yes" to "No".
Package Preparation
The following sections provide guidance for package preparation.
Post validation
This category allows to proceed with the actual creation of the custom installation package, in accordance with the manner in which it was configured in the previous sections.
The Postvalidation step should be skipped, because, as we saw in the Prevalidation step, we do not have a clean installation package to being with (that is, an installation package that will not generate any error messages nor warning messages) and thus, these errors will persist in the Postvalidation phase and prevent us from deriving any real value out of the Postvalidation phase. As well, it is possible to have a properly configured and working custom installation package even if this step is skipped.
Package
The Package sub-section, allows to go down the home stretch before issuing the command to create the actual custom installation package. An additional section, Additional Tools and a sub-section, Direct Editor, but we have already done the work in this section previously and need not concern ourselves further with this last section. So we need to concentrate on the Package sub-section. There are four steps that need to be carried out, which we will cover one by one.
- The Location item, allows to specify where the final image of the custom install kit will be built. This is a local or network path that tells InstallShield Tuner where to copy all the files and folders that comprise the custom install package.
- The Setup item, provides information on how to create a setup.exe file and the additional parameters that will be used when setup.exe will be invoked. Setup.exe simply makes it easier to invoke the package by clicking on the executable than to have to enter the whole command line (msiexec /i TRANFORMS=). Given that there are no users running Notes on Windows 95/98 nor Windows NT, neither the "Include Win95/98 MSI Engine" nor the "Include the WinNT MSI Engine" checkboxes should be checked.
- In the Windows Installer Command Line Arguments field, it is possible to provide a command-line parameter that the setup.exe program will use.
Recommended : /passive
Note: Using the parameter /qn as command line argument will result in a completely invisible installation whereas the /passive command will display only a progress bar. Neither will provide an option for the user to cancel the installation in progress. For a list of alternative command-line parameters that can be provided, the help file should be consulted.
- The SMS item, allows to specify a number of pieces of information that relate to the Microsoft Management Server (SMS) environment and prepare the custom installation package for deployment using SMS. It is possible to create an SMS file for version 2.0 (which is used at the customer) and specify related Management Information Format (MIF) files in the Windows folder at deployment time.
How to reduce the size of the Notes install kit
A new feature in Notes and Domino 8.5 is the option to reduce the size of the install kit by removing certain features that you don’t need or that you don’t want to deploy.
The file install.xml, located in the folder “deploy” is defining which features are being installed or not.
Please note that you can remove only containing the property required="false".
These features are the Composite Applications Editor, Lotus Symphony, Connections (Activities), embedded Sametime®, and (for single user install) Domino Designer and Domino Administrator clients. All other supplied features must remain as supplied in the install kit.
Important Note: Domino Designer and Domino Administrator, and as of Notes 8.5.1 Lotus Symphony require the additional step of using the InstallShield Tuner to create a transform that disables their install completely. This transform file must be included in the Notes install kit during install.
The table below show the approximate size reductions of the Notes install kit for each option:
| Size reduction (approximate) |
| |
| |
Composite Application Editor | |
You can remove the following supplied features from the Notes install kit:
- Lotus Symphony (represented as
- Sametime (represented as
- Composite Application Editor (represented as
To remove available features from the Notes install kit, do the following:
- Copy the Notes install kit to a local drive to a new directory. Include all subdirectories, (for example."C:\NotesInstallKit\".
- In the locally copied kit, rename updateSize.zip to a backup name such as UpdateSiteSave.zip.
- Uncompress the backup file to a new directory, preserving the directory structure.
The contents of the directory should include the features and plugins subdirectories and the site.xml file.
To remove these install features from the expanded update site directory, refer to the following table:
| |
| |
| |
Composite Application Editor | features\com.ibm.rcp.aaf.feature_* plugins\com.ibm.rcp.aaf.* plugins\com.ibm.rcp.aaf_* features\com.ibm.notes.toolbox.ca.adapter.feature_* |
- Using wildcard syntax remove the files from the expanded update site directory.
- Create a new "updateSite.zip" file by zipping the expanded update site directory making sure to include all subdirectories. You must preserve the existing directory structures.
Note: The resulting .zip file must include "site.xml" at the root of the updateSite.zip and must not include a directory at the top level. - Copy the deploy\install.xml file to a backup file such as installsave.xml.
- Open the deploy\install.xml file with a text or XML editor.
- Locate the ID of the feature you removed above by searching for the Feature ID listed below:
| |
| Editors -- expressed in the installfeature statement as id="Editors" |
| SametimeUI --expressed in the installfeature statement as id="SametimeUI" |
Composite Application Editor | CAE -- expressed in the installfeature statement as id="CAE” |
- From the point in the file where the featureID was found, look backward in the file for the start of the feature definition which starts with "<installfeature ...".
- Insert a blank line on the line BEFORE the line that starts with "<installfeature ...".
- Type "<!-- <enter>" on the blank line (omit the quotes -- <enter> means press the "Enter" key to end the line).
- Insert a blank line at the end of the feature definition -- on the line AFTER "</installfeature>".
- Type "--> <enter>" on the blank line (omit the quotes -- <enter> means press the "enter" key to end the line).
- Save the file.
- As of Notes 8.5.1, validate the customized install kit.
For information, see "Validating your customized Notes install kit". - If you are customizing the kit to remove Lotus Symphony, create a transform that turns off the Editors feature and include that in the Notes install kit.
- Perform a test installation to be sure that the kit functions correctly.
Integrate Dictionary Files
This chapter describes how to add spell checking dictionary files to your installation package.
Please note that this instruction will add the standard dictionaries (*.dic) files only, for details how to add dictionaries in the new XTAF format, please refer to IBM Technote 1445205
.
Prerequisites:
- Spell Checking Dictionaries - File name : Dictionaries.exe
This file can be found on the Lotus Notes product CD/DVD in the folder Apps\Dictionaries\
or can be downloaded from IBM Passport Advantage by
searching for Part Number C1435EN, which contains the required file in zipped form.
- Run dictionaries.exe to extract all dictionary files to a new folder.
C:\makeinstall\Dictionaries - Launch InstallShield Tuner, to create a new .MST file (or use an existing one)
- Go to "System Configuration\Files and Folders"
- Drag and drop the dictionary files to the folder shown below:
- Go to "Additional Toos \ Direct Editor" Section and open the component table.
- Within the table "Component" search for "CST_COMPONENT" and change the vaule in the Directory column to "VDIR_SHARED" as shown in the picture below.
- Save and close the .MST file
For detail steps how to use these dictionaries at the client side, please refer to spell check preferences in the Notes Help.
Note: Lotus Notes 8.5.1 is using a new dictionary engine (XTAF) which does not support certain languages. In case of any issues, Lotus Notes clients can be forced to use the legacy mode by adding „SPELL_FORCE_LEGACY=1" to the clients Notes.ini.
Further reading:
Technote # 1199055 - How to obtain Notes client dictionary files
Technote # 1154399 - How Can You Switch Spell Checker Languages
Finalizing a custom package
If everything has been specified and all information has been entered via InstallShield Tuner so as to provide a correct and appropriate configuration of the custom installation package for the package. It is now time to save the Transform file (it should have been done a number of times during the various steps of entering data for and configuring the custom installation package) and to generate the custom installation package. To do so, the steps below need to be performed.
- Click on Save on the toolbar.
- Select "Package" from the menu "Project".
Now all required files (as defined earlier on in InstallShield Tuner) will be copied into a new package at the defined location also defined earlier. - Click on Save one last time on the button bar and close Tuner.
The installation kit is now ready to be distributed to users.
Applying a custom Package
The installation can be done via
- The Setup.exe file included in the customer installation package
Note: Make sure to read the important note when using setup.exe - A command line present in a batch file executed from the command-line prompt
- SMS calling the msiexec command with the /i parameter to denote it is an installation, whereas /x would denote an uninstallation.
Important note when using Setup.exe If the package is being installed directly by calling setup.exe, make sure to edit the setup.ini and remove the text in quotes after TRANSFORMS.
Explanation:
After package generation, the setup.ini file will have the following line in the [Startup] section of the setup.ini file.
CmdLine=/passive TRANSFORMS="LotusNotes8.5.mst"
This will generate an error when the setup.exe file is executed, since setup.exe has a problem with the quotes in the line. Thus, these need to be removed so as to have the following line:
CmdLine=/passive TRANSFORMS=LotusNotes8.5.mst
This explains why it is recommended, at the beginning of this document, to create the transform (.mst) file without any spaces in it.
If there was a need to fine-tune the custom installation package after this stage, it would simply be a matter of launching InstallShield Tuner, then select the .itw file, then to click "Open on an existing transform file" from the menu of options presented by InstallShield Tuner. Once the fine tuning will be made, it will be necessary to save transform file again (i.e., the .mst file) and the package re-created by re-issuing the Project - Package menu command (if the files already exist in the destination path, it would just be a matter of accepting to overwrite the existing files).
Other Tips and Tricks
Install Notes without Shortcuts or Desktop icons - see IBM Technote # 1205546
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