A Friday Mini Braindump

This is a bit rambling, but hopefully worth your while...

I've been in training all week learning AdminStudio and InstallShield.  During that same time, work has not stopped or hibernated, and house chores haven't let up (my wife is hundreds of miles away visiting family right now), so my brain is a bit frazzled and woozy.

DirectX + AutoCAD 2012 + Configuration Manager = who cares?

During this same week I received several emails relating to my blog posts regarding the repackaging of DirectX for deploying AutoCAD 2012 via Configuration Manager.  That sentence is a ****ing mouthful.

I have already posted several articles dealing with this subject, and even included it in my book.  The recent inquiries have been about how to repackage the components for silent installation using something other than Wise Package Studio.  I ran through a few tests using InstallShield 2011 and it works as well (albeit using a somewhat more verbose process), and even toyed with merging the results back into the AutoCAD 2012 network deployment by way of editing the .INI file to point the [DIRECTX] sequence to use the new .MSI. (WARNING: this practice is completely unsupported by Autodesk, so if you pursue that, you're on your own.  Don't call me).

Then it dawned on me: I just don't give a shit about this topic anymore.  Maybe I'm getting older?  I'm just tired of making the same Band-Aid for the same mess; a mess I didn't create.

Wise Package Studio vs. InstallShield / AdminStudio

On a side note: I received some rather interesting responses about my comments regarding Wise being dumped by Symantec and why I feel InstallShield is a "better way to go".

Here's why:

1. Upgrades to Wise Package Studio, since 6.x, have been minimal.  It's hard for even (former Wise/Altiris/Symantec) engineers to argue that 8.0 is nothing more than 7.0 SP4.  Even the community forums are rife with comments that indicate the future is gloomy for that product line.
2. http://www.symantec.com/connect/forums/wps-80-vs-adminstudio
3. My discussions with several Symantec employees at TechEd 2011 made it clear to me that even they do not know whether WPS has any future.
4. Compare this http://www.flexerasoftware.com/products/installshield/top-reasons.htm with navigating the Symantec web site and trying to find a CLEAR link to WPS anymore.  They have been steadily burying it as time passes.  Don't believe me?  Check this out: http://www.symantec.com/business/products/allproducts.jsp  (press CTRL+F and enter "wise" and see how many matches it finds)

Wise is dead.  It just doesn't know it yet.  What a shame too.  It was once such a cool product.

Sometimes Reality Hurts

The painful reality of working in the IT field is this:

Everything you accomplish in the line of your IT work, and I mean EVERYTHING, will be gone and forgotten in ten to twenty years.

Your ancestors made furniture, built houses, roads and bridges, constructed buildings, and railroads.  We move bits around.  We can still find their furniture, their houses, drive on their roads and bridges, visit their buildings and ride their railroads.  You don't think your network, servers and software will vanish?  Ask the folks who built Windows 3.1 and the folks who worked at Sun Microsystems in the 1990's.

The reality is that no matter how important we think we are, none of our accomplishments will last as long as that hand-carved wooden rocking chair.  Those stone-laid Roman highways are a bitch, aren't they?

Feeling happier now?  :)

Sometimes Reality Feels Good

My son is 12.  He's been playing guitar for several years, only one of which did he take lessons.  The rest of his learning has been self-driven and via Google and various tab sites.  He averages roughly one new song per week.  He just picks something that catches his ear and he dives into learning how to play it.  It's amazing.  I can listen to him play for hours.

When I was 12 I had a bicycle and a TV with 3 local channels of 1960's re-runs and news.  Compared to today, that was like living in the Australian outback, but that was in Virginia in the 1970's.  For all the new inventions and distractions and the loss of naiveté of our modern world, seeing kids push themselves to do cool things gives me a good feeling that there's still hope.

Battery Life

During the power outage after Hurricane Irene last month, I started thinking about how long my various gadgets last when they're just sitting idle and not being used.  I decided to do my own experiment:

Google Chromebook CR-48 = 1.5 days

iPod Touch v1 = 2 days

Blackberry Tour 9630 = 2.5 days

Kindle Wi-Fi 3.0 = 7.5 days

The main difference, besides the construction and capacity of each battery, is really in how the firmware and software are devised to maximize (or not) the battery life.  Clearly we have not progressed very far with commercial battery technology in a long, long time.  We're just getting better at optimizing utilization of the technology we've had for so long.

I'm fried - enjoy your Friday (and your weekend!) - Dave

Acad2012DX.msi - DirectX Installer for AutoCAD 2012 Deployments

As promised, I've uploaded a ZIP file to my downloads site which contains Acad2012DX.MSI and README_LICENSE.TXT.  The MSI was compiled using Symantec Wise Package Studio and was tested on a Windows 7 client using System Center Configuration Manager 2007.

Background:  For those that don't read my blog (you lucky person), or haven't read my book (oh, the pain!), there is a small but important issue with trying to push a prepared AutoCAD 2012 deployment installation using SCCM 2007.  It requires that .NET Framework 4 be installed prior to running the unattended setup (e.g. setup.exe /W /I /Q AdminImage\deployment.ini), as well as pre-installing the DirectX library components. 

The DXSETUP.exe installer won't usually install via SCCM 2007 with the /SILENT switch however.  The workaround I've used is to package the DirectX components from the AutoCAD installation media (or network deployment share) and run the "DXSETUP.exe /SILENT" request internally using synchronous/ignore-exit-code.  If you try to run the Deployment setup.exe through SCCM without having .NET Framework 4 and the DirectX libraries (only those from the AutoCAD media, it won't help to install the library from a Microsoft download), the advertisement will fail but returns a 0 exit code.  That means it reports back as "successful" when nothing was actually installed.

Phew!

So, it's easy enough to push .NET Framework 4 installations with SCCM 2007.  That's not the annoying part.  The DirectX libraries are what trip most people up.

All I ask is that you abide by the README_LICENSE.TXT file and assume the responsibility for testing this and not deploying it into a production environment without successful testing first.  Please let me know how it works for you?  Even though it is officially, and legally "unsupported" I would like to know if it works or not for you.  Thanks!

DirectX installer for AutoCAD 2012

I've mentioned this to the point of putting people to sleep.  In fact, it might drive someone to the point of a mental breakdown.  In any case, I decided to go ahead and upload my compiled MSI package for installing the DirectX components for AutoCAD 2012 which allows you to push it ahead of AutoCAD itself when using SCCM 2007 and not have the deployment installation die and return a bullshit result code.  Keep an eye on my downloads page for the file to be posted soon.  It will be near the top of the list.

DISCLAIMER: This is not a supported product.  It is provide "as-is" without warranty or guarantee of any kind whatsoever for any use or purpose, either express or implied.  Use at your own risk.  Test thoroughly in a non-production "test" environment before considering use in a production environment.  Author assumes NO liability or responsibility for any direct or indirect damages or loss of productivity alleged to have been caused by the use or misuse of this software.  The user (you) assumes any and all liability, risk, responsibility for any use or adaptation of this software. 

While I would very much like feedback on how it works, do not assume that I will address enhancement requests or requests to change the software of any kind.

My Favorite Scripting/Programming Languages

Just random blabbering stuff.  These are ranked in order of "most fun" to "least fun" to work with (entirely subjective of course)…

1. KiXtart 4.6x
2. PHP 5.x
3. VBScript / ASP
4. SQL / T-SQL
5. Wise Script 8
6. Javascript
7. Visual LISP / AutoLISP
8. BAT / CMD
9. PowerShell v2
10. VB.NET

Ordered by what I work with most often:

1. BAT / CMD
2. VBScript / ASP
3. Wise Script 8
4. SQL / T-SQL
5. Javascript
6. PHP 5.x (sad, very sad for me)
7. PowerShell v2 (this might change soon)
8. KiXtart 4.6x (oh, the agony!)
9. Visual LISP / AutoLISP (almost never)
10. VB.NET (almost never)

My Arsenal of Packaging and Deployment

I had just finished my third coffee and pondering why it was having no effect on me, when I realized it was because I had no sleep the night before.  The lack of sleep, combined with an overdose of caffeine and sugar led my brain to a big empty thought cloud.  The kind that would have made Beevis proud. Then I look started thinking about what are all the things I use to prepare a software package for deployment. Here goes:

Office 2007 Custom Installation Wizard

Office 2010 Customization Tool + Office ADM/ADMX templates

Autodesk Deployment Wizard (AutoCAD, Inventor, 3DS Max, etc.)

Adobe Custom Installation Wizard (CS5 products)

Adobe AAMEE for patch downloads and deployments

Wise Package Studio 8.0 and make a snapshot capture into .MSI

Run setup.exe and grab the .MSI from %temp%

Run setup.exe with –r and capture the setup.iss

Direct Files: .MSI, .MST, .MSP

CACLS.exe

REGINI.exe

Orca

Sysinternals PStools, Procmon, Process Explorer

TextPad 5 (for scripting)

SMS Trace32 (log viewing)

7-Zip

I'm Starting to See a Pattern

Some of my friends reacted to that statement with "well, duh!"  But maybe I need to elaborate a little…

Job 1 - Hired as piping/mechanical systems drafter.  Got fed up with shitty program we were forced to use with AutoCAD to do niche-oriented design work.  I picked up a book on LISP and taught myself to program with AutoLISP. I wrote a new piping design program that was adopted by the department (roughly 30 users).  Soon after I was asked to write another (similar) app for HVAC, Electrical and Structural work.  Hired as a drafter, ended up being a software developer.

Job 2 - Hired as LAN administrator.  Was handed the task of managing a deployment of 300 AutoCAD installations and migrating from Novell Shitware and WFWG to Windows NT 3.51 (even shittier shitware).  Department users learned of my work at Job 1 and asked me to develop a custom piping design app for AutoCAD again.  That led to Electrical, and HVAC apps as well.  The Structure guys hated outside interference, so that was the North Korea of our CAD world of the time.  Hired as LAN admin, ended up being a software developer.

Job 3 - Hired as CAD Administrator.  Was asked to develop from the start.  Did that, by starting over and avoiding the mistakes from practices that evolved from Jobs 1 and 2.  Was handed the responsibility to manage the file servers and printers and plotters at the corporate HQ office.  That led to work in NT administration.  Took classes.  Got a cert.  Began working with automation of software deployment, patch deployment, managing user and group permissions, client configuration management, inventory reporting, license validation and long nights without sleep.  That led to coffee, beer, and more beer (followed by more coffee, of course).  Oh yeah, and tied all that together with scripting and ASP web development on top of SQL Server.  Hired as CAD Administrator, ended up being Active Directory/WSUS/SMS/SCCM manager and Web Application developer.

Job 4 - Hired as Windows Platform consultant.  CEO talks a big game, shakes hands, smokes cigars at big dinners, reassures us we're doing great, then lays us off with short notice and without having put any effort into helping our remote office get off the ground. (queue the violin music here and hand out the tissues).

Job 5 - Back to Job 2 in spirit only.  New owner of company, new environment.  Hired as Systems Administrator in the "enterprise applications" group.  Packaging and testing Autodesk applications for distribution to thousands of clients using Altiris (another department), as well as supporting end-users who foolishly called Tier 1 support thinking Tier 1 actually supports customers.  I worked in Tier 2.  Visionary boss pulls me aside after hearing I worked with ASP and SQL and begins massaging my brain cells for the good of mankind.  Hired as packager and tester, end up developing web portal applications.

Job 6 - Hired as Windows Platform consultant.  Placed in a small group to package and deploy applications using Wise Package Studio and MS SCCM 2007.  Approached by the SCCM OSD guy to help with WinPE scripting.  Soon that leads to automation scripting and building yet another web portal to allow Tier 1 to queue up computers to be imaged from SCCM OSD.  Hired as a packager, so far ___?

Conclusion

I never end up doing what it is I usually am hired to do.  In most cases, the latter role is one that appears totally unlikely at the start.  In some of these situations I was flat-out told "You will absolutely NEVER do ____" only to end up doing ____ later on.

Life is indeed interesting and predictably unpredictable.

Packaging DirectX 9.0c as an MSI

As promised (or threatened, or whatever), here's my secret recipe for packaging Microsoft DirectX 9.0c June 2010 collection into a single, well-behaved, chewing with closed mouth, sits-up-straight, says "yes ma'am!" MSI package so it can be wrapped up with Autodesk products and pushed through SCCM without imploding and causing mass casualties in far-flung lands.  Ok, it's not that secret.  I did figure it out on my own, but no sooner had I patted myself on the back than I discovered others had already crossed the minefield with all their limbs intact.  So, for what it's worth…

1. Download DirectX 9.0c Redistributable
• Example (June 2010): http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=3b170b25-abab-4bc3-ae91-50ceb6d8fa8d
2. Extract files from download (example: to C:\DX9)
3. Open Wise Package Studio (WPS)
4. Create a new Project for “Repackage for Windows Installer” (leave “Vendor Package” empty)
5. Click “Edit Package”
6. Select “Files (under Feature Details)
7. Select the Source (extraction) folder, then select \Windows\Temp in the lower panel, and click “Add Contents” (adds the “DX9” folder under “\Windows\Temp”)
8. Select the “MSI Script” tab and select the tab “Execute Deferred”
9. Click on the “InstallFinalize” action (near the bottom)
10. Double-click the action “Execute Program from Installed Files”
1. Enter a Custom Action Name: “RunSetup”
2. Executable File (click browse, select DXSETUP.exe)
3. Command Line Arguments: /SILENT
4. Select the “Properties” tab, set Processing to “Synchronous, Ignore exit code”
5. Click OK

11.   Press [F7] to compile and provide a name (ie. “DirectX90c_June2010.msi”)