ThinApp...modify the package.

Hopefully you followed my previous posting and that has lead you to this one....

So I have the VM environment setup and I have a ThinApp version of WinRAR...but there are a few things that need further investigations.

Before we start install "Orca" and "ThinApp" onto the Admin machine VM-XP1 as we are going to need these. If you dont have Orca a quick search on google will find it, or you will find it in the Microsoft platform SDK along with hundreds of other tools that we dont need.

Modifying the Package.ini file

Build an MSI

Before we do anything with the package.ini file make a backup of it just incase we have any issues.
Previously we stored the captured ThinApp into the following directory C:\Share\ThinDev\WinRAR\39b3 navigate to this and open the package.ini file with Notepad.

Currently the package.ini file has the following configuration

[BuildOptions]
;-------- MSI Parameters ----------
;Enable MSIFilename if you want to generate a Windows Installer package.
;MSIFilename=WinRAR archiver.msi
;MSIManufacturer=Unknown
;MSIProductVersion=1.0
;MSIDefaultInstallAllUsers=1
;MSIRequireElevatedPrivileges=1
;MSIInstallDirectory=WinRAR archiver (VMware ThinApp)
;MSIProductCode={794532DB-20B8-A3E6-3028-28315E390AAA}
;MSIUpgradeCode={F8952491-5CF4-282B-BC80-366521771395}
;MSIUseCabs=1
;MSIArpProductIcon=%ProgramFilesDir%\WinRAR\WinRAR.exe


We need to enable the MSI Build which is a very simple process of uncommenting the following fields
MSIFilename=WinRAR archiver.msi
MSIDefaultInstallAllUsers

Save the package.ini file and then double click on the build.bat file to start the build process, once complete you will find the msi created in the Bin folder.

Log onto machine VM-XP2 as Admin and install the msi.
Test the package as TestUser1 to confirm that it is working.


That was pretty easy :)

Modify Shortcut locations

Shortcuts are handled within the Package.ini file again and they are pretty easy to modify, open the package.ini file with notepad and scroll down until you find the following section

[WinRAR.exe]
ReadOnlyData=bin\Package.ro.tvr FileTypes=.7z.ace.arj.bz.bz2.cab.gz.iso.jar.lha.lzh.r00.r01.r02.r03.r04.r05.r06.r07.r08.r09.r10.r11.r12.r13.r14.r15.r16.r17.r18.r19.r20.r21.r22.r23.r24.r25.r26.r27.r28.r29.rar.rev.tar.taz.tbz.tbz2.tgz.uu.uue.xxe.z.zip
Shortcuts=%Programs%\WinRAR


The location of the shortcut can be modified with a simple change to the "Shortcut=" path I have now changed the shortcuts to all be in the "Business Apps" folder with this.
Shortcuts=%Programs%\Business Apps\WinRAR

Save the package.ini file, build the package using the Build.bat and test the new MSI on the test machine.