OPEN CALL: Installing OpenOffice Applications Separately with ZENworks

Novell Cool Solutions: Tip

Reader Rating

Digg This - Slashdot This

Updated: 29 Aug 2007

Patrick C. wrote: Does anyone know of a way to install the OpenOffice 2.x base then add the applications separately via msi/mst and ZENworks? This can be done with MS Office using the ADDLOCAL property, but I haven't seen a way to do this with OpenOffice.

OPEN CALL: Anyone know how to do this? Let us know and we'll post it here.

Christopher Farkas

You use a Response file and a setup script.

Go here.
Scroll down to this link: How To Install OOo with a Response File

And you will find information on how to create and use a Response file and the Setup Script.

Bill Leninger

I created a NAL for OO2.01. I don't believe there was an MSI available for that version, but the concept should be similar. I created a snapshot of OpenOffice as an "install only" application. Then for each individual app, create an application object that calls the particular executable. For instance, Writer is "C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 2.0\program\swriter.exe", Calc is "C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 2.0\program\scalc.exe" etc. These application objects each have an Application Dependency of the "install only" application object. Then I do a guidsync on each of the applications.

When a user clicks on the ooWrite icon, OpenOffice will install (which requires a reboot) - after that it will start the application they need, in this case Writer.

Marcel de Roode

First question is of course: Why would you want to install only the base, and not make the whole package available to all your users?

If you really want to install OpenOffice and add the applications later through ZENworks you could do the following:

With Orca, remove the executables swriter.exe, sbase.exe, scalc.exe, sdraw.exe, simpress.exe and smath.exe from the msi distribution
Create six new ZENworks-apps which install only the separate executables and run them

Or:

Create an MSI application which installs the whole Openoffice suite
Create six ZENworks applications which call the executables, and make them dependent on the OpenOffice installation app.

Erasmus University Rotterdam

Dave Barker

OpenOffice 2 comes as an MSI. Read this FAQ for instruction on how to modify the default install.

Benjamin Kania

I needed to check out deployment solutions in our company. To find out which modules (ADDLOCAL) you can use, please check the table located in the file Feature_oOO_NE_21.ods. This feature list applies to the latest OpenOffice Novell Edition.

Furthermore it is possible to use the following properties:

SELECT_WORD=0\|1	enables the file association with Word files
SELECT_EXCEL=0\|1	enables the file association with Excel files
SELECT_POWERPOINT=0\|1	enables the file association with Powerpoint files
ALLUSERS=0\|1	all users or single user configuration

Here's a zipfile containing the spreadsheet (Feature_o00_NE_21.ods) and an export of our App Object. Hope this will help a bit.

Jules Kremer

It is possible to do it with AdminStudio repackage and create separate packages this way, completely pre-configured. I use a preconfigured (basic only; nwclient, desired patchlevel) vmware workstation session, with AdminStudio 7.5 installed (third-party product that is included in ZENworks Suite).

The steps are simple:

Start clean environment
Insert disc /mount iso file
Start repackager
Enter application name and point it to the setup.exe
Perform the install you want
BEFORE RESCANNING; CHECK AND OR CHANGE THE STARTUP PATH TO YOUR APPLICATION (OpenOffice has the nasty habit to use a startup path which is unique per installation....)
Rescan
Move your directory containing all files (usually c:\package) to a safe location, revert your vmware instance and test your newly created msi file.

An installation containing a single language Write with all the other default options will result in a msi file of about 129mb, and will install in about 1 minute 40sec.

Like what you see?
Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Want to contribute?
It could earn you a nano! Learn more.

Like Wikis?
Join the Cool Solutions Wiki.

Interested?
Request a sales call

Novell Cool Solutions (corporate web communities) are produced by WebWise Solutions. www.webwiseone.com