Install Only (No Executable Needed)

Select this option if the distribution does not include an executable file for Application Launcher to launch after the distribution. For example, you would want to use this option if the Application object’s only purpose is to update some files on the workstation, such as a driver or font, or to make modifications to some workstation settings, such as the registry settings.

Path to File

Enter, or browse for, the path to the executable that Application Launcher runs after the application is distributed. Typically, this path is defined when you create the Application object and should already contain the path to where the executable is located on the network or where it is located on the user’s workstation after distribution. If you enter the path, make sure to include the .exe extension on the application executable filename (for example, enter notepad.exe, not notepad).

You can also enter the path for a file type other than .exe. If you do so, when the user double-clicks the Application object, Application Launcher passes the file to the Windows system, which can then use the application associated with that file type to open the file. For example, if you entered a .txt file, the application associated with .txt files would be used to open the file.

You can use a mapped drive or a UNC path. The following path syntaxes are valid:

• server\volume:path
• \\server_name\volume\path
• \\IP_address\volume\path
• volume_object_name:path
• directory_map_object_name:path
• driveletter:\path

If you use a UNC path, applications running on Windows 2000 servers might launch slowly because of the way Windows resolves UNC paths. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article Q150807.

You can also use macros in this field. For information about macros, see Section 49.0, Reference: Macros.

/f=”c:\my docs\sample.doc”

Run Application Once

Select this option to have Application Launcher run the application one time only and then remove the Application object’s icon from the workstation. If the Application object’s version number (Distribution Options > Options page) changes, the Application object icon appears again so that the new version can be distributed.

This option can be useful when an Application object’s only purpose is to install software to a workstation. Having the Application object’s icon remain after the application has been installed can be confusing to users, especially if you have an application shortcut or program group icon created during the distribution (see the Distribution Options > Icons/Shortcuts page).

This option can also be used in combination with other Application object settings. For example, if the application is specified as Force run on the Associations page (meaning that without any user involvement, the application runs when it becomes available to Application Launcher), the application is forced to run only one time.

Force Run As User If Application Is Workstation Associated

With workstation-associated applications that are marked as Force run (Associations tab > Associations page), the Workstation Helper launches the application as soon as the workstation is started, typically before the user has logged in to Windows. This means that the only workstation-associated applications you would want to force run would be applications that don’t require user interaction.

Select this option if you want to delay the force running of a workstation-associated application until the user logs in to Windows and Application Launcher starts. Distribution of the application occurs in the workstation system space prior to the user logging in to Windows. After the user is logged in and Application Launcher starts, Application Launcher runs the application using the user’s credentials.

Because the distribution takes place in the workstation system space using the workstation’s credentials, you should not use any Application object distribution settings that are dependent on the user being logged in. For example, you would not want to have files copied to c:\%USERNAME% during the distribution, where %USERNAME% is the Windows environment USERNAME variable, because no user is logged in when the distribution occurs.

Run

Select the application’s initial window size: Normal, Minimized, Maximized, or Hidden. In Hidden mode, the application runs normally without a user interface available. This is useful if you want the application to process something then go away without user intervention. For example, you could use it for the Remote Control agent if you don’t want it to appear in the taskbar.

Windows NT/2000/XP

Use these options to specify how the application runs on Windows 2000/XP workstations.

Clean Up Network Resources

Select this option to remove network connections, drive mappings, and port captures that were established for running the application. If this option is not selected, the network resources remain in effect. If the resource is already in use when Application Launcher starts the application, it is not cleaned up until all other distributed applications are finished using it. If distributed applications are still running when Application Launcher is terminated, the allocated resources remain intact.

Monitor Module Name

When an application is launched, Application Launcher monitors the executable of the application. When the executable terminates, the process of cleaning up network resources begins. However, it’s possible that the executable filename is actually a “wrapper” that sets up environments, runs other executables, and then terminates. If Application Launcher monitors the wrapper executable, it might prematurely start cleaning up network resources before the application has terminated. Consult your application documentation about whether the application uses a wrapper executable. If it does, find out the name of the module that remains running. Type this name (without the extension) in the text box provided.

Run Before Launching

Use this text window to enter any script commands you want executed before launching the application. Do not use extended characters in the script; extended characters are not supported.

For a script example, see Script Example.

Run After Termination

Use this text window to enter any script commands you want executed after the user closes the application. Do not use extended characters in the script; extended characters are not supported.

For a script example, see Script Example.

The Run after termination script is executed before the network resources are cleaned up (Run Options > Environment page). However, the Clean up network resources option does not clean up drive mappings or port captures created by the Run before launching script. To clean up these resources, enter the appropriate commands in the Run after termination script.

Script Engine Location

The script engine determines the script commands and scripting language you need to use. If you do not define a script engine in the Script engine location field, Application Launcher uses the Novell Client as the script engine (if the workstation has the Novell Client installed), which means that you can use most Novell Client login script commands (see Supported Novell Client Login Script Commands).

If you want to use a script engine other than the Novell Client, specify the script engine. The script engine must reside in a location that is always available to users, such as their local drives. The script engine can reside on a network server only if users can map a drive to the server (for example, through the Novell Client or the Client for Microsoft Networks). If Application Launcher cannot find the script engine, it displays an error to the user and fails to launch the application.

If you use the Windows command interpreter as the script engine, you must include the /c switch, as shown in the following examples:

The %*winsysdir% and %*windir% variables specify the Windows system directory (for example, c:\winnt\system32), and the /c switch instructs the command interpreter to execute the script and then stop. If the /c switch is not used, the script does not complete.

For a script example, see Script Example.

Script File Extension

This applies only if you specified a script engine in the Script engine location field.

When the application is launched, Application Launcher creates temporary script files for the Run before distribution scripts and Run after distribution scripts. These files are passed to the script engine, which then executes the script. You need to specify the file extension that the script engine requires for its script files.

For a script example, see Script Example.

Script Example

The following script uses the Windows 2000/XP command interpreter as the script engine. Before the launch occurs, a listing of the c:\ directory is saved to a text file and the autoexec.bat file is backed up.

Run Before Distribution Field

dir c:\ >c:\1.txt
copy autoexec.bat autoexec.bak /y

Script Engine Location Field

cmd.exe /c

Enter or Select the Extension of the Script File Field

.bat

Script Execution Order

Application Launcher can execute up to four different scripts when distributing and launching an application:

Application Launcher executes the scripts in the following order:

Supported Novell Client Login Script Commands

When using the Novell Client as the script engine, you can use all but the following script commands:

Application Launcher does not output anything to the screen or display script errors.

For script commands, syntax, and examples, see the Novell Client documentation on the Novell Documentation Web site.

Environment Variables

The Environment Variables list displays all variables that are modified before the application is run. Application Launcher modifies only the variables in this list.

File

This option lets you search for variables or variable data in the Environment variables list and import variables from another Application object into the tree.

Click File, then choose one of the following options:

Add

To add a variable to the Environment variables list, click Add to display the Edit Environment Variables dialog box, specify the variable name and data, select Append to existing data using separator character (only if you want to append the data to the workstation’s existing variable) and enter a separator character, then click OK.

Modify

In the Environment Variables list, select the variable you want to modify, then click Modify.

Delete

In the Environment Variables list, select the variable you want to delete, then click Delete to remove it from the list.

URL

This field defaults to the URL you entered when creating the Application object. The URL should point to the primary file for the Web application or to a Web page that allows access to the Web application. If necessary, you can modify the URL.

Test the URL

Click this button to launch the Web application. The current workstation must have a Web browser installed for this functionality to work.

Use Novell Licensing and Metering for this Application

Select this option to enable metering of the application.

Associate Application Object with License Container

After metering is enabled, select the License Container in which you’ve created the application’s Metered Certificate.

Do Not Run Application If NLS Is Not Available

Select this option to prevent users from running the application if Novell Licensing Services is not running.

Application Dependencies List

The Application Dependencies list displays the applications that the primary application has a dependency on. The order in which the dependent applications are listed, going from bottom to top, is the order in which they are distributed and launched on the user’s workstation when the primary application is launched.