Quiet Mode Installation

Overview

BlueZone can be completely configured and installed on an End User's PC without the BlueZone installation interface being displayed.  This is known as a Quiet Mode Installation.

Since there is no user interface during a Quiet Mode Installation, there is no opportunity for the End User to select options that are normally chosen via this interface.

To perform a Quiet Mode Installation, you must use the Windows Installer (MSIEXEC.EXE) via a DOS command line.  The Windows Installer works in conjunction with the BlueZone.MSI file and the SETUP.INI file to control the BlueZone installation.  Before running the Windows Installer, you should become familiar with the BlueZone settings that are controlled by the SETUP.INI file.

Editing the SETUP.INI File

There are several key features that are controlled by the BlueZone SETUP.INI file.  Some features are related to the installation of BlueZone and other are related to the behavior of BlueZone.

To edit the SETUP.INI file, use a text editor like Notepad.  Please note that to enable some features, you have to "uncomment" the line by deleting the semi-colon ( ; ) at the begging of the line.  Others features are modified by simply changing the value after the equal sign ( = ).

SEE  Appendix A - BlueZone SETUP.INI for format details and default values.

The following is a list of items that are typically used in conjunction with Quiet Mode installation.  To make it easier to find these items in the SETUP.INI file, the items are listed in the order that they appear in the file.

• Destination Directory

• Use Personal Folder as Working Directory

• Use All Users Common Folder as Working Directory

• Use Current User Application Data Folder As Working Directory

• Set Working Directory

• Set Default Connection Type

• Locking BlueZone's Emulation Features

• Locking BlueZone Secure FTP Features and Commands

• Locking BlueZone's Telnet Features

• Show Locked Dialogs

• Disable Append to Clipboard Feature

• Base Registry Setting

• Profile Mode

• Profile Sharing

• Setting BlueZone in the Windows "Path"

• Enabling the Power Keys Feature

• Enabling FIPS Mode Support

• Install Script Player Only

• Session Manager Run In Tray

• Browser Based Help

• Install BlueZone in a Program Group

• Create Desktop Application Shortcuts

• Session Manager in Startup Folder

What is Quiet Mode Installation Used For?

Quiet Mode Installation is a technique that is used by many Customers who wish to install BlueZone on a large number of End Users machines via a remote software installation and management program.  An example is Microsoft's Systems Management Server, typically referred to as SMS.

Procedure Outline

The first step is to install and become familiar with a standard BlueZone desktop installation.  Launch the BlueZone emulation clients that you need for your application and configure them so that they connect to your host systems and are in general, ready to be used by your End Users.  Save these configurations to your BlueZone Working Directory or some other convenient location your machine.

The next step is to become familiar with creating a BlueZone Distribution Image.  This step is not mandatory, however, by creating a Distribution Image, you will be eliminating unnecessary BlueZone files and installing only the BlueZone files that are necessary for your particular installation.

NOTE  At the very least, you will have to copy the entire contents of the BlueZone Desktop folder on the BlueZone CD-ROM to a folder on your hard drive.  This step is necessary so that you can edit the SETUP.INI file.

The next step is to become familiar with the BlueZone SETUP.INI file.  By editing this file, you will be able to control exactly how and where BlueZone will be installed.

Here are the steps that are needed in order to perform a quiet mode installation of BlueZone:

• Install BlueZone for the desktop using the standard installation method.

• Create your BlueZone configuration files and save them.

• Create the desired BlueZone desktop shortcut files.  (Optional)

• Create a BlueZone Distribution Image.

• Copy your BlueZone configuration files to the Distribution Image.  (Optional)

• Copy any script files to the Distribution Image.  (Optional)

• Copy any BlueZone desktop shortcut files to the Distribution Image.  (Optional)

• Edit the SETUP.INI file and make any desired changes as needed.

• Open a DOS window and enter:

C:\>MSIEXEC /i "BlueZone.msi" ADDLOCAL=ALL /qn

SEE  MSI Command Line Switch Support for more information.

Installation Result

BlueZone will install quietly (and very quickly),without any dialogs being displayed.  If you enabled any desktop shortcuts, they will automatically appear on the desktop at the end of the installation process.

Any BlueZone configuration files will automatically be placed in the All Users Common Folder as shown here:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\BlueZone\Config

NOTE  This functionality is new with BlueZone version 4.1.

When an End User launches BlueZone for the first time, any BlueZone configuration files that were copied to the \All Users\Application Data\BlueZone\Config folder, will automatically be coped to the location that was specified in the SETUP.INI file.  The default location is for the End users working files to be stored in their My Documents folder.

This is accomplished by using the default setting of:

UsePersonalFolderAsWorkingDirectory=Yes

This feature is very helpful to BlueZone Administrators when they are "pushing" out a BlueZone installation image to many desktop machines and they want each End User's working files to be stored in their own My Documents folder even if multiple users use the same machine.

Congratulations!  You have successfully configured a Quiet Mode Installation.

Related Topics:

BlueZone File Listing