silent install removes plugin

[disadmin]

I've used the script before and its worked flawlessly.. But now i see the max plugin folder become populated with the files, then at the end, it removes them. I run something like this:

c:\vray_adv_150SP5_max2010_x64.exe -gui=0 -configFile="vrayinstall2010" -quiet=1

When this is in the "vrayinstall2010" script:

<DefValues>
<Value Name="MAXROOT" DataType="value">C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2010</Value>
<Value Name="PLUGINS" DataType="value">$MAXROOT\plugins</Value>
<Value Name="OPEN_README" DataType="value">0</Value>
<Value Name="OPEN_CHANGELOG" DataType="value">0</Value>
<Value Name="INSTALL_WIBU" DataType="value">0</Value>
<Value Name="REG_LIC_SERVER" DataType="value">0</Value>
<Value Name="INSTALL_TYPE" DataType="value">1</Value>
<Value Name="REMOTE_LICENSE" DataType="value">1</Value>
</DefValues>

Any why it installs, then removes the new plugin?

[vlado]

Probably something went wrong during the installation (a file could not be written or something like this). Look at the installer output and search for "FAILED" somewhere inside it.

Best regards,
Vlado

[disadmin]

how do i find the installer output? just in the cli window?

[vlado]

Yes, either that or just run a regular UI installation.

Best regards,
Vlado

[crazy homeless guy]

OK, I am trying to work through the silent install, and I too am having the same problem…

When I use the GUI installer I run into an error. I typically ignore that error, and then fix the problem after the install completes. The reason for the error that I receive is due to where the files associated with licensing try to write to the disk. These are the files inside of the Common Files directory.

This area is write protected because we cannot have our render farm account be an administrative account. It has to be a user account. Under WindowsXP this area was free to write to with a user account, but that has changed with Windows7, and now it is a protected area.

So, after running the GUI installer and ignoring the error I add an environmental variable that redirects where the license files are stored for Vray. I move them to C:\Program Files\Chaos Group\License\*.*. Then Vray runs fine, without a problem.

SO…. Is there a way to suppress the error when running the silent installer? If I can do this, I think my automated installation process will work perfectly.

[instinct]

Well you can at least run the install using the administrative account using windows' "run as.."

[crazy homeless guy]

True.

.... but it requires bringing in the IT department every time I need to do deploy Vray on a new system. I work for a large architectural firm that has had problems in the past with admin accounts. This means only the IT pros have access to the passwords for the accounts. It is easy to find time to have an IT person come in, and type the password for less than 10 machines, but I need to do this for 50+ machines. Because of recession we have 3 IT guys working for 230-250 people in our office. Also, we are constantly rotating in and out machines so doing it by just running a batch file makes my life a lot easier.

This all worked fine under XP, but 7 is a little more strict in what it will allow the user to do.

[instinct]

tbh, the reason you had issues with is prolly cause it was abused. Or to translate: installed things they werent supposed to...wich is exactly why this is stripped down i guess. Kinda vicious circle.

On a more helpful note why dont you create the environment variable in the batchfile launching the silent installer and copy the files with it too?

Regards,
Thorsten

[crazy homeless guy]

The story goes that someone came in through our servers and tried to access a government office via our system. This caused major headaches for the office, and reason for very strict monitoring of the systems. This happened before I worked here so I don't know the full story, I only know that it is usually easier for me to do things like this within our department rather than trying to work through meeting after meeting only to have the Advanced Technology Group director tell me that they believe I should believe my group should be using Mental Ray only because they decided that was the firm standard. ...even though they don't actually do what I am doing, so they don't understand the reasons I prefer Vray on very large scale projects. Basically, inter-firm political headaches.

We are about 2000 people globally, and I think most of our offices are a little more open on the IT side, but our ATG (Advanced Technology Group) that handles our implementation and project deliver methods are located in the office within which I work. We are a very small percentage of the total employee base, so in a corporate world our needs are questioned by everyone but the design directors who just want it to look good and don't care what the process of looking good entails. This allows me to continue to deploy the best practice methods the way I see fit for what I do, even though our corporate ATG/IT people feel we are not being teams members because we do not use Mental Ray full time. Which is what they do when they are setting things up in Revit, and Revit is the backbone of our firm.

So yes, viscous circle that causes headaches. I went along with Mental Ray for some time, and I don't completely hate it, but my production workflow increased significantly. This is especially true when it came to rendering very large projects under very tight timelines.

SORRY FOR THREAD JACKING

[crazy homeless guy]

Anyway, I used to use the method of simply copying the plugins to the machines instead of running the installer. That method works, but sometimes causes problems. So I switched to the installer to alleviate those problems.

If I can't work through this error, then I will just go back to my previous method.

The attached image shows the problem I am running into. The quiet installer says YES, uninstall the files. I need it to say no, so that it leaves the files.

[vlado]

Hm, ok then we need an option for the installer to ignore any errors.

Best regards,
Vlado

[crazy homeless guy]

Hm, ok then we need an option for the installer to ignore any errors.

Best regards,
Vlado

Either that, or allow a way to re-path where the license file is stored. I am going back to using XCopy to transfer the plugins to the render farm machines for the time being. I think that method should work.