Firefox MSI install for corporate rollout (silent install)

Discussion of features in Mozilla Firefox
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Robert S.
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Post by Robert S. »

If you are interested you can create a desktop namespace shortcut for Firefox (I've only tried this with Windows XP so your mileage may vary) that places Firefox immediately after your other desktop namespace shortcuts (e.g. My Computer, Recycle Bin, etc.) and provides a context menu with Profile Manager, Safe Mode, etc. in it. *edited to remove image*

Also, shortcuts created from it will retain the added context menu items which is handy for the Quick Launch bar. The one caveat I have found is that Windows XP SP2 requires paths to the executable that don't use environment variables (e.g. %ProgramFiles%) for it to work properly. Here is the registry file - you can single click to view or right click and select Save Link As... to save it locally - that I use with the path set to C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\. It also uses the same GUID assigned to Firefox which is {EC8030F7-C20A-464F-9B0E-13A3A9E97384}.
<a href="http://exchangecode.com/spellbound/downloads/firefox-namespace-shortcut.reg">Firefox desktop namespace shortcut registry file</a>
Last edited by Robert S. on November 30th, 2004, 11:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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DraconPern
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Post by DraconPern »

wig_out_on_me, thanks for the work on the regfile.
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DraconPern
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Post by DraconPern »

Gieltje, if you need a custom packaging of the MSI with your proxy settings, let me know.
-Eric Kuo
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Gieltje
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Post by Gieltje »

DraconPern wrote:Gieltje, if you need a custom packaging of the MSI with your proxy settings, let me know.


If you could teach me how to make the .msi's myself, that would be great (that way I do not need you for every build).

But if you could make a build for me with this 10.33.4.14:8080 proxy for all protocols I would be realy thankfull.
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DraconPern
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Post by DraconPern »

Gieltje, try this custom build http://www.frontmotion.com/Firefox/Fire ... ieltje.msi
There was an earlier post in this thread on how to create the MSI.
-Eric Kuo
FrontMotion Login, Firefox MSI, and other software at www.frontmotion.com
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DraconPern
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Post by DraconPern »

Script tested against MAKEMSI 4.281
-Eric Kuo
FrontMotion Login, Firefox MSI, and other software at www.frontmotion.com
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oldtimer
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Post by oldtimer »

wig_out_on_me wrote:If you are interested you can create a desktop namespace shortcut for Firefox (I've only tried this with Windows XP so your mileage may vary) that places Firefox immediately after your other desktop namespace shortcuts (e.g. My Computer, Recycle Bin, etc.) and provides a context menu with Profile Manager, Safe Mode, etc. in it that looks like this.
<img src="http://exchangecode.com/spellbound/images/firefox-shortcut_207x248.png" width="207px" height="248px" alt="Firefox Desktop Namespace Shortcut" />

Also, shortcuts created from it will retain the added context menu items which is handy for the Quick Launch bar. The one caveat I have found is that Windows XP SP2 requires paths to the executable that don't use environment variables (e.g. %ProgramFiles%) for it to work properly. Here is the registry file - you can single click to view or right click and select Save Link As... to save it locally - that I use with the path set to C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\. It also uses the same GUID assigned to Firefox which is {EC8030F7-C20A-464F-9B0E-13A3A9E97384}.
<a href="http://exchangecode.com/spellbound/downloads/firefox-namespace-shortcut.reg">Firefox desktop namespace shortcut registry file</a>

Looks great! But, this is the following message for me:
Image
Any possibility in writing it for Win ME/2000? As I suggest that's the reason for the error. Also have you thought about submitting this as a standard build/de facto feature? I see no reason why they'd object. Or, if some reason reason they do, I see no problem with the various nightly developers adopting this as apart of their install ...unless... you know it's not a easy to thing to package and automate so that's why you're making it available the way you are? :er:

Anyway, great work [even though I can't experience it]. ;)

Also, for any users with a previously made desktop/quick launch icon will it automatically overwrite it or update it to reflect your changes? Or, could that be the cause for the error?
I would've already tried, though, I don't feel like deleting the icons when I can ask first.
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Waldo
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Post by Waldo »

oldtimer wrote:Also have you thought about submitting this as a standard build/de facto feature? I see no reason why they'd object.

If the build script is sufficiently hack-ish (i.e., it's not very extensible for future extensions, it makes certain assumptions about target OS, does things improperly but in such a way that the user thinks everything's worked fine, the base method for creating the MSI is flawed, etc.), I see plenty of reasons they might object. (This isn't to say that they'd accept it if he made changes as required by a review, assuming the base method is correct.)
oldtimer wrote:Or, if some reason reason they do, I see no problem with the various nightly developers adopting this as apart of their install ...unless... you know it's not a easy to thing to package and automate so that's why you're making it available the way you are? :er:

Certainly nightly builders could adopt it. (Inability to automate the process would also be a reason for rejection by the main developers, by the way. The whole concept of the tinderbox relies on build automation being possible.)
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martind
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Post by martind »

oldtimer: you probably only have to change the first line in the script file to reflect your OS environment. it currently says "Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00" -- for W2K I think the regedit version is 4.0, but I don't know what the signature looks like. Some older version of Windows used "REGEDIT4" as a version signature.
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Robert S.
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Post by Robert S. »

oldtimer - you should be able to figure out the proper syntax by exporting a registry key, comparing the syntax, and making the appropriate modifications. I'm one of those rare people that skipped 95 and went straight to NT and currently I don't have any systems with 95/98/ME on them.

*edited to add* It doesn't affect the normal shortcuts created by a user or the installer...
emdeeuk
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Post by emdeeuk »

Did anyone experience any problem with the default browser registry keys when changing the install directory upon installation of the msi package?

I've found it most annoying that it seems to expect lower case, 8.3 style paths.
I'm going to try and remedy this is my next build.
oldtimer
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Post by oldtimer »

I've having problems refromatting the reg script and a little registry paranoia.
It is REGEDIT4 though... how do I incorporate that into this?

Code: Select all

ÿþW i n d o w s   R e g i s t r y   E d i t o r   V e r s i o n   4 . 0 0 
 
 
 
 [ H K E Y _ C L A S S E S _ R O O T \ C L S I D \ { E C 8 0 3 0 F 7 - C 2 0 A - 4 6 4 F - 9 B 0 E - 1 3 A 3 A 9 E 9 7 3 8 4 } ]
 
 @ = " M o z i l l a   F i r e f o x "
 
 
 
 [ H K E Y _ C L A S S E S _ R O O T \ C L S I D \ { E C 8 0 3 0 F 7 - C 2 0 A - 4 6 4 F - 9 B 0 E - 1 3 A 3 A 9 E 9 7 3 8 4 } \ D e f a u l t I c o n ]
 
 @ = " \ " C : \ \ P r o g r a m   F i l e s \ \ M o z i l l a   F i r e f o x \ \ f i r e f o x . e x e \ " , 0 "
 
 
 
 [ H K E Y _ C L A S S E S _ R O O T \ C L S I D \ { E C 8 0 3 0 F 7 - C 2 0 A - 4 6 4 F - 9 B 0 E - 1 3 A 3 A 9 E 9 7 3 8 4 } \ S h e l l ]
 
 
 
 [ H K E Y _ C L A S S E S _ R O O T \ C L S I D \ { E C 8 0 3 0 F 7 - C 2 0 A - 4 6 4 F - 9 B 0 E - 1 3 A 3 A 9 E 9 7 3 8 4 } \ S h e l l \ o p e n ]
 
 @ = " & O p e n "
 
 
 
 [ H K E Y _ C L A S S E S _ R O O T \ C L S I D \ { E C 8 0 3 0 F 7 - C 2 0 A - 4 6 4 F - 9 B 0 E - 1 3 A 3 A 9 E 9 7 3 8 4 } \ S h e l l \ o p e n \ C o m m a n d ]
 
 @ = " \ " C : \ \ P r o g r a m   F i l e s \ \ M o z i l l a   F i r e f o x \ \ f i r e f o x . e x e \ " "
 
 
 
 [ H K E Y _ C L A S S E S _ R O O T \ C L S I D \ { E C 8 0 3 0 F 7 - C 2 0 A - 4 6 4 F - 9 B 0 E - 1 3 A 3 A 9 E 9 7 3 8 4 } \ S h e l l \ o p e n   ( s a f e - m o d e ) ]
 
 @ = " O p e n   ( & S a f e   M o d e ) "
 
 
 
 [ H K E Y _ C L A S S E S _ R O O T \ C L S I D \ { E C 8 0 3 0 F 7 - C 2 0 A - 4 6 4 F - 9 B 0 E - 1 3 A 3 A 9 E 9 7 3 8 4 } \ S h e l l \ o p e n   ( s a f e - m o d e ) \ C o m m a n d ]
 
 @ = " \ " C : \ \ P r o g r a m   F i l e s \ \ M o z i l l a   F i r e f o x \ \ f i r e f o x . e x e \ "   - s a f e - m o d e "
 
 
 
 [ H K E Y _ C L A S S E S _ R O O T \ C L S I D \ { E C 8 0 3 0 F 7 - C 2 0 A - 4 6 4 F - 9 B 0 E - 1 3 A 3 A 9 E 9 7 3 8 4 } \ S h e l l \ o p t i o n s ]
 
 @ = " O p & t i o n s "
 
 
 
 [ H K E Y _ C L A S S E S _ R O O T \ C L S I D \ { E C 8 0 3 0 F 7 - C 2 0 A - 4 6 4 F - 9 B 0 E - 1 3 A 3 A 9 E 9 7 3 8 4 } \ S h e l l \ o p t i o n s \ C o m m a n d ]
 
 @ = " \ " C : \ \ P r o g r a m   F i l e s \ \ M o z i l l a   F i r e f o x \ \ f i r e f o x . e x e \ "   - c h r o m e   \ " c h r o m e : / / b r o w s e r / c o n t e n t / p r e f / p r e f . x u l \ " "
 
 
 
 [ H K E Y _ C L A S S E S _ R O O T \ C L S I D \ { E C 8 0 3 0 F 7 - C 2 0 A - 4 6 4 F - 9 B 0 E - 1 3 A 3 A 9 E 9 7 3 8 4 } \ S h e l l \ p r o f i l e m a n a g e r ]
 
 @ = " & P r o f i l e   M a n a g e r "
 
 
 
 [ H K E Y _ C L A S S E S _ R O O T \ C L S I D \ { E C 8 0 3 0 F 7 - C 2 0 A - 4 6 4 F - 9 B 0 E - 1 3 A 3 A 9 E 9 7 3 8 4 } \ S h e l l \ p r o f i l e m a n a g e r \ C o m m a n d ]
 
 @ = " \ " C : \ \ P r o g r a m   F i l e s \ \ M o z i l l a   F i r e f o x \ \ f i r e f o x . e x e \ "   - P r o f i l e M a n a g e r "
 
 
 
 [ H K E Y _ C L A S S E S _ R O O T \ C L S I D \ { E C 8 0 3 0 F 7 - C 2 0 A - 4 6 4 F - 9 B 0 E - 1 3 A 3 A 9 E 9 7 3 8 4 } \ S h e l l F o l d e r ]
 
 " A t t r i b u t e s " = h e x : 1 8 , 0 0 , 0 0 , 0 0
 
 
 
 [ H K E Y _ L O C A L _ M A C H I N E \ S O F T W A R E \ M i c r o s o f t \ W i n d o w s \ C u r r e n t V e r s i o n \ E x p l o r e r \ D e s k t o p \ N a m e S p a c e \ { E C 8 0 3 0 F 7 - C 2 0 A - 4 6 4 F - 9 B 0 E - 1 3 A 3 A 9 E 9 7 3 8 4 } ]
 
 @ = " M o z i l l a   F i r e f o x "
 


compared to sample:

Code: Select all

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.html\OpenWithList]
"a"="iexplore.exe"
"MRUList"="bac"
"b"="notepad.exe"
"c"="FIREFOX.EXE"
Current: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9b2pre) Gecko/2007112000 Minefield/3.0b2pre
For kicks: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.0.6) Gecko/20060728 Firefox/1.5.0.6
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Robert S.
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Post by Robert S. »

That looks like a unicode file opened in a text editor that doesn't understand unicode or saved as unicode with notepad or some other such editor that deals poorly with unicode. You might have more success with a different editor
oldtimer
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Post by oldtimer »

It was opened in Notepad. What other alternative would you recommend? A hex editor? [Never used one and don't think I will... Seems a bit complicated that]

But, if you could graciously format it in a way I could copy and paste into a notepad file and save as a reg script I would really be grateful.
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Robert S.
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Post by Robert S. »

I don't know for sure but I think wordpad handles it better than notepad... I do know that notepad has issues though and a hex editor would not be of use. I tend to use editplus... I'll PM you with an email that you can send the file to.
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