How to create a small custom installer package which downloads components?

Hello -sd,

I'm not sure I fully understand what you are trying to do.

To clarify - the package built by SDP depends on the options selected - you obviously chose Configure AutoUpdate to download components. That's why it's rather small. As you seem to prefer the "online" version - what's the reason you want to use the manual method - configuring certain policies?

Christian

Hello Christian,

i prefer the "manual" method because i've already created a nice batch file with menu for creating packages with different policies and features; i know SDP can also act unattended with command line parameters, but i'd rather keep it my way because i don't want to re-invent my script for SDP.

I want to create "online installing packages" like the ones you get when you use SDP with option "Configure AutoUpdate to download components" but with the manual method described in the KB. I could reverse engineer the 7-zip SFX that SDP creates but i'd rather use a supported official method from Sophos.

-sd

Hello -sd,

there's no magic in the package built by SDP. Basically it just packages the files from the CID's root and the \crt and \sau folders and calls setup.exe with the appropriate switches,  -crt R for the Competitor Removal Tool, -mng yes for the RMS component and -updp  (together with -(o)user and -(o)pwd) pointing to the live CID instead of the SAVSCFXPXML folder.

HTH

Christian

Hey Christian,

ah ok that puts some light into the dark. So basically the following procedures take place with the different packages:

1) manual packaging

- SFX is extracted

- setup is called from SAVSCFXP\ with the update path SAVSCFXPXML\

- the update path contains my exported policies so after the setup Sophos is configured with them

2) SDP packaging

- SFX is extracted

- setup is called directly with the -updp option to specify the update path from the GUI

- if "Include selected components:" is set to "In the package" then XML policies integrated into the "Source folder" via "exportconfig.exe" and "configcid.exe" are transfered into the final package

- if "Include selected components:" is set to "Configure AutoUpdate to download components" the package will download SAV on the fly and install it with default policies

So i see no possibility to create a small setup package that downloads the components on the fly with predefined policies?

-sd

Hello -sd,

sorry for the delay, had a meeting.

Now what the article does not tell you is that you can configure a CID with the desired policies - but from XML policies integrated into the "Source folder" I get it you are aware of this. Note that every client updating from this CID will attempt to apply the policies - that's probably your concern. Thus if you assign differing policies from SEC client might "suddenly" revert to the policies in the CID.    

You could create a(n additional) CID especially for the purpose of setting certain policies at install time. Don't quote me on the following - last time I checked (and this is quite some time) it worked like this: AutoUpdate installed itself from the extracted directory contained in the package. It then installed all other products from the path in -updp. As last product it updated itself - honoring a potentially existing sauconf.xml and this way eventually updating from a CID different from the one it initially installed from. Thus for subsequent updates it'd use the "unconfigured" CID.

You'd have to give it a try if it still works this way. If the clients you install are managed you can of course tell them to use a different CID in the future by means of the updating policy.

Christian

Hello,

ah ok so to apply custom policies to e.g. SAV in a "download installer package" i need to configure the CID where the installer downloads the components, because the custom package itself doesn't contain SAV so there is no possibility to apply the policies at install time - quite obvious :-)

Thanks for helping!