Advice on package naming conventions?

[#1]

We're a large, multi-campus community college getting ready to deploy the
Casper Suite. We've just gone through the Jump Start and are getting ready
to build our base images, packages and configurations. As JAMF recommended,
we're planning on having a single "librarian" manage the entries on the
Casper server.

Having been involved in similar ventures, I understand the value of setting
up a good naming convention system early in the game. We have a good system
for naming computers already in place, but it appears that we're going to
have a fair number of packages and a potentially huge number of
configurations on file.

I would greatly appreciate any suggestions or samples you can offer. Feel
free to forward any files or attachments directly to my e-mail address,
ric.getter at pcc.edu.

Thanks,
Ric

--
Ric Getter
Portland Community College/Sylvania
Coordinator, Computer Resource Center
(503)977-8036

[#2]

Ric,

Here in K-12 land we may do things differently and I've changed naming conventions only once since starting. I would be too hard to start over. I set a couple Groups in Casper Admin for packages and scripts and name them with abbreviations from the groups. Example, Curriculum is the group and "CUR-" is the prefix of the package name. We also avoid using spaces in the package name. I think that Craig might have showed me this process at our CCA class. Now with Self-Serivce, I might be adding a group in there that is independednt of the type of package. I have these package and script Groups.
CUR - Curriculm (content related apps, Comic life, Google Earth, Everyday Math, SmartBoard, etc.)
ENT -Enterprise Apps (Read180, FasttMath)
MM - Multimedia (iLife, Audacity, Adobe)
OS - OS packages (OS builds, Parallels, OS updaters )
PRO - Productivity (MS OFfice, Firefox, FileMaker Pro)
UEV - User Environment (dock settings, etc. )
UTL - Utilities (Recon, Text Wrangler, AV, etc.)

The ones I've added for Self -Service Printers, Primary and Secondary (grades)

So far this is working, but I'm not sure it is the best way for everyone.
-Nathaniel

Saint Paul Public Schools, MN

[ernstcs]

Hi Ric,

The format we've used here is basically how we would organize things in a "start menu" type scenario, but basically making logical categories. You'll find that everyone does it differently.

We have the following categories and description of what they contain in our system, and most of these pre-date my managing this system:

Adobe - It became so many packages it had to become it's own, was in suites, but could even break this down to AdobeCS3, AdobeCS4, if you like
Classic - OS9 Apps
Common Applications - Applications that get deployed everywhere by default that don't fit into any other category (Examples: Google Earth, SPSS)
Departmental - If specific department requests/purchases software for a limited set of locations it goes here, it's like Common Applications
Graphics & Web Design - Graphical applictions and web editors (Example: Poser)
Hardware - Scanners, Printers, etc.
Internet - Browsers, IM Clients, Telnet, FTP
Languages - Basically the language packs for the OS if it needs to be delpoyed after the fact
Multimedia - Audio (Audacity), Video (iMovie), Disc Authoring (iDVD), Media Players (Real, QuickTime, Flip4Mac)
Office - Office suites (Office 2008, Office 2004, NeoOffice, etc.)
OS - Base OS Images
Printers - DUH
Scripts - All our scripts are just in one category, but we never had a lot of them to deal with to sort them out
Suites - This group was an afterthought, but iLife is the only thing in here, and could go back under Common Apps
System Configuration - Any packages that modify the operating system and its settings
User Environment - Any packages that modify a user's experience and settings
Utilities - Utility applications like Adobe Reader, KeyServer Client, Self Service, Recon, Refit, Stuffit, etc.

When we create a package we then (almost always) put the prefix of the category on the package, or at least an abbreviation of it. Some examples:

internet-Firefox_3.0.3
office-2008_12.1.4
os-X.5.4
ue-X5_Universal_Dock (Short for user environment, and X5 meaning for Leopard)
sys-res-1024x768x32x75 (Short for system configuration)

You get the jist of it. The other thing we do with each package is have a folder at the root of the drive called 'Shortcuts', and then we build a folder structure for these categories and in some instances sub-categories, and place an alias to the application in the appropriate folder. We then place the shortcuts folder as part of the dock as a list so it expands out and does act as a menu for users to access applications if they aren't accustomed to browsing the hard drive, using Spotlight, or whatever people prefer to use. I attached some screens, but they may not go through so if you're interested just email me. With the Shortcuts keep in mind that some categories like Adobe apps and iLife Suite apps have aliases in different places within the Shortcuts folder. Is some of it right or wrong sure...again that's up to you to do what you want. I'm sure we could spend a good day or two here arguing about it.

Craig E

[talkingmoose]

Our structure may not be of any interest to you but I do have a few
On 11/4/08 2:47 PM, "Ric Getter" <ric.getter at pcc.edu> wrote:
suggestions:

1. Use abbreviations sparingly.

If you have a few site codes or department codes then that's OK, but I'm
referring to applications. Trying to interpret one person's "QXP652" into
"QuarkXPres 6.52" or translate "APSCS3" as "Adobe Photoshop CS3" is a royal
pain. No one will abbreviate the same.

You have 250+ characters for file names. Use'em. Spell names fully
UsingUpperLowerCase so that they are readable.

1. Include version numbers for every package.

We have a group that likes to push minor updates every once in a while.
Instead of updating and reusing a 1.0 package I duplicate it and version it
to 1.1 or 1.2, etc.

This lets me roll back if necessary.

It also allows me to use a policy to uninstall 1.0 and install 1.1 at the
same time.

1. Determine a naming convention for different types of packages:

   Application (without serial numbers)
   Serial numbers
   Preferences

2. Include licensing in your names.

If you have a serial number file then include all or part of the serial
number in the name to identity it. Do NOT use the group name or the owner.
Licenses can be transferred between groups and people. You don't want to
have to rename a package file and change your JSS just because you're
assigning a license to a different group.

Altogether for an application like DeltaGraph I would have three files:

Application package DeltaGraph5.7.3-UL-1.0.dmg

Serial number package DeltaGraph5.7.3-0123456789-1.0.dmg (serial number file)

Preferences package PreferencesDeltaGraph5.7.3-Comp-UL-1.0.dmg

"Comp" in the preferences package is for our "Composition" group. They would
have their own set of default preferences compared to "Mkt", which is our
"Marketing" group.

I use "UL" (UL = "Unlicensed" or "Unlimited) in names of packages that have
no serial numbers within them to let me know that I don't have to worry
about licensing for that particular package. Without the serial number
package, the application is useless.

And as a matter of habit I stick to upper/lower case letters, numbers,
dashes and periods. No spaces or other symbols, which may make transferring
to Windows servers or backup media difficult.

--

bill

William M. Smith, Technical Analyst
MCS IT
Merrill Communications, LLC
(651) 632-1492

[Bukira]

Hi Ric,

As i like to have all macs with roughly the same configuration and
software and as my macs are used by all the University I probaly set
mine up differently

I have Configurations based on different usages,

Development (for my use) Digital Dark Room Laptops Open Access / Teaching Project Studios Staff Lab OS Only Testing

I then set my categories based on application types etc

Adobe Apple Updates Audio Core OS Core Software Drivers Login / Logout Hooks Printers Scanners Scripts Staff Testing Utilities Video OutDated / Removed

I then have categories for my polices :

Monthly After Imaging Startup Items Temporary

Criss

Criss Myers
Senior Customer Support Analyst (Mac Services)
Apple Certified Technical Coordinator v10.5
LIS Business Support Team
Library 301
University of Central Lancashire
Preston PR1 2HE
Ex 5054
01772 895054