Creating a Office 2016 package with preferences

[nadams]

Hi all,

I'm having some issues with my Office 2016 package. This is essentially the first package that I've built with Composer. I took a clean, non-domain joined system and started running composer. Installed office, launched each app and set the preferences I wanted. I then ran AutoUpdate until there were no updates left. I finished the capture and built it as a DMG so it would capture user info.

Brought the DMG over to Casper Admin, set category, selected FUT, FEU, and "Install on boot drive after imaging". Indexed the package, and then when that was done, went back in and selected "Allow package to be uninstalled". Added the package to my configuration and reimaged my test machine.

Machine booted, joined to the domain properly, I signed in with my AD creds, and I got a "Keychain doesn't exist" error. Closed out of that and it proceeded to log in. Composer had not captured my dock icons (weird... I drug them out of the launchpad), but did keep all of my Office preferences otherwise. I did get an error that AU was trying to run and it came up with "This is the first time you've launched this program and it's from the internet, do you want to open?" message.

The biggest issue was the keychain error. I did some searching and found that other people had solved it by clearing FUT and FEU in the package, so I tried that as a test. Sure enough, when I reimaged with those options cleared, no keychain error on login. Unfortunately, that means that it didn't carry over the preferences (mostly clearing out the run once options that you have to set when launching each app).

Am I doing this process wrong? How can I capture the preferences I want without breaking the keychain store? Sorry if these are basic questions... Still new to this packaging business.

[mm2270]

You really should not be capturing it in Composer. There are other much more supported ways of setting the preferences after its installed, like with Configuration Profiles, or even simple defaults write commands.

If nothing else, keep the installation as is in its native installer pkg format, and use Composer to snapshot capture only the preference changes, meaning, install Office 2016 normally, then open Composer, start a capture and launch the applications and make the changes you want. That should only pull in the changes in the preferences (well, and a ton of other "stuff" that snapshots typically bring in, so make sure to weed through it carefully) Once you're OK with what's left, you can choose to simply package up the pref changes and deploy it alongside the full install, or, if you want to do how what many would consider the right way, examine the plist files to determine how settings are being applied and script the same changes. But honestly, even just wrapping up whole plists is going to be much better than attempting to capture the install and the preferences all in one shot.
The snapshot pref changes recommendation really goes against my better instincts, but I wanted to at least present a better and more approachable option than what you're currently attempting.

[mm2270]

Just as a follow to help move you in the right direction, here are a few links you should read:
https://macops.ca/disabling-first-run-dialogs-in-office-2016-for-mac
https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=15400
https://github.com/talkingmoose/Outlook-Exchange-Setup-5/wiki/Create-a-configuration-profile

[nadams]

@mm2270 - I will have to look through your links tomorrow. I understand the concepts you spoke of, but I'm wondering why my Jumpstart Integrator would've recommended composer for building software packages if it's so terrible. He did mention that building proper packages is an art form that takes some practice to get right.

[calumhunter]

also look at this
https://clburlison.com/demystify-office2016/

If you have a Volume Licenced version of Office, you should not use composer as it will break the licensing.

It needs to be activated on a per machine basis

[jacopo_pulici]

If you have time, try to step away from the Composer approach.
I did the same as you with Office 2011 and it worked. Then it was a pain every time I had to update my image.
The links you got from the others are extremely valuable, take your time, read all of them and try to deploy Office 2016 without Composer, deploying the PKG provided by Microsoft alongside the scripts to manage the preferences.
There are plenty of example of scripted preferences (also configuration profiles), you have to select what you need and apply them.
You'll find out that this community is extremely helpful and everybody here is ready to help you if you got stuck with some issues.
In my opinion Composer is the easiest way but it's not the best way.
Cheers

[talkingmoose]

@nadams, the link to @clburlison's post is the must read for Office 2016.

Regarding using Composer, use it only when you need to repackage software such as Firefox or Chrome (drag and drop applications) or something that may come to you as a .app installer. If you receive .pkg installers from your software vendors (such as Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac) then test installing it without repackaging. Casper accepts native OS X .pkg installer files.

When imaging a Mac, you may have to select the option for the package in Casper Admin to "Install on boot drive after imaging". For Office 2016, you'll need to do this when using a volume license installer because it creates its license file based on the current computer's hard drive serial number.

If you don't want to install all components of the Office suite then use a Choices XML file to omit items during the installation process. Clayton's post describes this method.

Your JumpStart Integrator was correct about packaging being more art than science. Everything I mention above is really from experience and trial-and-error instead of a rulebook. Don't let that discourage you. You'll see the patterns before long.