Creating a pkg installer for ArchiCAD using Composer

[andymason]

Hi, I'm Andy.

I finally figured out how to do this.

So if there are other Archicad Users out there... enjoy! Just thought I would share this since I couldn't find any posts on how to do it.

I will be using Composer & Archicad 25 Full Installer 4013 for Mac.

• Download the Installer to your Mac, and mount it.
• https://graphisoft.com/resources-and-support/downloads?localization=USA&type=AC&version=25
• to the side, open a Finder window to /Users/Shared
• Drag the Archicad Installer.app into /Users/Shared
• Open Composer
• Drag the /Users/Shared folder into Composer on the left bar
•  This may take some time to copy over
• Remove everything in the folder inside composer that you do not want.
• Click on the > next to your Shared Folder in the Left Bar
• Select Script
• Right Click > Select Add Shell Script > postinstall
• Copy this script: (reference: https://helpcenter.graphisoft.com/user-guide/76135/)

/Users/Shared/ARCHICAD\ Installer.app/Contents/MacOS/installbuilder.sh --mode unattended

• Paste it below these lines. Remove anything else.

#!/bin/sh

## postinstall

• Save
• Rename your Source as Archicad 25 - Base Install 4013
• Click Build as PKG. After a few minutes you will have a pkg that will install Archicad.

------------

@wildfrog You can also do this for updating ArchiCAD. Basically just dropping the update file into the same /Users/Shared  folder.

But modifying the post install script to say

/Users/Shared/ARCHICAD-25-USA-Update-5005-1.0-INTEL.app/Contents/MacOS/installbuilder.sh --mode unattended

Hope this helps!!!

[AVmcclint · Accepted solution]

Looks good. However, I have one piece of advice for ya. You don't need to drag the whole /Users/Shared/ folder into Composer and then delete the unwanted stuff. If you just drag the installer from the Shared folder into Composer, Composer will automatically follow the full path without all the other stuff you may have in there. 

[wildfrog]

@andymason You totally rock! I'll definitely have to test. I so wish Graphisoft would make a standard PKG installer.

[wildfrog]

@andymason IIRC, the full installer wants a restart when done. Does the unattended flag in the postinstall script mitigate this?

[wildfrog]

@andymason Have you made this install available in Self Service? In my initial test, the package installer worked fine but seemed to take quite a bit longer than I'm used to with the Installbuilder app install. By the time SS downloads the pkg and goes through the install, I feel like I'd need to proactively warn the users that it's going to take a while so they don't get impatient & kill it.

[andymason]

Yeah it does take some time in SS. But I just put the file size in the description and title. Also just try to explain it has to download and then install. And that people should do it while they are at lunch.

[GabeShack]

Just updating this for version 27:

https://help.graphisoft.com/AC/27/INT/_AC27_Help/004_BIMManager_InstallGuide/004_BIMManager_InstallG...

So we did it a little differently and I bundled the installer for 27 along with the hot fix updater and I also gave the command two more pieces for my serial number and email address to assign ahead of time.  When you make the package you just have to drag the archicad installer and the archicad updater into composer first.

so the post install script looked like this inserted after the post install shebang:

/Users/Shared/Archicad\ Installer.app/Contents/MacOS/installbuilder.sh --mode unattended --eduSerialNumber XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX --eduUserID "johnsmith@jamf.com"
/Users/Shared/Archicad\ 27.2.2\ Hotfix\ Installer.app/Contents/MacOS/installbuilder.sh --mode unattended