Firefox 3.0.10 deployment

[jarednichols]

Hi-

Is anyone having trouble with Firefox 3.0.10 deployment? I know it seems like a simple thing, but I'm running into problems. My policy is basically, run a prescript that consists of "killall firefox-bin" to make sure that firefox isn't running during the install. (This will also (hopefully) let firefox think it's crashed and will prompt the user to restore session (and thus their open tabs) when they return to firefox.) Then, install firefox (just the App, no profiles or settings as we already distribute a minimally customized app). Then, recon it and re-open firefox.

I'm seeing problems with firefox hanging on the quit and dock icons disappearing. If firefox isn't open during the deployment, all runs fine. I only run into problems if it's open. Should I approach this differently?

j
---
Jared F. Nichols
Desktop Engineer, Infrastructure and Operations
Information Services Department
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
244 Wood Street
Lexington, Massachusetts 02420
781.981.5436

[dustydorey]

This may be more work than it's worth so anyone with a more efficient
way please jump in.

Here's a three step way but once set up should be hands off other then
deleting a few things in the JSS later.

1. Create a policy to cache the package.

2. Make a smart group of all the computers that have that packaged
   cached.

3. Create a second policy scoped to your smartgroup from step 2
   that triggers the install at startup that way there is little to no
   chance of the user having the app running at trigger time. You could
   make this one available offline too since the package will be cached
   already I'm thinking.

-Dusty-

Dustin Dorey

Technology Support Cluster Specialist

Independant School District 196

Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools

dustin.dorey at district196.org

651|423|7971

[tlarkin]

Think about using self service? Then have a series of scripts run that
1) kill the application, 2) wipe out the existing application and it's
contents, then 3) installs new FF package?

You could even explain how to back up bookmarks in your self service
description. That is what I would do.

---

Thomas Larkin
TIS Department
KCKPS USD500
tlarki at kckps.org
blackberry: 913-449-7589
office: 913-627-0351

[jarednichols]

I actually already have it available in self service, and that deployment works fine, even if it's open, oddly. I think it has something to do with the killing of firefox unexpectedly. I think I'll set it as a a login and go from there. That should hopefully resolve it.

j

[tlarkin]

I just know a lot of things break in updates of firefox and I let the
users upgrade it them self. That way their favorite add ons don't
break. Hell I am still running FF 2 on one of my Macs because it seems
to me that spell check sucks in version 3 on the OS X side.

---

Thomas Larkin
TIS Department
KCKPS USD500
tlarki at kckps.org
blackberry: 913-449-7589
office: 913-627-0351

[jarednichols]

Yeah, that is a drawback. Unfortunately, the 2 branch is no longer receiving any security updates and there's a gaping one in .20. So, our hand was forced.

j

On 5/15/09 16:16 , "Thomas Larkin" <tlarki at kckps.org> wrote:

I just know a lot of things break in updates of firefox and I let the users upgrade it them self. That way their favorite add ons don't break. Hell I am still running FF 2 on one of my Macs because it seems to me that spell check sucks in version 3 on the OS X side.

---

Thomas Larkin
TIS Department
KCKPS USD500
tlarki at kckps.org
blackberry: 913-449-7589
office: 913-627-0351

[Bukira]

You make it a launch item at startup that way it gets installed and startup and then deletes itself afterwards, I do that with all updates that require the user not to logged in or running the program, I also use the jamfhelper if I need to prevent users from logging in