Font Explorer X Packaging Advice please

[Watkins]

Hi there,

I'm testing Font Explorer X currently with a server-client configuration. Does anyone here have experience with packaging the client and if so how you would go about it ? I'd be interested to hear any advice for both a imaging scenario and a post imaging scenario.

The installer comes as a drag and drop .dmg and is fairly intricate. On first install it wants to do the following

Clears font cache, followed by requesting a reboot
Checks to see what CS applications are installed and offers to install associated plugins
Creates a machine local font store at /Users/<username>/FontExplorer X/Font Library
Prompts for a license to be applied.

Cheers

[Phil]

You can capture the install and configuration with Composer as you would with any other app.

However you should install FontEx Client after any apps you wish to use it with such as the Creative Suite or MS Office.

So re image and install all apps, then launch Composer and select 'Normal Snapshot', and install FontEx using 'drag and drop' install.

Launch FontEx, and add the license file (FontExplorer X Pro > Client License…).
Now add your sever address (Server > Manually Connect) this will be retained when you install for users either during imaging or using Casper Remote.

Now configure user preferences (FontExplorer X Pro > Preferences), don' t forget to select 'Enable interception of font requests' and install the Creative Suite Plug Ins
(FontExplorer X Pro > Preferences > Font Requests and FontExplorer X Pro > Preferences > Font Requests > Plug-In Manager ).

Allow it to clear the font cache and reboot Composer will capture the clean up and allow you to continue the install/configure as normal.

You should also select the check box to allow 'Admin Free mode', this allows users to run the System and User font cache cleaners under the Tools menu FontExplorer X Pro > Preferences > Advanced> Admin-Free Mode), this is purely self interest as you do not want to spend your time connecting to users Macs to clean up font caches on a regular basis.

Change the default local font store from /Users/<username>/FontExplorer X/Font Library to /Users/Shared .

Change the any other prefs to suit your working practices.

Now proceed to create your dmg file.

I have had various issues with each version of FontEx client when it comes to updates - you will get best results installing during the imaging process or if using Casper remote do it at start up not login, don't Remote install whilst a user is logged in.

FontEx is 'profile sensitive' if you install under a 'user login' it will only work for that user and will ask for the license if another user logs on the the Mac. The license/serial is buried in the user profile.

For this reason updates have been an issue, so much so that they released an Applescript 'utility' at one time to run after an update to V2 which caused the app to lock up and demand a new license for each user that logged in.

Their support is good (certainly here in the UK) and they have at times supplied any number of terminal commands to fix the profile specific issues.

So far when it comes to updates, I have had the best results removing an existing version and then installing the new version package. I created an 'uninstall package' combination of deleting the app and prefs plus a couple of scripts.

BTW on the server side set the font license reclaim to 30 days (or time limit of your choice) this means that font licenses can be 'reclaimed' and re used if a user does not connect to your server for over 30 days.

Cheers
Phil