Issue with CS5 deployment using Adobe AAMEE and Casper

[tomt]

I used Adobe's AAMEE tool to package and license our CS5 standard suite. I
turned off most of the options including updates as I am working on getting
an Adobe Update Server online tomorrow. This was just a test push to a
couple of boxes.

The issue I have is when launching InDesign most of the InCopy plug-ins are
flagged as not compatible. I get 5 dialog boxes that pop up (one for each
plug-in). Has anyone else seen this behavior? In our environment we have no
need for InCopy so one option is to delete all of them. I really don't like
that as an answer though. Especially since the package is made direct from
the installer dmg and there is no customization even possible within AAMEE.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

-- Does Good Karma have a shelf life?

[RobertHammen]

Deploying via http download? This will happen. Force AFP deployment and it won't. Ran into this with the prerelease AAMEE back in July, reported to both Adobe and JAMF, I know JAMF duplicated this in the lab, but no idea on resolution other than the AFP workaround.

[tomt]

I'm using the latest version of AAMEE (1.2.57). I just confirmed that the
actual package installer did not cause the errors when run locally on the
machine. This is pointing me back towards Casper as the issue. Next test is
to remove and reinstall using Casper and see where that goes.

Thanks for the response,
Tom

[tomt]

My apologies, target machines are 10.6.4 and 10.6.6. JSS is 7.3.

Tom

[tomt]

Thanks Robert, I owe you a beer. :-)

Turning off http worked perfectly on both test boxes.

Tom
------------------------------
Tom Tubbiola

[donmontalvo]

Hi David,

Can you elaborate? Are you using the latest version of AAMEE? :) We the latest version of AAMEE very reliable (although early Beta version were [understandably] wonky). We've deployed to over 100 newly imaged computers (Adobe CS5 Master Collection including Acrobat Pro 9)...and we've pushed using Casper to another 200 computers. Target computers don't have older versions of CS or Acrobat installed. We cache all packages first, then trigger afterwards. We're ramping up deployment to a few hundred more users, we're not worried given the experience so far. :)

You'll need to use AAMEE if you want to carve out and deploy individual components...etc...

Don

[ernstcs]

I've also found that with CS5 tools and now the provisioning with Acrobat
X things are better than they've ever been for deploying. I spent hours
instead of what felt like weeks making them work. It's a step in the right
direction.

Are you having issues where you are installing when old versions existed?
A lot of my installs are clean installs so I don't see that as often.

Craig E

[donmontalvo]

Dang, I think I owe Robert a beer for the same tip. :)

I know it's a moot issue, since AFP works, but just curious if anyone figured out why HTTP isn't working for this? For various reasons we would much rather prefer to use HTTP for these large packages, AFP isn't as useful for us.

Thanks,
Don

[ryanstaylornet]

The InDesign plug-in error also occurs when deploying via SMB. I've rebuilt
the package with the latest AAMEE and it still happens.

-- Ryan S. Taylor
Senior Mac Systems Administrator
Macintosh Enterprise Group
ACS, A Xerox Company
818-588-6414
ryan.taylor at acs-inc.com

[themacdweeb]

in my experience:

1) AAMEE is not necessary for deploying CS5
2) AAMEE is too young a product to be reliable
3) Adobe is too reliably unreliable in producing software tools for Mac
admins

Casper however, is all you'll ever really need. I took the time to snapshot
the entire CS5 suite including Acrobat Pro and I did it twice: one snapshot
on a Leopard box, the other on a SnowLeopard box. Those pkgs are close to
2GB but i can deploy them with ease over the wire and...

they. just. work. every. time.

david koff
systems admin
the j. paul getty trust

On Jan 19, 2011, at 12:35 AM, Tom Tubbiola wrote:

I used Adobe?s AAMEE tool to package and license our CS5 standard suite. I

turned off most of the options including updates as I am working on getting
an Adobe Update Server online tomorrow. This was just a test push to a
couple of boxes.

The issue I have is when launching InDesign most of the InCopy plug-ins

are flagged as not compatible. I get 5 dialog boxes that pop up (one for
each plug-in). Has anyone else seen this behavior? In our environment we
have no need for InCopy so one option is to delete all of them. I really
don?t like that as an answer though. Especially since the package is made
direct from the installer dmg and there is no customization even possible
within AAMEE.

[RobertHammen]

Well, I can tell you that other than the (known) hiccup where the InCopy plugins become corrupted when deployed via http (or apparently SMB), AAMEE just works when deployed through Casper (via AFP). Plus it allows for easy reconfiguration/bundling the updates by simply building a new package (it's a heck of a lot faster to create a new AAMEE package with added updates than to re-snapshot). Not sure if keeping older CS versions is an issue for you, but when snapshotting CS it's easy to accidentally include licensing components and blow away/break the previous versions' licensing (how many list posts on this have we seen?). No such concern with deploying via AAMEE.
On Jan 20, 2011, at 1:02 PM, David wrote:

It's not a perfect tool and I would love to see Adobe utilize true platform-native installer pkgs, but AAMEE is far better than the CS4/CS3 deployment tools, and, at least in our environment, it's a better alternative to snapshotting.

--Robert

[themacdweeb]

you were able to use AAMEE for acrobat reader v10.x?! we have started using
it for our suites and, i agree: it’s been really lovely to have instead of
snapshotting. acrobat reader is a bitch to snapshot. i got it working that
way but it really messes with the adobe application support folder and
breaks other stuff there.

meh.

d

[donmontalvo]

Hi David,

I think the concensus on the list for 9.4.x was to dig for the *.pkg installer inside the Adobe installer application and push it out. It looks like the Adobe Reader X installer is already a proper *.pkg installer so that can be pushed out as well.

Don