Smart Notebook software & composer

[tatiang]

We've had no success building a package of the Smart Notebook 10 software
(drivers and tools) using Composer. Either we get an error related to
hdutil, or we successfully build a package only to have it freeze while
trying to update the software on first launch.
Has anyone else built this package? Did you run into any problems?

Tatian

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Tatian Greenleaf
Associate Director of Technology
Saint Mark's School
(415) 472-8000 x1014

[#2]

We were able to do this after downloading the pkg builder from Smart. We made two packages.. one for Notebook and one for drivers. The only issue is on 50% of the machines we have to register the software again.

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Kathie Iorizzo
Lower School Technician
The Latin School of Chicago
kiorizzo at latinschool.org
312.582.6136

[#3]

Tatian Greenleaf <tgreenleaf at saintmarksschool.org> writes: We've had no success building a package of the Smart Notebook 10 software (drivers and tools) using Composer. Either we get an error related to hdutil, or we successfully build a package only to have it freeze while trying to update the software on first launch. Has anyone else built this package? Did you run into any problems?

I've had numerous problems and communicated multiple times to staff @ Smart support about my troubles. They have no idea how to bundle software for a mass deployment. The latest release has annoying erroneous checks for the Flash player that kill a silent install in Casper for me. I gave up on making my own package of the Smart drivers as they always break when packaging within Composer and give the same errors that you mention.

I cobbled together a script (with much gnashing of teeth and pulled hair) to run at reboot which mounts the Casper distribution point and runs the install via shell script in the background. It still reports errors, but finishes the install of the software using Smart's downloadable packages for drivers and NoteBook. Smart support got back to me a couple weeks ago with links for downloadable packages that don't have any of the receipt checks but I had already imaged everything and didn't them. If
you'd like a copy, reply off-list and I'll send you what I got.

Gene Anderson
Systems Analyst, ACTC, MCP
Pembina Hills Regional Division No.7
Phone: (780) 674-8535 ext 6860
email: ganderson at phrd.ab.ca

"I'm not a quack, I'm a mad scientist. There's a difference"
- Dr Cockroach, PHD.

[heathjw]

Has everyone seen this JAMF support article? It suggests a way to do the install as a FirstRun script, which isn't perfect but the install works well. I haven't had any issues with it. I also found a combo drivers/notebook software package on SMART's website.

http://www.jamfsoftware.com/kb/article.php?id=234

Worked like a charm for me, though using the flush_policy.sh from the resource kit I think messes with the FirstRun tag.

- Jay Heath

Fieldston Lower
jheath at ecfs.org
o: (718) 329-7542
m: (425) 220-1328

[#5]

This is how we did it with Jamf. However, some still don't register and some install just fine registered. It's a quirky issue, anyone else having this problem?

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Kathie Iorizzo
Lower School Technician
The Latin School of Chicago
kiorizzo at latinschool.org
312.582.6136

[#6]

I just used the pkg from Smart. I haven't had any trouble. I didn't use
composer at all. It works great. Although I do remember seeing a kb
article on jamf's site about creating a smart board notebook 10 package.
Check it out.

[quade]

For what it's worth, we successfully deploy and use SMART Board software
packaged with Composer. I just built the latest NoteBook + Driver
software today. The version that came out on 8/17/09, numbered 10.0.383.

For reference, here's our basic to do list:

- Start with a clean reference machine - We use a freshly imaged machine that has been imaged with only the
OS package for all package builds
- Download the latest full Notebook and Driver installer from Smarttech
- Composer Snapshot (changes and modifications)
- Install NoteBook/Driver without additional galleries but add Toolbox
- Composer Snapshot
- Pair out any unneeded items found in the snapshot - Examples for us: - /System/Library/Extensions/Cache and Extensions.mkext - Adobe Flash plugins and Flash Receipt (We install our own Flash
directly from Adobe) - /Library/Preferences/loginwindow.plist (We tell our users to launch
the apps directly, since not every computer has a SmartBoard attached. If
you need it, script the addition to loginwindow.plist or use MCX policy) - Any .DS_Store files - Any user files outside of /var/root and /Users/Shared - Any Logs - Verify permissions are what you need. Generally we don't have to
make many changes

We package up the galleries separately. Once the software is installed on
the machine, we snapshot (changes and modifications) again and run the
gallery setup. We do it this way to save space since the galleries are
huge and not all of our staff uses the galleries. They can get it in Self
Service if they need it.

We can install this package at imaging or via policy. We also make it
available in Self Service. In policies and Self Service we make sure and
uninstall the previous version first. If you don't, bad things ensue. We
even leave the Self Service policies set to ongoing. Staff can rerun it
to correct problems, which works very well.

I never had any luck trying to script the .pkg installers or their Smart
Installers. I've done 3 major revisions of NoteBook version 10 and 1 of
NoteBook version 9 with the above method with great luck.

[mrowell]

Tatian,
On Tue, Sep 1, 2009 at 2:02 AM, Tatian Greenleaf<tgreenleaf at saintmarksschool.org> wrote:

Have you seen the Smart Install Manager and SMART Administrator
Toolkit Administrator's Guide for Mac Operating Systems for packaging
and pre-registering Smart NoteBook.

http://www2.smarttech.com/st/en-US/Support/Downloads/Admin+tools/AdminToolsNBMac.htm
http://www2.smarttech.com/kbdoc/125889

I am in the process of testing deployment using those methods and it
seems to work well.

Marcus.

[rmanly]

We just built it in to our base image when we ran into this issue earlier
this summer.

[tatiang]

Yes, but it wasn't working with Composer. We were able to package it
finally, but it would crash when running the initial update of the software. My colleague ended up removing the update feature from the package, and
packaging Tools and Notebook separately. It works IF we image machines with
Tools first and then with Notebook, but not the other way around.
Tatian

---

Tatian Greenleaf
Associate Director of Technology
Saint Mark's School
(415) 472-8000 x1014

[tatiang]

UPDATE: Turns out that our LDAP binding was causing the problem with SMART
Notebook. Disabling binding allows Notebook to run properly.

Tatian

---

Tatian Greenleaf
Associate Director of Technology
Saint Mark's School
(415) 472-8000 x1014

[#12]

I meant to post to the list on how I got Smart's latest NoteBook and driver package installed without including it my base image. Sorry for taking so long on this.

I had the same experience as everyone else it appears in trying to bundle or deploy Notebook and the drivers package either together or separately. I finally cobbled together a script which did the install and I had it run "At Reboot" for my Casper imaging configuration. The script also works as part of a policy. For all of those who are including Smart's software as part of their base image, this script could be changed to install any needed updates later on. It generates an error due to the
irritating warning messages within Smart's installer package, but it does install successfully.

<DISCLAIMER> I've used it on a few hundred workstations with no ill effects so far (knock wood) and it's been a few months, so I believe it's safe to use. But as always, test, test, test and then test again to be sure it will work in your environment. </DISCLAIMER>

Script operates as follows:
1) creates a directory within /Volumes
2) mounts a hardcoded casper sharepoint and maps the sharepoint to the newly created Volumes directory
3) using Apple's installer, installs Smart's NoteBook and driver packages
4) copies the necessary Smart preferences for the licensing, gallery locations and Team content locations
5) sets permissions on the Smart preferences files to all users

#!/bin/bash
# written by Gene Anderson (ganderson at phrd.ab.ca)
# Systems Analyst, PHRD #7
# June 18, 2009
#
# This script was written to install the current version of Smart's
# NoteBook software (v10.0.346.2) and drivers (v10.0.345.5). An error
# occurs when trying to install this software silently as it incorreclty
# reports Flash is missing and also warns to close all applications.

# create Casper folder
mkdir /Volumes/Casper

# mount CaspeShare on server
mount_afp "afp://user:password@server.yourdomain.com/CasperShare" /Volumes/Casper

# install Smart NoteBook
installer -pkg /Volumes/Casper/Packages/SB_10.0.346.2.mpkg -target /

# install Smart drivers
installer -pkg /Volumes/Casper/Packages/SMART Board Drivers 10.0.345.5.mpkg -target /

# copy license preference file and set permissions
cp /Volumes/Casper/Packages/com.smarttech.Registry.plist /Users/Shared/Library/Preferences/com.smarttech.Registry.plist
cp /Volumes/Casper/Packages/com.smarttech.gallery.plist /Users/Shared/Library/Preferences/com.smarttech.gallery.plist
chown phrdtech:staff /Users/Shared/Library/Preferences/com.smarttech.*
chmod ugo=rx /Users/Shared/Library/Preferences/com.smarttech.*

exit 0

Gene Anderson
Systems Analyst, ACTC, MCP
Pembina Hills Regional Division No.7
Phone: (780) 674-8535 ext 6860
email: ganderson at phrd.ab.ca

"I'm not a quack, I'm a mad scientist. There's a difference"
- Dr Cockroach, PHD.