Modifying the PDF Files
Microsoft and other vendors supply Package Definition Files (PDFs) for the automated installation of most software listed in the release notes for Terminal Server with Application Compatibility Scripts. The PDF file format lets SMS create a package easily. SMS imports most of the settings, except the location of the binaries, from the PDF. A PDF usually contains more than one command line to let different versions of the installation share the same package of binaries.
You can modify the supplied PDF files to add command lines for the Terminal Server environment. For example, the PDF for Microsoft Office contains four command lines: Manual, Typical, Complete, and Uninstall. By editing the PDF with Notepad, you can make and modify copies of the Typical and Complete command line sections for Terminal Server. The resulting PDF file creates a package for Microsoft Office that you can distribute throughout a company. The package lets both Terminal Server and non-Terminal Server users share the same binaries in the distribution point.
The typical PDF comprises a definition section under the header "Package Definition." This section defines the names of the available command lines listed with the parameter Setup-Variations=. To add command lines to the PDF file, simply add section names to this parameter. In the following example, you'll add TSTypical:
PDF
Version=1.0
[Package Definition]
Product=Microsoft Office 97 Professional 8.0 SR-1
Comment=Microsoft Office 97 Professional for Windows
WorkstationAccess=UserRead, UserWrite, GuestRead, GuestWrite
SetupVariations=Manual, Custom, Typical, Uninstall, TSTypical
You must also add a new section to the PDF that corresponds to the the SetupVariations= change. The TSTypical Setup section is a clone of the Typical section. Change the SystemTask= parameter to SystemTask=True, and ensure that you set the UserInputRequired= parameter to False. In the example below, you'll add the TSTypical section to create a Terminal Server command line option for a typical install of Office 97 Service Release 1.
TSTypical Setup
CommandName=TSTypical
CommandLine=Office97.cmd setup.exe /Q1 /B1
UserInputRequired=False
SynchronousSystemExitRequired=True
SystemTask=True
SupportedPlatforms=Windows NT 3.1 (x86), Windows95
Modify the SMS package command line so it will call the modified Application Compatibility Script. Do so by changing the usual setup command to a command line parameter. For example, to install Microsoft Office 97, change the usual command line setup /Q1 /B1 to Office97.cmd setup.exe /Q1 /B1. Import the modified PDF file into SMS from the SMS Administrator UI Package Properties window by selecting the Import button, browsing to the location of the PDF, and specifying the location of the Microsoft Office Administrative Setup share point. For further information on the command line options for Office and how to perform an SMS installation of Office, refer to the Office 97 Resource Kit.
A Powerful and Cost-Effective System
By using SMS with Terminal Server, you can manage hardware and software configurations of large numbers of remotely installed servers. The installation modifications to support Terminal Server are straightforward, and the resulting system can be an important part of your effort to reduce the total cost of ownership.