May 2006 - Installer-dev - lists.apple.com

Re: Installation destination path from a script
by Christopher Ryan 10 May '06

10 May '06

site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com Delivered-To: installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com Chris _______________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. Installer-dev mailing list (Installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com) Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/installer-dev/site_archiver%40lists.… Since many paths inside your package can relocated, there is no simple way to pass this list to these scripts. We are aware of this restriction and hope to provide a better solution in the future. My simple question is: is there a way from a postflight script to know where the installer has located the existing software it will update? My package uses a LaunchServicesLookup rule to locate our existing game application. That works great. But I'd like to know this location from within a script. I've not found any script variable that gives me this info. $2 is supposedly the path to the installation destination, but that always returns "/". None of the other variables (such as INSTALLER_TEMP, PACKAGE_PATH, RECEIPT_PATH, and TMPDIR) get me close either. What I'm trying to do: I need to delete and/or move files associated with the game I am updating. Our installation consists of an enclosing folder that contains the game app & several data files. Some of these data files need to be deleted and/or moved. The game was originally installed via drag-install. _______________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. Installer-dev mailing list (Installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com) Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/installer-dev/ryanc%40apple.com This email sent to ryanc(a)apple.com This email sent to site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com

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Re: cocoa app launched in postflight doesn't launch in the right language
by Christopher Ryan 10 May '06

10 May '06

site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com Delivered-To: installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com _______________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. Installer-dev mailing list (Installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com) Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/installer-dev/site_archiver%40lists.… This email sent to site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com

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Re: cocoa app launched in postflight doesn't launch in the right language
by Luke Bellandi 09 May '06

09 May '06

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cocoa app launched in postflight doesn't launch in the right language
by Benjamin Lam 09 May '06

09 May '06

site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com Delivered-To: installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com Thread-index: AcZzf76ttnbRyV5fTEexjYrXv0vf1A== Thread-topic: cocoa app launched in postflight doesn't launch in the right language _______________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. Installer-dev mailing list (Installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com) Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/installer-dev/site_archiver%40lists.… This email sent to site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com

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Re: custom custom dialogs with PackageMaker
by Luke Bellandi 08 May '06

08 May '06

site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com Delivered-To: installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com On May 8, 2006, at 11:01 AM, Michel Cunha wrote: Hi, - Luke Thank you for your help. ----------------------------------------------- Michel Cunha Agent Development N-able Technologies 450 March Road, 4th Floor Ottawa, Ontario K2K 3K2 www.n-able.com mcunha(a)n-able.com Tel: (613) 592-6676 x341 Toll Free: 877-655-4689 x341 Fax: (613) 592-2242 _______________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. Installer-dev mailing list (Installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com) Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/installer-dev/luke%40apple.com _______________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. Installer-dev mailing list (Installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com) Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/installer-dev/site_archiver%40lists.… I'm trying to create an installation package with the PackageMaker application to let users install my software with the Installer application. However I would like to create an custom dialog that will ask users for an activation key and will pass that activation key to an script that will validate and will create some configuration files with it. Is it possible to create custom dialogs, with PackageMaker or PackageMaker scripts ? If yes, where can I find some documentation and/or samples about this issue ? If no, is there any other MAC OS X tools that I can use to create an installation package that will allow me to create custom dialogs ? Consider using an Installer Plugin. Check out /System/Library/ Frameworks/InstallerPlugins.framework. You can create an additional custom part of your installation process to allow for this. Search the archives of this list for "Installer plugins" for more details. This functionality is currently not integrated into PackageMaker, but you can add it to your PackageMaker-created package relatively easily after building the latter. This email sent to luke(a)apple.com This email sent to site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com

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custom custom dialogs with PackageMaker
by Michel Cunha 08 May '06

08 May '06

site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com Delivered-To: installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com Hi, Thank you for your help. ----------------------------------------------- Michel Cunha Agent Development N-able Technologies 450 March Road, 4th Floor Ottawa, Ontario K2K 3K2 www.n-able.com mcunha(a)n-able.com Tel: (613) 592-6676 x341 Toll Free: 877-655-4689 x341 Fax: (613) 592-2242 _______________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. Installer-dev mailing list (Installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com) Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/installer-dev/site_archiver%40lists.… I'm trying to create an installation package with the PackageMaker application to let users install my software with the Installer application. However I would like to create an custom dialog that will ask users for an activation key and will pass that activation key to an script that will validate and will create some configuration files with it. Is it possible to create custom dialogs, with PackageMaker or PackageMaker scripts ? If yes, where can I find some documentation and/or samples about this issue ? If no, is there any other MAC OS X tools that I can use to create an installation package that will allow me to create custom dialogs ? This email sent to site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com

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Re: Software protection tools for Mac osx?
by Frederik Seiffert 08 May '06

08 May '06

site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com Delivered-To: installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com Fred --On 8. Mai 2006 09:37:13 +0200 Filippo Ignozza <filippo(a)toonz.com> wrote: First of all thanks for your replies, maybe it was a mistake of mine to post my request in this mailist and moreover i have not been clear to explain my need. As a matter of fact i need a 3rd part software to protect/licensing my product (not just the installation process), and to rely on it as the only way for licensing it. This is why i mentioned Flexlm, commonly used for this purpose. Again i am sorry if i post my request here, by the way can you give me a suggestion about where i can find help on this (both apple mailist or newsgroups will be ok)? regards Filippo On 5 May 2006 at 15:12, Luke Bellandi wrote: On May 5, 2006, at 2:44 PM, Stéphane Sudre wrote: > > On vendredi, mai 5, 2006, at 06:18 PM, Luke Bellandi wrote: > >> Hi Flippo, >> >> You can add an Installer Plugin to require the user to enter a >> valid serial number/license code before performing the Install. >> Apple's Final Cut Studio software does this and won't install onto >> the user's computer without a valid serial number. >> >> Take a look at the /System/Library/Frameworks/ >> InstallerPlugins.framework headers for documentation on writing >> such a plugin and integrating it into your installer. We're happy >> to answer specific questions on those API's on this list as well. > > You mean that if I copy the package or metapackage of FCP on my > disk, then remove the plugin and the potential script, I can't > install it with a serial number? Or if I use Pacifist, it's not > possible? Or if I install it remotely with ARD? The first sentence in your email doesn't make sense. I think what you meant to say was "You mean that if I copy the package or metapackage of FCP onto my disk, then remove the plugin and potential script, I *can* install it *without* a serial number" The answer to that question is yes, you can. However, the Serial Number plugin is not meant to serve as the gatekeeper to these binaries. An application has to be its own gatekeeper. An Installer plugin is an appropriate _place_ to ask the user for a serial number, but it is unable to _protect_ those package bits, as you've pointed out with the examples of hacking the package, or using Pacifist. I mean, come on, if the application wasn't the gatekeeper, the fact that the install checks can be worked around is irrelevant. In that case, a user could install the app onto a machine with a valid serial number, and then just copy and distribute the installed app illegally if that app didn't perform any checks on a dropped serial number. In Final Cut Studio Pro's case, it drops a key in /Library/Application Support/ with the serial number. Apps then check for that key when launched. > I thought the recommendation was: > > - you can do the serialization in an Installer Plug-in or a helper > tool launch by a script > > but: > > you shall not rely on this only. > > _______________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. Installer-dev mailing list (Installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com) Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/installer-dev/site_archiver%40lists.… The only two I know are eSellerate <http://www.esellerate.net> and Kagi <http://www.kagi.com>. Both provide libraries for different languages which can be used to implement software licensing in your app. Both also handle payment, which I think you cannot opt-out of. With these solutions, licensing would normally be implemented in the app only, though you could probably also add them to the installer. You might also want to search the Apple mailinglist archives at lists.apple.com, I'm pretty sure this topic has been covered before on various Apple mailinglists. This email sent to site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com

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Re: Software protection tools for Mac osx?
by Filippo Ignozza 08 May '06

08 May '06

site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com Delivered-To: installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com Organization: Digital Video S.p.a. Priority: normal First of all thanks for your replies, maybe it was a mistake of mine to post my request in this mailist and moreover i have not been clear to explain my need. As a matter of fact i need a 3rd part software to protect/licensing my product (not just the installation process), and to rely on it as the only way for licensing it. This is why i mentioned Flexlm, commonly used for this purpose. Again i am sorry if i post my request here, by the way can you give me a suggestion about where i can find help on this (both apple mailist or newsgroups will be ok)? regards Filippo On 5 May 2006 at 15:12, Luke Bellandi wrote: > > On May 5, 2006, at 2:44 PM, Stéphane Sudre wrote: > > > > > On vendredi, mai 5, 2006, at 06:18 PM, Luke Bellandi wrote: > > > >> Hi Flippo, > >> > >> You can add an Installer Plugin to require the user to enter a > >> valid serial number/license code before performing the Install. > >> Apple's Final Cut Studio software does this and won't install onto > >> the user's computer without a valid serial number. > >> > >> Take a look at the /System/Library/Frameworks/ > >> InstallerPlugins.framework headers for documentation on writing > >> such a plugin and integrating it into your installer. We're happy > >> to answer specific questions on those API's on this list as well. > > > > You mean that if I copy the package or metapackage of FCP on my > > disk, then remove the plugin and the potential script, I can't > > install it with a serial number? Or if I use Pacifist, it's not > > possible? Or if I install it remotely with ARD? > > The first sentence in your email doesn't make sense. I think what you > meant to say was "You mean that if I copy the package or metapackage > of FCP onto my disk, then remove the plugin and potential script, I > *can* install it *without* a serial number" The answer to that > question is yes, you can. > > However, the Serial Number plugin is not meant to serve as the > gatekeeper to these binaries. An application has to be its own > gatekeeper. An Installer plugin is an appropriate _place_ to ask the > user for a serial number, but it is unable to _protect_ those package > bits, as you've pointed out with the examples of hacking the package, > or using Pacifist. > > I mean, come on, if the application wasn't the gatekeeper, the fact > that the install checks can be worked around is irrelevant. In that > case, a user could install the app onto a machine with a valid serial > number, and then just copy and distribute the installed app illegally > if that app didn't perform any checks on a dropped serial number. > > In Final Cut Studio Pro's case, it drops a key in /Library/Application > Support/ with the serial number. Apps then check for that key when > launched. > > > I thought the recommendation was: > > > > - you can do the serialization in an Installer Plug-in or a helper > > tool launch by a script > > > > but: > > > > you shall not rely on this only. > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. > Installer-dev mailing list (Installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com) > Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: > http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/installer-dev/filippo%40toonz.com > > This email sent to filippo(a)toonz.com > Ignozza Filippo Digital Video S.p.a. Tel +39 06 43599369 +39 06 4393578 Fax +39 06 43251588 E-mail filippo(a)toonz.com _______________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. Installer-dev mailing list (Installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com) Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/installer-dev/site_archiver%40lists.… This email sent to site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com

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Re: Software protection tools for Mac osx?
by Luke Bellandi 05 May '06

05 May '06

site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com Delivered-To: installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com On May 5, 2006, at 2:44 PM, Stéphane Sudre wrote: On vendredi, mai 5, 2006, at 06:18 PM, Luke Bellandi wrote: Hi Flippo, I thought the recommendation was: but: you shall not rely on this only. _______________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. Installer-dev mailing list (Installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com) Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/installer-dev/site_archiver%40lists.… You can add an Installer Plugin to require the user to enter a valid serial number/license code before performing the Install. Apple's Final Cut Studio software does this and won't install onto the user's computer without a valid serial number. Take a look at the /System/Library/Frameworks/ InstallerPlugins.framework headers for documentation on writing such a plugin and integrating it into your installer. We're happy to answer specific questions on those API's on this list as well. You mean that if I copy the package or metapackage of FCP on my disk, then remove the plugin and the potential script, I can't install it with a serial number? Or if I use Pacifist, it's not possible? Or if I install it remotely with ARD? The first sentence in your email doesn't make sense. I think what you meant to say was "You mean that if I copy the package or metapackage of FCP onto my disk, then remove the plugin and potential script, I *can* install it *without* a serial number" The answer to that question is yes, you can. However, the Serial Number plugin is not meant to serve as the gatekeeper to these binaries. An application has to be its own gatekeeper. An Installer plugin is an appropriate _place_ to ask the user for a serial number, but it is unable to _protect_ those package bits, as you've pointed out with the examples of hacking the package, or using Pacifist. I mean, come on, if the application wasn't the gatekeeper, the fact that the install checks can be worked around is irrelevant. In that case, a user could install the app onto a machine with a valid serial number, and then just copy and distribute the installed app illegally if that app didn't perform any checks on a dropped serial number. In Final Cut Studio Pro's case, it drops a key in /Library/Application Support/ with the serial number. Apps then check for that key when launched. - you can do the serialization in an Installer Plug-in or a helper tool launch by a script This email sent to site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com

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Re: Software protection tools for Mac osx?
by Bill Coderre 05 May '06

05 May '06

site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com Delivered-To: installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com On vendredi, mai 5, 2006, at 06:18 PM, Luke Bellandi wrote: Hi Flippo, I thought the recommendation was: but: you shall not rely on this only. _______________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. Installer-dev mailing list (Installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com) Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/installer-dev/bc%40apple.com _______________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. Installer-dev mailing list (Installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com) Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/installer-dev/site_archiver%40lists.… Stéphane is correct. Apple's installer is not hardened against users who know how to un-archive the files. Here's one good way to do it: 1) The app contains code to create an "I am registered" credential. 2) On launch, if the credential is not there, the app can look in a special preferences file for the registration info, and generate the credential from that info. 3) If the preferences file is not there, the app can show UI to collect the info. 4) The installer can have a plugin panel to collect the info, and perhaps even verify that the info is legitimate. It then writes it to the preferences file. On May 5, 2006, at 2:44 PM, Stéphane Sudre wrote: You can add an Installer Plugin to require the user to enter a valid serial number/license code before performing the Install. Apple's Final Cut Studio software does this and won't install onto the user's computer without a valid serial number. Take a look at the /System/Library/Frameworks/ InstallerPlugins.framework headers for documentation on writing such a plugin and integrating it into your installer. We're happy to answer specific questions on those API's on this list as well. You mean that if I copy the package or metapackage of FCP on my disk, then remove the plugin and the potential script, I can't install it with a serial number? Or if I use Pacifist, it's not possible? Or if I install it remotely with ARD? - you can do the serialization in an Installer Plug-in or a helper tool launch by a script This email sent to bc(a)apple.com This email sent to site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com

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