February 2007 - Installer-dev

Re: recommended way to install something into /Library/StartupItems?
by Stéphane Sudre 15 Feb '07

15 Feb '07

site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com Delivered-To: installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com As others pointed, it's easy to do it and it works. My $0.02 On jeudi, février 15, 2007, at 06:31 PM, Benjamin Lam wrote: Hi, TIA. _______________________________________________ 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 issue I know with Packages and /Library/StartupItems was on 10.2.x (as IIRC 10.2 is when the owner and group moved from root admin to root wheel without any clear official warning). The issue was that it was not possible to set the owner and group to root:wheel using the package. There is probably a bug in Installer.app regarding this. The solution was to set the permissions in the postflight script. So if you need to install on Mac OS X 10.1 or 10.2, test that. If you don't, forget about this issue. What is the recommended way to install something into /Library/StartupItems? I need to put some items in there, can I just create the Library/StartupItems structure with the items when I create the package or should I copy the items in during postflight? If I just create the package with the Library/StartupItems structure and if other software puts items in there, then my package runs, it won’t ‘reset’ the Library/StartupItems folder will it, deleting the other items (to match the given structure in my package) will it? Thank you kindly and have a great day, This email sent to site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com

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RE: recommended way to install something into
by Aaron London 15 Feb '07

15 Feb '07

site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com Delivered-To: installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com Thread-index: AcdRPNgtWVYAWGY7SFyLbapeiYg/NQAAKIDA Thread-topic: recommended way to install something into Read the software delivery guide before doing anything else. It will help you avoid a lot of mistakes and misunderstandings: http://developer.apple.com/documentation/DeveloperTools/Conceptual/Softw areDistribution/index.html A. London >>Hi, >> >>What is the recommended way to install something into >>/Library/StartupItems? I need to put some items in there, can I just >>create the Library/StartupItems structure with the items when I create >>the package or should I copy the items in during postflight? >> >>If I just create the package with the Library/StartupItems structure and >>if other software puts items in there, then my package runs, it won't >>'reset' the Library/StartupItems folder will it, deleting the other >>items (to match the given structure in my package) will it? >> >>TIA. >> >>Thank you kindly and have a great day, >> >>Ben Lam >> >>Software Developer, Build/Install >> >>SMART Technologies Inc. _______________________________________________ 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: recommended way to install something into /Library/StartupItems?
by Joshua Levitsky 15 Feb '07

15 Feb '07

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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recommended way to install something into /Library/StartupItems?
by Benjamin Lam 15 Feb '07

15 Feb '07

site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com Delivered-To: installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com Thread-index: AcdRJw/AAd1yODgHTpS5H0nZ8bmZOQ== Thread-topic: recommended way to install something into /Library/StartupItems? _______________________________________________ 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: Can we use applescript in packagemaker as postflight script?
by Scott Russell 15 Feb '07

15 Feb '07

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: Can we use applescript in packagemaker as postflight script?
by Dennet Menezes 15 Feb '07

15 Feb '07

site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com Delivered-To: installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com User-agent: Microsoft-Entourage/10.1.6.040913.0 _______________________________________________ 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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Can we use applescript in packagemaker as postflight script?
by Manish Chaturvedi 15 Feb '07

15 Feb '07

site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com Delivered-To: installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com Thread-index: AcdQxKYtH0DQ5FM9RG+pPC+DNq/yPA== _______________________________________________ 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: creating alias during installation
by Bill Coderre 14 Feb '07

14 Feb '07

site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com Delivered-To: installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com On Feb 14, 2007, at 6:18 AM, John Daniel wrote: On Feb 14, 2007, at 12:17 AM, Bill Coderre wrote: So it's incorrect to have a "no authenticate" installer install into any location that a user might not be able to write to. If the user is non-admin, almost the only place that they CAN write is their home directory. (Almost) The Installer is not enforcing this. Unix is. Yes, I know. The only "officially correct" way to install an application (using PackageMaker) is to force the user to authenticate. But once someone authenticates, they give the installer complete access to their machine - Applications, /System, Startup Items, kernel, everything. Does my little shareware app need that? Clearly not. I agree: it would be great to have some kind of security where things could mess with /Applications but not /System. The problem is, 99.9% of Macs don't have a user with that combo of privs. They have an admin login, which has "wheel," and MAYBE they have a regular user that has nothing. What will the user supply for a login/password that will have the right combo? If they supply a root- capable password, then what happens when a rogue installer replaces the binary? So yeah, I agree. It would be great to have, but it's a larger problem than just Installer. _______________________________________________ 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: creating alias during installation
by Stéphane Sudre 14 Feb '07

14 Feb '07

site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com Delivered-To: installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com On mercredi, février 14, 2007, at 03:18 PM, John Daniel wrote: On Feb 14, 2007, at 12:17 AM, Bill Coderre wrote: _______________________________________________ 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.… So it's incorrect to have a "no authenticate" installer install into any location that a user might not be able to write to. If the user is non-admin, almost the only place that they CAN write is their home directory. (Almost) The Installer is not enforcing this. Unix is. Yes, I know. The only "officially correct" way to install an application (using PackageMaker) is to force the user to authenticate. But once someone authenticates, they give the installer complete access to their machine - Applications, /System, Startup Items, kernel, everything. Does my little shareware app need that? Clearly not. So, I am going to investigate creating an "incorrect" installer that uses a preflight script to test for the ability to install into /Applications. Just because it is officially "incorrect" doesn't mean it might not be the best option:) I am a little worried about depending on a preflight script, but only because the scripts in my "official" admin-authorized installer don't always work. But with this method, I might even have a chance to tell a user why the install failed. I know I definitely need more error handling and recovery in my scripts in any case. IMHO, just ask for root authentication. Everyone is doing it and it will let you set the correct permissions on your application bundle instead of doing the bad stuff a drag and drop installation can do. Personally, I would not trust an installer that does not ask me for permissions and install stuff in /Applications assuming that since I'm admin, it's OK. This email sent to site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com

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Re: creating alias during installation
by John Daniel 14 Feb '07

14 Feb '07

site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com Delivered-To: installer-dev(a)lists.apple.com On Feb 14, 2007, at 12:17 AM, Bill Coderre wrote: John _______________________________________________ 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.… So it's incorrect to have a "no authenticate" installer install into any location that a user might not be able to write to. If the user is non-admin, almost the only place that they CAN write is their home directory. (Almost) The Installer is not enforcing this. Unix is. Yes, I know. The only "officially correct" way to install an application (using PackageMaker) is to force the user to authenticate. But once someone authenticates, they give the installer complete access to their machine - Applications, /System, Startup Items, kernel, everything. Does my little shareware app need that? Clearly not. So, I am going to investigate creating an "incorrect" installer that uses a preflight script to test for the ability to install into / Applications. Just because it is officially "incorrect" doesn't mean it might not be the best option:) I am a little worried about depending on a preflight script, but only because the scripts in my "official" admin-authorized installer don't always work. But with this method, I might even have a chance to tell a user why the install failed. I know I definitely need more error handling and recovery in my scripts in any case. This email sent to site_archiver(a)lists.apple.com

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