You can deploy the SmartHelp installer using either a manual deployment with a user interface and options that the user can select and install, or an unattended installation with no interface based on a script that already contains the necessary options to be installed.
When SmartHelp is installed, it adds two entries on the Tools menu of the browser. One menu entry, SmartHelp, launches SmartHelp. The other, SmartHelp Options, opens a dialog box in which the user can change the hotkey to launch SmartHelp. The default hotkey is F9 at installation.
Controlling the List of Plug-ins
On the Configuration Options screen in the installer, the user can select from a list of plug-ins for all browsers installed on the local workstation. An administrator can use the /browser command line switch to limit the list to the plug-ins for specific browsers.
Examples:
smarthelpsetup.exe /browser:IE – only allows IE plug-ins
smarthelpsetup.exe /browser:IE;FF – allows both IE and FF plug-ins
smarthelpsetup.exe /browser:all – allows all browser plug-ins
Note: If the installation is being recorded for an unattended installation, the list displays all available plug-ins in the installation package, regardless of browsers installed on the machine or command line parameters used. The command line parameter restraints will be respected during the running of an unattended installation.
Upgrade or Downgrade Plugins
If newer versions of the available plug-ins are already installed, the corresponding older plug-in from the installation package being used will not be displayed, unless the /force command line parameter is used. For example, if version 2.0 of the Internet Explorer plug-in is already installed, and you are installing a package that only contains the 1.0 version of the Internet Explorer plug-in, that particular plug-in will not be displayed unless the /force command line parameter is used. The installed version of the plug-in will be removed.
A command line switch allows a downgrade install (/force). This installs the plug-ins if there is a version installed already, regardless of the installed version. This means that it could also upgrade existing plug-ins as well.
smarthelpsetup.exe /force
Create a Response File for an Unattended Installation
You can use Push technology to distribute executable files for the setup to user desktops. You record response files which contain the pre-determined default settings, and then you can run the executable silently. If you deploy executable files in this manner, no interaction is necessary on the part of the user. The administrator can control the installation.
To create a parameter file, you use the /r parameter to run the setup executable in record mode. This generates a response file (.iss) that contains the settings you chose while recording. These become the default settings. Recording the installation requires the installer to run with the full user interface.
The setup.iss file is stored automatically in the Windows folder. You can use the /f1 option to specify a different location in which to create the response file. If the path names contain spaces, you must use quotes. The path names should also be absolute, as relative paths may have unexpected results.
Example: "<location of the setup file>\smarthelpsetup.exe" /r /f1"<location of the response file>\smarthelpsetup.iss"
Sample: "x:\my folder\smarthelpsetup.exe" /r /f1"x:\smarthelpsetup.iss"
Note: When recording the installation options or when running an unattended installation, the installer allows all possible plug-in options to be selected for installation, regardless if a supported browser is on the machine. When attempting to install a non-supported plug-in, the installer logs an error message, but the installation continues.
Unattended Installation
Once you have recorded a parameter file, you can use the /s parameter to run the setup silently. By default, the installation process will look for the response file (.iss) in the same directory as the setup.exe. You use the /f1 parameter to specify a different location of the .iss file. The response file (.iss) must be either be pushed out with the setup.exe file or reside in a location that is accessible to all computers and uses the same drive mapping as is stored in the response file.
To run an unattended installation, you must use the standard InstallShield silent install parameters in the command line.
/s - runs the installer in silent mode
/f1[scriptfile] - The name of the response file created when running the installer in record mode, including the path.
/f2[logfile] - The name of the installation log file created when running the installer in silent mode, including the path. This parameter is optional; if it is not used, the log file will be created in the same folder as the response file.
Example: "<location of the setup file>\smarthelpsetup.exe" /s /f1"<location of the response file>\smarthelpsetup.iss"
Sample: "x:\my folder\smarthelpsetup.exe" /s /f1"x:\smarthelpsetup.iss"
SmartHelp specific command line parameters can be used (/browser:[browser] and /force), but should come after all InstallShield standard command line parameters. For example:
smarthelpsetup.exe /s /f1"<location of the response file>\smarthelpsetup.iss" /browser:[browser] /force.
To use the SmartHelp installer, open a command prompt window and launch the smarthelpsetup.exe file located in the \stdhemi\smarthelp folder in the published Player package. You are then prompted to choose the language for the Installer, and the Welcome screen appears. During installation, you will proceed through these screens in the Install Wizard.