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Installation options for Rainbow Desktop Client

Related to

Baptiste CANDELIER
  • Updated

Context

When using Software Distribution Tools (or software deployment tools) to automate the process of delivering software to all computers on a network, it may be useful to set certain installation options, such as disabling automatic updating or installing in silent mode (no end-user interaction is required during the installation process).

Installing the Rainbow application on a Remote Desktop (VDI - Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) requires a "per machine" installation which will change the location of cache files and registry entries.

Reminder: In virtualized environments (VDI), real-time features such as audio/video communications and desktop sharing are not supported. All other non-real-time features are supported, such as presence, instant messaging, file sharing, directory lookup, call control from a physical phone extension (RCC), etc.

How does it work?

Available options:

Different options exist and can be passed as arguments to the installer for Rainbow installation:

  • /VDI : modifies location of cache files & disables auto update
    • works only for the "Per Machine" installation file.
    • to be used for Remote Desktop environment.
  • /DisableAutoUpdate : disables automatic update
  • /DisableAwayOnSessionLock : this will make the presence not turn to away automatically when the screen is locked
    • works only for the "Per Machine" installation file.
    • to be used for Remote Desktop installation because away detection may not work well in VDI environment.
  • /AutoStart : start the application when user connects to Windows.
  • /NoOutlookAddIn : disables Outlook add-in (can be activated by the user after installation).
  • /SILENT : the setup will not ask then end-user to manually check any options. If no other option is defined then defaults will be used.
  • /RESTARTAPPLICATIONS : Execute the application when the installation is finished.
  • /CreateDesktopShortcut : creates a desktop shortcut icon.
  • Dialing hotkey :
    • /UseQuickDialModifier : sets the modifier key with the values NONE, CTRL or SHIFT.
    • /UseQuickDialKey: sets the dial key to be used in combination with the modifier key with the value F1 to F11
Note: All these command-line arguments are case sensitive.

How to use these options?

How these options are passed to the installation file depends on the software distribution tool used. It is possible to provide several arguments at once. 

For example using Windows command line tool (cmd.exe), you'll have to execute following command:

msiexec.exe /i Rainbow.msi WRAPPED_ARGUMENTS="/arg1 /arg2"
or
msiexec.exe /i Rainbow.msi WRAPPED_ARGUMENTS="/arg1=value /arg2=value"
Note: In that case, Windows cmd.exe tool must be used, do not use PowerShell because it raises an error.

For debug purpose, following command will generate installation logs:

msiexec /i "Rainbow.msi" /l*v rainbow_msi.log WRAPPED_ARGUMENTS="/arg1 /arg2"

Some examples of installations

Silent installation + disable automatic update + start app after installation:

msiexec.exe /i Rainbow_Installer_Offline.msi WRAPPED_ARGUMENTS="/SILENT /DisableAutoUpdate /RESTARTAPPLICATIONS"

Silent installation + dialing hotkey = SHIFT+F7

msiexec.exe /i Rainbow_Installer_Offline.msi WRAPPED_ARGUMENTS="/SILENT /UseQuickDialModifier=SHIFT /UseQuickDialKey=F7"

Resulting keys in the PC registry database

Depending on the installation file type used (Per User/Per Machine) and the provided arguments, the installation process creates different keys in the PC registry database.

Per Machine mode:

  • Autostart:
    • Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
  • VDI:
    • Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise\Rainbow
  • DisableAutoUpdate:
    • Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise\Rainbow
  • DisableAwayOnSessionLock:
    • Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise\Rainbow
  • UseQuickDialModifier:
    • Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise\Rainbow
  • UseQuickDialKey:
    • Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise\Rainbow

Per User mode:

  • Autostart:
    • Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
  • DisableAutoUpdate:
    • Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise\Rainbow
  • UseQuickDialModifier:
    • Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise\Rainbow
  • UseQuickDialKey:
    • Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise\Rainbow
  • no VDI in user mode

Following options will not create keys in the PC registry database:

  • SILENT
  • NoOutlookAddin
  • CreateDesktopShortcut
Note1: CreateDesktopShortcut has not effect for now; Application shortcut icon is always created on Desktop.
Note2: The Per User options can also be applied to the .exe installation file. The different Installation files can be downloaded from the article Download Rainbow Applications and Connectors
Important Note (Dialing Hotkey):
  • For the per-machine setups there are some limitations:
    • If the user/IT installed the desktop application using the "UseQuickDialModifier" and/or "UseQuickDialKey" settings, and the user then modifies the dialing hotkey options from the user interface, then after a restart of the application, it will reuse the values set during installation.
      This is because the application cannot change the registry entries without running the application with administrator rights (note that if the user runs the application with administrator rights, the changes made via the user interface will be retained the next time the application is started).
    • If the user/IT installed the desktop application without using "UseQuickDialModifier and/or UseQuickDialKey" settings, and the user then modifies the dialing hotkey options from the user interface, then after a restart of the application, it will use the values set by the user (whether the user has administrator rights or not).
  • For the per-user setups, the user can change these values without restrictions.

Tips about disabling automatic update

When the application starts, it checks the registry for two entries "VDI" or "DisableAutoUpdate".

It checks for these entries in both

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise\Rainbow
and
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise\Rainbow

If one entry is found then no automatic update will be proposed when starting the application.

Application has been installed without this option, how can I disable automatic update?

If the application is installed in Per Machine mode then you can add the one of following Keys into the registry

1- In Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise\Rainbow

Add a Registry Key with value name VDI, type DWORD 32bit, value 1, base Hexadecimal

mceclip0.png

2- In Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise\Rainbow

Add a Registry Key with value name DisableAutoUpdate, type DWORD 32bit, value 1, base Hexadecimal

If the application is installed in Per User mode then you can add the Key into the registry

In Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise\Rainbow

Add a Registry Key with value name DisableAutoUpdate, type DWORD 32bit, value 1, base Hexadecimal

Image_082.png

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