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RealPlayer Basic 16.0.0.282

I recently downloaded and published this software, and approved installation for a small set of the machines here in my network, but I found that it wasn't installing automatically. When I investigated, I found that I needed to temporarily disable the antivirus client (we're using TrendMicro Office Scan) to get it to install, and even then there was a EULA to agree to for each user on a given machine. Is there a way to simplify this? Is there a way to get this to just deploy silently like some of the other 3rd party software? If I have to touch every machine for every install, there's really not much advantage to using patch manager to deploy, right? I'm doing something wrong here, right? I also found, at least for one group, that I needed to create and deploy a couple of windows firewall rules since RealPlayer uses rstp, in case anyone else reads this and might find it helpful. I'm still trying to find the best way to automate this task, so I'll add new info as I go, but please, if anyone has a better way to get this done, reply!

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LGarvin

The AV question is a common scenario on software installs While many times its not done, if you read almost any installation or deployment guide, you'll find 'disabling AV/AM software' as a recommended action. It is known that some AV/AM software will interfere with the installation of applications from time to time.

Firewall rules are the same situation. What an application requires to install, or to execute, are beyond the boundaries of the services provided by WSUS and Patch Manager. The role of the WSUS/WUAgent infrastructure is to deliver the installation file to the correct systems and launch the installer according to the defined policies and tasks. Once the installer launches successfully, WSUS & the WUAgent are done. (Except for reporting the results of the attempted installation.)

The best way to address your firewall rules is through Group Policy, but you could also customize the package, add a script to be executed with PackageBoot, and run a netsh firewall command after installation to create/enable the appropriate firewall rules.

As for the EULA ... that should have been presented when the update was Approved on the WSUS server (presumes you are not using Configuration Manager), and the EULA should be suppressed at the client. I'll check with our packaging team about the expected behaviors regarding the RealPlayer EULA.

oslasu

Thank you.

No, I'm not getting asked anything at any point in the process about if I'd like to suppress the EULA. I agree that one often finds a suggestion to disable AV/AM software in an installation or deployment guide but that's not really practical in this kind of situation, or is it? Is that something patch/update administrators normally do before pushing something - schedule AV/AM to be offline during install? I could certainly add an exception at the AV server level if I knew what to tell it to allow. We're not a 24/7 shop, so we set things to run after hours so anything we can automate is an advantage and anything we can't means potentially disrupting business.

LGarvin

As a matter of practicality...... -no- .... turning off the AV/AM is not something patch administrators do in the normal course of events, but I have seen an occasional scenario where AV/AM software did interfere. When it does, then special arrangements must be made. It is a bit more prevalent though with new application installations (as would be the case if you're installing a fresh instance of RealPlayer). You might also check configuration options in the TrendMicro product -- there may be checks being done on which account(s) are used to install software, or what folder(s) .. or the registry.. are being written to. You may be able to relax such options and eliminate the interference with the installation.

As for the EULA, I checked and the package is not actually suppressing the client-side presentation (but typically it should be). Typically EULAs are presented once, to the WSUS Admin, when the update is initially approved, and accepted for the entire Enterprise at that time. The packaging team is looking into this behavior to see what can be done to improve the installation experience. I will post a follow-up to this thread as soon as I have more to share.

oslasu

Thank you, sir!