5.1
Table Of Contents
- ThinApp User’s Guide
- Contents
- About This Book
- Installing ThinApp
- Capturing Applications
- Phases of the Capture Process
- Preparing to Capture Applications
- Capturing Applications with the Setup Capture Wizard
- Create a System Image Before the Application Installation
- Rescan the System with the Installed Application
- Defining Entry Points as Shortcuts into the Virtual Environment
- Set Entry Points
- Manage with VMware Horizon Application Manager
- Set User Groups
- Defining Isolation Modes for the Physical File System
- Set File System Isolation Modes
- Storing Application Changes in the Sandbox
- Customize the Sandbox Location
- Send Anonymous Statistics to VMware
- Customize ThinApp Project Settings
- Defining Package Settings
- Customize Package Settings
- Opening Project and Parameter Files
- Build Virtual Applications
- Advanced Package Configuration
- Capturing Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP
- Capturing Multiple Application Installers with ThinApp Converter
- ThinApp Package Management
- Deploying Applications
- ThinApp Deployment Options
- Establishing File Type Associations with the thinreg.exe Utility
- Building an MSI Database
- Controlling Application Access with Active Directory
- Starting and Stopping Virtual Services
- Using ThinApp Packages Streamed from the Network
- Using Captured Applications with Other System Components
- Performing Paste Operations
- Accessing Printers
- Accessing Drivers
- Accessing the Local Disk, the Removable Disk, and Network Shares
- Accessing the System Registry
- Accessing Networking and Sockets
- Using Shared Memory and Named Pipes
- Using COM, DCOM, and Out-of-Process COM Components
- Starting Services
- Using File Type Associations
- Sample Isolation Mode Configuration Depending on Deployment Context
- Updating and Linking Applications
- Application Updates That the End User Triggers
- Application Sync Updates
- Using Application Sync in a Managed or Unmanaged Environment
- Update Firefox 2.0.0.3 to Firefox 3 with Application Sync
- Fix an Incorrect Update with Application Sync
- Application Sync Effect on Entry Point Executable Files
- Updating thinreg.exe Registrations with Application Sync
- Maintaining the Primary Data Container Name with Application Sync
- Completing the Application Sync Process When Applications Create Child Processes
- Application Link Updates
- View of the Application using Application Link
- Link a Base Application to the Microsoft .NET Framework
- Set Up Nested Links with Application Link
- Affecting Isolation Modes with Application Link
- PermittedGroups Effect on Linked Packages
- Sandbox Changes for Standalone and Linked Packages
- Import Order for Linked Packages
- File and Registry Collisions in Linked Packages
- VBScript Collisions in Linked Packages
- VBScript Function Order in Linked Packages
- Storing Multiple Versions of a Linked Application in the Same Directory
- Using Application Sync for a Base Application and Linked Packages
- Application Sync Updates
- Application Updates That the Administrator Triggers
- Automatic Application Updates
- Upgrading Running Applications on a Network Share
- Application Synchronization Using Group Policy Object
- Sandbox Considerations for Upgraded Applications
- Updating the ThinApp Version of Packages
- Application Updates That the End User Triggers
- Locating the ThinApp Sandbox
- Creating ThinApp Snapshots and Projects from the Command Line
- ThinApp File System Formats and Macros
- Creating ThinApp Scripts
- Callback Functions
- Implement Scripts in a ThinApp Environment
- API Functions
- Monitoring and Troubleshooting ThinApp
- Glossary
- Index
Chapter 2 Capturing Applications
VMware, Inc. 21
Customize ThinApp Project Settings
A project is the data that the capture process creates. You cannot run or deploy the captured application until
you build a package from the project files.
Setting up the project involves determining the inventory name and the project location. The inventory name
facilitates internal tracking of the application and determines the default project directory name.
Customize project settings in the Setup Capture wizard
1On the Project Settings page, change the inventory name.
Using the thinreg.exe utility or deploying the captured application as an MSI file causes the inventory
name to appear in the Add or Remove Programs dialog box for Windows.
2 Change the directory where you want to save the ThinApp project.
If you keep the default directory and capture Firefox 2.0.0.3, the path might appear as C:\Program
Files\VMware\VMware ThinApp\Captures\Mozilla Firefox (2.0.0.3).
Defining Package Settings
A package is the executable file or MSI file with executable files that you use to run or deploy a captured
application. You build a package from the project files.
Setting up the package during the capture process involves specifying information about the main virtual
application file that serves as the primary data container, MSI generation, and compression.
Defining the Primary Data Container
The primary data container is the main virtual application file that includes the ThinApp runtime and the
read-only virtual file system and virtual registry. The primary data container file is a .exe or a .dat file that
resides in the same /bin directory with any subordinate application executable files. Entry points reference
the information in the primary data container.
To identify the primary data container after you capture an application, check the ReadOnlyData parameter
in the Package.ini file.
Generating MSI Packages in the Capture Process
You can capture an application and deploy it as an MSI Windows installation package. The MSI installation
places the application in the C:\Program Files directory.
A typical Firefox application does not require an MSI installation. Other applications, such as Microsoft Office,
that integrate with application delivery tools, work well as an MSI package. MSI generation requires you to
install the MSI on the target device before you can use the application package.
MSI packages automate the process of registering file-type associations, registering desktop and Start menu
shortcuts, and displaying control panel extensions. If you plan to deploy ThinApp executable files directly on
each computer, you can accomplish the same registration by using the thinreg.exe utility.
Compressing Packages in the Capture Process
Compressing a package in the capture process decreases the size of an executable package but does not affect
MSI packages.
Compression can reduce the on-disk storage requirement by 50 percent but slows the application performance
when ThinApp uncompresses initial blocks that start the application. VMware does not recommend
compression for test builds because compression increases the build time.