Comments on: Redistributing the Adobe AIR Runtime Installer

By: Ram Iyer

Ram Iyer — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 06:21:29 +0000

Hello there. not sure if this is the right forum for this question. I have an AIR app that I distribute to people. Now, I want the installer to detect any previous version of the application and offer to uninstall the previous version before proceeding to install the latest. Currently the installer results in an error when trying to install the app when a previous copy is already present on the system. People have to manually uninstall the older one and then install the new app. Can this process be automated? Please let me know.

Thanks,
Ram

By: Benzene

Benzene — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 08:11:29 +0000

Well please tell to the adobe engineers that we need AIR to be runnable without install like a flash projector. There should be a way to keep safe and not allow redistributing the “player” alone but a packed one with an app. This demand is more than important for all of us who work in enterprise sized multimedia.

Whenever there are salesforces who need an app and cannot install anything then we have no choice except that pity of third party softwares like mdm zinc, buggy and not reliable at all.
Air is great, it’s well programmed and since it can run on my samsung galaxy s we can hope it’s lightweight but please please listen to your customers.

PLEASE VOTE FOR AN AIR PROJECTOR you fellow developpers !!!!

By: Gaurav

Gaurav — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 09:37:47 +0000

Hi Mike,

The application test.air is already installed & I am trying to install the update.
I am facing problem in updating the AIR application using the silent AdobeAIRInstaller.exe
AdobeAIRInstaller.exe -silent -eulaAccepted -desktopShortcut -programMenu -location “C:\Program Files” c:\air\test.air

The logs are:
[2010-11-17:01:32:45] Runtime Installer begin with version 2.5.0.16600 on Windows XP x86
[2010-11-17:01:32:45] Commandline is: -silent -eulaAccepted -desktopShortcut -programMenu -location “C:\Program Files c:\air\test.air
[2010-11-17:01:32:45] Installed runtime (2.5.0.16600) located at c:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe AIR
[2010-11-17:01:32:45] Invoking Application Installer for combined install
[2010-11-17:01:32:45] Launching subprocess with commandline C:\DOCUME~1\ytl\LOCALS~1\Temp\AIRA1.tmp\Adobe AIR\Versions\1.0\Adobe AIR Application Installer -runtime C:\DOCUME~1\ytl\LOCALS~1\Temp\AIRA1.tmp -silent -withRuntime -url -location “C:\Program Files -desktopShortcut -programMenu -eulaAccepted file:///c:/air/test.air
[2010-11-17:01:32:45] Application Installer begin with version 2.5.0.16600 on Windows XP x86
[2010-11-17:01:32:45] Commandline is: -runtime C:\DOCUME~1\ytl\LOCALS~1\Temp\AIRA1.tmp -silent -withRuntime -url -location “C:\Program Files -desktopShortcut -programMenu -eulaAccepted file:///c:/air/test.air
[2010-11-17:01:32:45] Installed runtime (2.5.0.16600) located at c:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe AIR
[2010-11-17:01:32:46] Unpackaging file:///c:/air/test.air to C:\Documents and Settings\ytl\Local Settings\Temp\flaA2.tmp
[2010-11-17:01:32:46] Application signature verified
[2010-11-17:01:32:46] Unpackaging/validation complete
[2010-11-17:01:32:46] Installed app (test) located at C:\Program Files\test\test.exe
[2010-11-17:01:32:46] Bad configuration: mode is silent install, but the app is installed
[2010-11-17:01:32:47] Application Installer end with exit code 9
[2010-11-17:01:32:47] Subprocess app installer failed (9)
[2010-11-17:01:32:47] Running Application Installer failed: bad configuration
[2010-11-17:01:32:47] Runtime Installer end with exit code 9

Please suggest me how to update the application?

Thanks
Gaurav

By: Martijn van Beek

Martijn van Beek — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 09:58:46 +0000

Hi Mike,

I’m trying to make a native installer created for Mac and Windows with the Flex SDK which also installs the Adobe AIR runtime if this is not available. This works if there is an internet connection, but without this fails. The website about redistributing Adobe AIR (http://www.adobe.com/products/air/runtime_distribution1.html) is not clear about this situation. Could you shed some light on this matter?

Thanks,
Martijn

By: Rob Burn

Rob Burn — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:46:35 +0000

Yes i agree that the install process is a pita. I’ve been using the badge but it does have issues. Also i’ve had people on debian and they have problems trying to install flash and cannot… obvious reasons, but the adobe air does install and then they can install my applications. I’d love to get rid of the flash and just have one package for my air application. Again I’ll state that the install process and the red flags without a paid-for certificate is worthless as i’ve not seen any applications require this at this time. I feel Adobe is feeling pressure on the flash side so i’m hoping they can make the air install side just “easy” so as not to abandon small developers like myself. Before I moved to flex 3/air i thought long and hard about using something like svg where browsers worked with this except IE, so i didnt go that way. IE seems to be fully committed to svg and it will be in the html 5 standard. If air continues to be a issue for delivery of current solar applications and I continuously hear about it from prospective buyers i will need to reevaluate my tools again. I’m in the middle of a port of some engineering software i’ve been selling for the last 15 years. I’m hoping that with all the anti flash i’m reading about that AIR can separate itself from the flash based install of AIR. I think I will have to apply for the license and see how that install package works and go from there.

Thanks

Rob

By: B

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:47:36 +0000

Hi,

Adobe AIR really needs an EXE capability (like Shu) OR the ability to install the AIR runtime & application without admin rights. Adobe is being stubborn here, and they just want end users to see that you are using Adobe AIR, they want the credit. Thats what this is all about. But how about flashing an Adobe graphic at the start of the applicaion loading? The thing is that if Adobe wants AIR to truely succeed they MUST make it very easy for use to distribute our applications (like all other runtimes do).

Come on and wake up, EXE wrappers exist because a void Adobe won’t address.

BTW – put WebKit HTML support in Flash Player for us Flex Developers!!!!

By: Todd

Todd — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:50:10 +0000

I agree with all comments above that ask:
“Why are they making it so hard?”

I put in my request for distribution before Xmas and haven’t heard a thing. I have been emailing everyday to the licensing department with no response at all.

They sure are making it hard to “do the right thing”

I’m sure this will get edited out. If it’s you Mike or whoever at least send the licensing department a wake up call.. Thanks

By: Todd

Todd — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 14:50:25 +0000

I’ve been waiting for a reply from Adobe’s licensing department for twenty days now. No one home? Pretty unprofessional..

By: gaus surahman

gaus surahman — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 13:25:36 +0000

What I don’t understand from their FAQ is should we post them (adobe) our “actual application / physical file” just to get the license to redistribute the installer, or simply “description” about the app? Any clarification would be very much appreciated. Thanks

By: Dhamu

Dhamu — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:37:51 +0000

Hi,
Restarting an Adobe AIR Application is not working during Silent inStallation.
I am using below code for restarting AIR application. It works fine if i have install my application by double click an AIR.

import mx.core.Application;
import mx.core.WindowedApplication;
import adobe.utils.ProductManager;

public function reStart():void
{
var app:WindowedApplication =
WindowedApplication(Application.application);

var mgr:ProductManager =
new ProductManager(“airappinstaller”);

mgr.launch(“-launch ” +
app.nativeApplication.applicationID + ” ” +
app.nativeApplication.publisherID);

NativeApplication.nativeApplication.exit(0);
}

But if i have install my AIR application by silent install means restarting AIR application won’t work anymore.
Is it known issue?
Please suggest something to get out of it?

Thanks!

-Dhamu