Merge Developer Suite DVDs

[Hooovahh]

Title says it all really.  I was wondering if there is an easy way to combine the Developer Suite DVDs, and possibly the Device Drivers DVDs?  At the moment every 6 months we get 4 DVDs, the 3 for the developer suite, and the device drivers.  We then copy these to a network location for safe keeping.  When needed you run the first one which has the setup on it selecting the products to install.  Then it during the install it may ask for DVD 2 and the install will hault until the user selects the next DVD, then sometimes DVD 3 is needed, and then some times with FPGA the additional compile tools DVD is needed, then the device drivers DVD is needed.  

If I'm setting up a PC and I know it will take a while to install all these things I would like to select the products to be installed, hit go, and then come back in, in the morning and see every thing installed.  But at the moment if I did that I would see about 1/3 of the install completed.

So is it possible to combine NI DVDs and what is the proceedure?  Thanks.

[T-REX$]

Once it's on the network, you ought to be able to write a script to automate the install. 

Creating Custom Install Options (Including Silent Installs) from the Device Driver DVD

Automating the Installation of a Suited Installer

I think that the spec generator tool should let you create something to automate the install for all of your products pretty easily.

note: I've never actually used this before, so it may not do everything I think it does...

[JÞB]

Actually that might make a good IE suggestion on the additional products side.

Installer search at current folder for media.

And you should deal with the 11 disc set (OK 5 of those Languages I don't need for DS but, the SRL and AXCT make 6)

{Edit} Do what T said:  Let us know what you learn

[Mark_Yedinak]

Or remember the good old days when LabVIEW was shipped on 3.5" floppies. I remember the stack sitting next to my computer.

[JÞB]

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@Mark_Yedinak wrote:

Or remember the good old days when LabVIEW was shipped on 3.5" floppies. I remember the stack sitting next to my computer.

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You remember when thay had language support for cuniform.

[Mark_Yedinak]

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@JÞB wrote:

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@Mark_Yedinak wrote:

Or remember the good old days when LabVIEW was shipped on 3.5" floppies. I remember the stack sitting next to my computer.

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You remember when thay had language support for cuniform.

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Even earlier when they had the cave drawing support.

[JÞB]

AHA! I Thought some of those pieces of cave code looked like your diagrams. 

Mark's first LabVIEW application. (Before Windows!)

[Hooovahh]

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@T-REX$ wrote:

Once it's on the network, you ought to be able to write a script to automate the install. 

Creating Custom Install Options (Including Silent Installs) from the Device Driver DVD

Automating the Installation of a Suited Installer

I think that the spec generator tool should let you create something to automate the install for all of your products pretty easily.

note: I've never actually used this before, so it may not do everything I think it does...

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I don't think this works the way I want.  I can run it, and select the products I want to install then it creates a spec file for me to use.  I then run it on the command line but not silently, and just before the install starts it shows what things will be installed.  And it shows when I'll be prompted to give it the next DVD when needed.

I don't want a silent install, and I want to be able to choose the products to be installed when setup is ran.  I just want them to all be installed without needing interaction until it is done.  Looking at the DVDs I think I can copy directories and edit the xml to allow this to work but was hoping someone had done it before.

[Hooovahh]

Okay I found a working solution.  I only tested it on the first 2 DVDs but it should work for the 3rd.  Not so sure about device drivers and other tools but its a start.

Copy DVD 1 to a network location lets say Z:\ for fun 

Copy DVD 2\Common\Products to Z:\Common\Products.  There should be no files/folders to be overwritten

Copy DVD 2\Distributions to Z:\Distributions.  There should be no files/folders to be overwritten

Copy DVD 2\suite_md5_2.xml to Z:\

Edit Z:\nisuite.xml Perform a search and replace finding all suiteVolume="2" and replacing with suiteVolume="1"

Now when you run Z:\setup.exe you get to choose the products to be installed just like normal, except now it will install the componends from DVD1, then go on to the products on DVD2 without prompting you to provide DVD2.