Feature Request - Default Package at start and end
Hi all,
We run a script on our network that looks at machines for a running instance of Explorer. If it's not running after 15 mins, it shuts down the machine. We override this by putting a text file of the machines name into a network share and when it's deleted, the shutdown occurs
Could Deploy have an option to put a default package at the start and end of every package to auto-run things like that? Every package you build has, by default should you configure it, a package at the start and end with all your commands in-between.
I realise this is first world problems, but the amount of times I've set a program to install and forgotten to add the Do Not Shut Down package to the beginning, then they all shut down after fifteen mins and I have to start again.
Comments
I haven't heard of that use-case before, to be honest. Is this a lab type of situation where computers are turned on, left unattended, then turned off automatically by your script? I'd love to hear more about this if you are able to share.
While there isn't a way to automatically add steps to all of your packages, you could look into making a TEMPLATE package, and then just duplicate that package when you want to make another package. To take this a step further, you could make it so that the TEMPLATE package has 2 steps which are nested packages. This will allow you to make a change to the nested packages and have it apply to all packages created using the template.
Hi Andrew,
That's exactly what happens. When you turn a PC on, it looks for explorer.exe as a running process. If it's not running, it writes to a file every minute to say it's not been detected. Once it's done that 15 times, it triggers a shutdown unless the script sees a text file in a folder on the network with the PCs name in it (for individual PCs) or one called NO.txt for all PCs that are currently on or have been turned on in the meantime.
We have this running on all four of our campuses as a power saving measure. It's brilliant, but when you forget to turn it off, very annoying especially when Adobe CC is 15 mins into an hour and a half install cycle :D