VMware THINAPP 4.6 - Customize Thinapp Project Settings; Defining Package Settings

VMware, Inc. 21
Chapter 2 Capturing Applications
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.