Release: VMware ThinApp 4.0 build 2200

Today VMware ThinApp 4.0 was released to the web. A 60-day trial can be downloaded here. VMware ThinApp is a result of the Thinstall aquisition and some intense development work.

New features since the lastest Thinstall are:

• Application Linking. Allows packaged applications to dynamically establish dependencies (”links”) with other packaged applications. Administers create separate packages of interdependent components such as Java or .NET runtimes and the applications that rely on them. Each component is delivered independently while sharing resources across multiple ThinApp packages.
• Application Sync. Enables application updates for mobile users as well as third parties on the corporate extranet, ensuring availability of the latest version of the application, reducing patch risks to machines that are taken off the network. Update virtual applications via http/https over the LAN or WAN leveraging existing software delivery systems.

I have been playing a lot with all interim versions of ThinApp and I am really happy with the end result. A stable packaging suite to deliver isolated applications to end users.

Two articles ago I wrote a short review about the beta of VMware ThinApp.

Review: Xobni Public Beta

This morning Xobni was announced public beta state. I did not know what Xobni was, so I watched the introduction video (below). Right after watching the video I installed the add-on on my computer.

Xobni is a social community add-on for Microsoft Outlook, that indexes your email and adds usefull information to your contacts.

Some information that Xobni provides:

• The amount of emails that you sent/ received from a specific contact
• The time the contact is used to email
• Shared contacts
• Recent conversations
• Shared attachements

All this information gives you a fast overview of the contact and her/ his recent email activity.

Download your copy today.

Review: VMware Project North Star (Thinstall) Beta 2

Today I received an email with a new beta release of VMware Project North Star. The new beta offers two new feaures.

Application Dependency Mapping allows you to links individual thinstalled application. A single JRE can for example be used in several thinstalled applications. That is good news!

An other new feature is Application Sync. The thinstalled application is configured to sync with a central source server to ensure the thinstalled application is still the same. This feature can be used for security purpose, but also for application update purpose.

During packaging I also mentioned an easy way to link an application to a specific security group in Active Directory. I would normally NOT use this feature to have security in the package itself, but it is still a nice feature for those, who want to link a application to Active Directory.

Besides the new features, the GUI has been changed to ease the packaging process. The new GUI also supports the new features.

So… a good step forward.

Review: InstallFree Encapsulator Beta (update)

Since the recent evaluation of InstallFree Bridge, I also took a look at InstallFree Encapsulator that is used for packaging. The packaging is quite simple, if you already know other packaging tools like Microsoft SoftGrid Sequencer, VMware Thinstall and Wise Package Studio. The most important thing about packaging in general is knowing how applications function, where they store what kind of data.

The cool thing about InstallFree is their MiniOS. This is a small base package that provides a complete and sterile computing environment. The packaging is done within this MiniOS. All changes during installation are written in a so called Application On Demand (AOD) package. The MiniOS is just a base set of the software environment. Using dependency packages, you can extend the base that is required for your application.

The process of creating such AOD package is simple. Just launch the ‘Build AOD’ application, select a MiniOS and watch the 3D cube turn into the MiniOS. This rotating cube will return in the InstallFree Desktop product.

In the MiniOS just install the application as you are used to. After installation you can change whatever you want with the MiniOS toolbar on top of the screen. This gives you much flexibility.

When finished, close the MiniOS and save the OAD. That’s all there is to do.

Once the OAD is saved, you can create a single .EXE with the Pack OAD application. This application can be run from any Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 or Windows Vista, without the InstallFree Bridge. The AOD file itself should be used in combination with the InstallFree Bridge. As you might have read in a previous post, the Bridge offers a pretty cool BridgeShell, that is NOT part of a single .EXE.

I have not yet discovered a way of modifying .AOD files. This feature might be part of a future release, where a browse to .AOD will allow you to edit existing .AOD files.

With the AOD Patch Builder a patch can be made from two different versions of an OAD file. Simple make two complete packages and run the AOD Patch Builder to create a patch. I made a patch for Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.9 to 2.0.0.14. This patch can be attached to a InstallFree Virtual Application (IFV) in InstallFree Management Console.

Pre-scripting functionality is possible by adding a dependency .AOD file, that kicks of a external script. The downside of this ‘calling external scripts’ is bad security. By introducing this functionality, the forces security can be compromised.
The above method of pre-scripting enabled integration with RES PowerFuse 8.

What I have seen so far, the InstallFree products are well developed. Functionality is all in place, just some work on GUI and features is required for the future.

Screendumps in this post might differ from final releases.

Review: InstallFree Bridge Evaluation (update)

A few weeks ago, I attended a presentation on InstallFree. InstallFree combines application virtualization and management. It looks a little like Thinstall, but also provides a desktop on a USB stick like Mojopack. Because I was impressed by the demonstration I requested a evaluation version.

Today I have installed the evaluation of InstallFree Bridge. InstallFree Desktop is not yet available as an evaluation package.

The evaluation package of InstallFree Bridge is more like a technology preview than a full product evaluation. The installation is a set of instructions and not an installation wizard like most products. After manually creating and filling the file server with packages, the InstallFree Management Console is started for basic configuration. An Active Directory is used for application assigning.

The InstallFree Management Console is intuitive and so easy to use. Assiging applications to users is as easy as selecting the application you want to provide at user level or organizational unit level.

After assigning the applications, the pre-configured InstallFree Bridge (agent) has to be launched from the users desktop. The evaluation guide lets you copy the Bridge to the %APPDATA% location, but you can change the ifbhook.cfg file to have it run from %PROGRAMFILES% and store personal data in %APPDATA%.

The InstallFree Bridge runs under user credentials. The Bridge provides a ‘virtual’ shell allowing shell extensions. Products like VMware Thinstall and Microsoft SoftGrid lack this possibility.

The pre-packaged applications run without any problems from the InstallFree Bridge on Windows XP. Windows Vista is not yet supported. Vista support is currently being tested and will probably be available short after the GA release.

Making an application available offline takes a long time and the Windows explorer shell crashes a few times. This is already fixed in a new release.

InstallFree Encapsulator generates self-contained InstallFree Virtual (IFV) applications. These virtual applications include the entire set of resources required for running the applications without having to install them on a host computer. The Encapsulator has its own complete and sterile computing environment which is based on our patent-pending technology, the IFV Core Engine. Some of these self-contained IFV applications are part of the evaluation package as well. Unfortunately the Encapsulator itself is not part of the evaluation.

If I examine the shortcut to the ‘virtual’ applications I mention that they run from a ‘Virtual Drive’ V:. When opening the V: drive from within an application, you can see that each application has its own virtual file system to prevent application conflicts. The Bridge also adds a V: drive to non virtual applications, this V: drive contains only the connectivity layer of the application — this layer is also not conflicting.

After playing a while the the InstallFree Bridge I conclude that the technology is pretty cool and very easy to manage. The binaries still need some work.

Sign up for your own evaluation here.

I would like to thank Netzer Shlomai for his comments.

Released: Safari 3.1

Today Safari 3.1 for Mac and Windows was released. This version takes of the ‘beta’ word from the Windows version. Safari is a pretty fast alternative to Firefox or Internet Explorer.

For those who can not decide between Mac OS X of Windows, can start building a hybride desktop ;-).

Download your copy to day.

Review: TrueCrypt 5.0a

Yesterday I upgraded my TrueCrypt 4.3a installation to 5.0a. The new version has some new features, that I really like.

New features:

• System partition encryption with pre-boot authentication
• Mac OS X support
• XTS mode of operation

I encrypted the system partition of a MSI S270 laptop with Windows Vista installed. During the activation of system partition encryption, a boot loader check is performed to ensure operation. It took one night to complete the encryption of 80GB.

There is no single sign-on, so I cut the Windows password in two. One part at pre-boot authentication and the second part at Windows. The performance of the system is OK. Even virtual machines perform as they used to. Formally I used CompuSec, but I prefer the new TrueCrypt due to the small footprint and XTS mode support.

The Mac support makes me happy, so that I can exchange TrueCrypt volumes between Mac and Windows machines.

Download your copy today and protect your data.

Review: Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Refresh

Today I installed Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1 on a MSI S270 notebook. I had already installed a Business Edition on the laptop that worked fine, but slowly and with one anoying problem. The laptop often froze at shutdown.

Installation
I used the Windows Update installation method. After running the downloaded script, Windows Update found two new updates. Both updates had to be installed (with one reboot), before the actual Service Pack 1 RC1 Refresh became available.

Changes
Besides some minor changes such as no Search in the start menu and volume selection at Disk Defragmenter no big changes are visible. Under the hood, there are probably more changes. Of course a lot of bug fixes but also performance improvement during boot and shutdown. Even my shutdown problem was solved. Others also experience faster file transfers. This improvement probably has to do with the fixes in VSS.

I will start using the Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Refresh for the next few days and keep you informed about new findings. So far, less bugs and a faster OS.

If you want to try Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Refresh yourself, go here.

What I do…

Review: Wink 2.0

Wink is a Tutorial and Presentation creation software, primarily aimed at creating tutorials on how to use software (like a tutor for MS-Word/Excel etc). Using Wink you can capture screenshots, add explanations boxes, buttons, titles etc and generate a highly effective tutorial for your users.

Previously I used FastStone Capture 5.3 for single screenshots, but unfortunately the software is no longer freeware. You might find the old version 5.3 on the net somewhere.

With Wink it is very easy to make multiple screenshots to register your actions. This small tool creates tutorials and presentations with ease. The export possibilities are just great. PDF, html, but also Flash for animated demonstrations.

Download your copy here.