Andrew Buehler
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I am experimenting with task-sequence deployment types, and I've run into a problem. I can't actually tell whether it's related to the use of task sequences in this context, but it's happened with every single one I've tried so far. To date, I haven't found any mention of this behavior online; I've found at least one guide whose steps seem to assume that it does not happen.
I have created a package containing the files necessary to install a program, and a simple custom task sequence for the install process. The latter consists of a "Download Package Content" action followed by a "Run Command Line" action. Neither action specifies anything on the Options tab (except for the 0 and 3010 exit statuses which exist on the "Run Command Line" action by default), and the only selected checkbox on the "Run Command Line" action specifies the same package as the other action.
When I deploy this task sequence via a "Run Task Sequence" action from an OS-deployment task sequence, it runs fine; at the end of the OS deployment, the software from the simple task sequence is present as expected.
If I associate the task sequence directly to a device collection, it appears in Software Center and can be run without issues. However, this approach does not appear to permit specifying detection methods to recognize that the program is already installed, so it is not suitable.
I have then created an application, with manual entry of the various necessary information, and a task-sequence deployment type. In that deployment type, I have selected the task sequence above for the install action. I have specified a file-version-greater-than-or-equal-to clause in the "Detection Method" tab; the target path is under C:\Program Files\, and the "32-bit application on 64-bit systems" is checked. The installation is set to "Install for system", "Whether or not a user is logged on", with the installation program "Hidden". I have specified no custom requirements, return codes, dependencies, or install behavior for this deployment type. In the application, I have not set any administrative categories, but have checked the box to permit the application to be installed in a task sequence Install Application action even without being deployed. To the best of my awareness, there is nothing else special or non-default about this application.
The "Distribute Content" option for this application is grayed out, and not available. I presume that this is because there is no content associated with the application to be deployed; the content is associated with the package, which has already been distributed.
If I try to select this application from an "Install Application" task-sequence step, it is not available to be selected. The only non-task-sequence-based application with which I know I see that behavior is one which has not been distributed.
When I deploy this application to a device collection, although I can see its name appearing in some files under C:\Windows\CCM\Logs\ on the client (the two I recall are DCMAgent.log, where it appeared first, and CIDownloader.log) after the appropriate evaluation cycles run, it never appears in Software Center. This behavior has been seen on multiple machines, including at least one which had just been imaged via deployment of a task sequence to the same device collection.
The behavior has been seen both with and without "hide installed applications in Software Center" set. On the brand-new just-imaged machine mentioned above, this setting is not enabled.
Any ideas for what might be wrong here, and how I can get an application based on a task-sequence deployment type to appear and be available in Software Center?
I have created a package containing the files necessary to install a program, and a simple custom task sequence for the install process. The latter consists of a "Download Package Content" action followed by a "Run Command Line" action. Neither action specifies anything on the Options tab (except for the 0 and 3010 exit statuses which exist on the "Run Command Line" action by default), and the only selected checkbox on the "Run Command Line" action specifies the same package as the other action.
When I deploy this task sequence via a "Run Task Sequence" action from an OS-deployment task sequence, it runs fine; at the end of the OS deployment, the software from the simple task sequence is present as expected.
If I associate the task sequence directly to a device collection, it appears in Software Center and can be run without issues. However, this approach does not appear to permit specifying detection methods to recognize that the program is already installed, so it is not suitable.
I have then created an application, with manual entry of the various necessary information, and a task-sequence deployment type. In that deployment type, I have selected the task sequence above for the install action. I have specified a file-version-greater-than-or-equal-to clause in the "Detection Method" tab; the target path is under C:\Program Files\, and the "32-bit application on 64-bit systems" is checked. The installation is set to "Install for system", "Whether or not a user is logged on", with the installation program "Hidden". I have specified no custom requirements, return codes, dependencies, or install behavior for this deployment type. In the application, I have not set any administrative categories, but have checked the box to permit the application to be installed in a task sequence Install Application action even without being deployed. To the best of my awareness, there is nothing else special or non-default about this application.
The "Distribute Content" option for this application is grayed out, and not available. I presume that this is because there is no content associated with the application to be deployed; the content is associated with the package, which has already been distributed.
If I try to select this application from an "Install Application" task-sequence step, it is not available to be selected. The only non-task-sequence-based application with which I know I see that behavior is one which has not been distributed.
When I deploy this application to a device collection, although I can see its name appearing in some files under C:\Windows\CCM\Logs\ on the client (the two I recall are DCMAgent.log, where it appeared first, and CIDownloader.log) after the appropriate evaluation cycles run, it never appears in Software Center. This behavior has been seen on multiple machines, including at least one which had just been imaged via deployment of a task sequence to the same device collection.
The behavior has been seen both with and without "hide installed applications in Software Center" set. On the brand-new just-imaged machine mentioned above, this setting is not enabled.
Any ideas for what might be wrong here, and how I can get an application based on a task-sequence deployment type to appear and be available in Software Center?
