[wpkg-users] Firefox - Uninstall Check Failed Leaves Firefox in Unusable State - Inconsistent Behavior

[Email Filterer]

I am currently using WPKG with great success to distribute a number of
packages (wpkg client, adobe reader, thunderbird, etc.) across a small
network of around 50 computers. There is however one small oddity that
I cannot seem to rectify. For whatever reason the Firefox package
intermittently detects that the software is installed (wpkg.xml on the
local system), but the uninstall check (check type=uninstall) failed
and then proceeds to reinstall Firefox. The final byproduct of this
reinstall is a Firefox folder that has all of the files necessary to
run firefox except the executable (firefox.exe). This problem is
completely random. Some users can reboot dozens of times and never
experience it in a repeated fashion. I was hoping someone might have
run across this very same issue. Below I have included the relevant
excerpts from the various files necessary for wpkg to operate.

A verbatim copy/paste from the packages.xml; the package id is unique
within the file:
	<package
		id="firefox3"
		name="Mozilla Firefox 3"
		revision="304"
		reboot="false"
		priority="10">

		<check type="uninstall" condition="exists" path="Mozilla Firefox (3.0.4)" />
		<install cmd="%SOFTWARE%\Firefox Setup 3.0.4.exe /S" />
		<upgrade cmd="%SOFTWARE%\Firefox Setup 3.0.4.exe /S" />
		<remove cmd="%PROGRAMFILES%\Mozilla Firefox\uninstall\helper.exe /S" />
	</package>

Excerpt from the log file (wpkg launched with a /debug) my workstation
generated just after this problem occurred after I rebooted my system
this morning:

2008-12-23 09:05:47, DEBUG  : Going to install package 'Mozilla
Firefox 3' (firefox3), Revision 304, (execute flag is '', notify flag
is 'true').
2008-12-23 09:05:47, DEBUG  : Package 'Mozilla Firefox 3' (firefox3):
Not yet processed during this session.
2008-12-23 09:05:47, DEBUG  : Checking existence of package: Mozilla Firefox 3
2008-12-23 09:05:47, DEBUG  : Uninstall entry for Mozilla Firefox
(3.0.4) missing: test failed
2008-12-23 09:05:47, DEBUG  : Package 'Mozilla Firefox 3' (firefox3):
Installed but checks failed. Re-Installing.
2008-12-23 09:05:47, DEBUG  : Found system locale: 409
2008-12-23 09:05:47, DEBUG  : Found language definition node for language ID 409
2008-12-23 09:05:47, INFO   : User notification suppressed. Message:
The automated software installation utility has or is currently
applying software updates to your system. Please check the time shown
at the beginning of this message to determine if it is out of date. If
not, please save all your open documents, as the system might require
a reboot. If so, the system will be rebooted with no warning when
installation is complete. Thank you.
2008-12-23 09:05:47, INFO   : Installing dependencies of 'Mozilla
Firefox 3' (firefox3).
2008-12-23 09:05:47, INFO   : Installing 'Mozilla Firefox 3' (firefox3)...
2008-12-23 09:05:47, DEBUG  : Reading variables from package
2008-12-23 09:05:47, DEBUG  : Reading variables from package Mozilla Firefox 3
2008-12-23 09:05:47, DEBUG  : Stored 0 variables from package
2008-12-23 09:05:47, DEBUG  : Reading variables from profile[s]
2008-12-23 09:05:47, DEBUG  : Getting profiles which apply to this node.
2008-12-23 09:05:47, DEBUG  : 1 profiles apply to this host.
2008-12-23 09:05:47, DEBUG  : Reading variables from profile default
2008-12-23 09:05:47, DEBUG  : Reading variables from host ITASSIST
2008-12-23 09:05:47, DEBUG  : Install type: install
2008-12-23 09:05:47, DEBUG  : Fetched 1 install command(s).
2008-12-23 09:05:47, DEBUG  : Executing command : %SOFTWARE%\Firefox
Setup 3.0.4.exe /S
2008-12-23 09:06:10, DEBUG  : Command in installation of Mozilla
Firefox 3 returned exit code [0]. Success.
2008-12-23 09:06:10, DEBUG  : Checking existence of package: Mozilla Firefox 3
2008-12-23 09:06:11, DEBUG  : Uninstall entry for Mozilla Firefox
(3.0.4) was found: test successful
2008-12-23 09:06:11, DEBUG  : Removing currently existing settings
node first: 'Mozilla Firefox 3' (firefox3), Revision 304
2008-12-23 09:06:11, DEBUG  : Adding settings node: 'Mozilla Firefox
3' (firefox3), Revision 304
2008-12-23 09:06:11, INFO   : Processing (install) of Mozilla Firefox
3 successful.
2008-12-23 09:06:11, DEBUG  : Restoring previous environment.

For the time being would purposely dropping the revision number in the
packages.xml below what has been written to the wpkg.xml across the
network cause the wpkg client to skip over this particular package?