[wpkg-users] WPKG Development Status

[heiko.helmle at horiba.com]

Some Ideas I carry around for a while:

> - Optionally run in system tray and check for updated packages at 
> regular intervals. Inform users about updates and prompt them with 
> alternatives. (the platform is designed to be able do this)

I really looking forward to this one. I have lots of users who only boot 
once a month (on MSPatchWednesday) and hibernate their PCs most of the 
time. Also there's a bunch of users who roam around with their notebooks 
and primarily use the WLAN - which is typically not started before login.

> - Hopefully be able to install software at shutdown with feedback to
> user (this is not easily achievable AFAIK, as Windows does not have 
> an API for giving information to users at shutdown)

You could marry this feature with the prompt. AFAIK there's an API for 
Applications to pop up a message on shutdown (like Word with a document 
open displays Save, Don't Save, Cancel). You could pop up a dialog as well 
(install update, shutdown immediately) via the same API, but (upon 
"install update") signal the OS that the shutdown was cancelled and 
instead emit a force shutdown once WPKG has finnished.

Alternatively there must be a way for a service to prevent shutdown. 
Acronis Backup & Recovery uses this and (at least for that piece of SW) 
it's a huge headache -> Our installations of Acronis regularly fall into 
endless loops and then Windows 7 stalls at shutdown ("Actions running" is 
displayed.....)

some things I'd love to see:
- Ability for the WPKG-Script to start as a different (local) user. 
Typically WPKG runs as user SYSTEM - I had lots of problems with 
installers barfing when run as SYSTEM - especially on 64bit systems. Our 
WPKG-Client runs as a different user now (but still elevated) - no 
problems any more and saved me from repackaging quite a few installers.
- Ability to debug somehow. Some processes still make problems and show 
dialog windows (mostly errors) when run by a service (but not when run 
directly via cmdline). I know this is impossible on pre-login - but for 
the second mode (system tray call to service) - it should be possible to 
switch to the "installing desktop".

And this is far fetched:
- Security: Ability to sign the wpkg.js executable and have the signature 
checked by WPKG-GP before invocation. Of course this only makes sense if 
wpkg.js gains the ability to check its files' signatures. This way the 
wpkg-fileshare would be a bit more tamperproof.

I have a few more ideas, but those would require enhancing wpkg.js and 
being able to interact with a service.

Best Regards & Keep up the great work :)
        Heiko
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