Hello,

We're working on a campus-level project for Far Eastern Federal University (Vladivostok, Russia). http://grid.dvfu.ru (only in Russian currently).

The system is currently working, but we have troubles deploying clients on campus computers. IT department requires a custom MSI package for mass deploying BOINC via active directory group policies of Windows Server 2008.

Official instructions: http://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/Creating_custom_installers
There is almost nothing about modifying client for massive deployment.

We need boinc client (lates version 7.0.28) running as a service. We edited .msi file to add our project information, account file and cc_config.xml. But I can not find where to specify in boinc.msi to install it as a service!
When browsing BOINCServiceConfig component you can see an option "RemoteInstallation" which is set to "Favor Local" which I believe should ensure "as a service" installation by default.


But that doesn't work. The client is installed as usual, not being a service.

Some people in this thread have another approach to silent installation:
http://setiweb.ssl.berkeley.edu/forum_thread.php?id=12331#85581
they use command line params to install boinc as a service. But I can not do this, because Windows Server 2008 doesn't allow params..
I need every param to be in the .msi file.

Can anybody help us with this?

What we are trying to achieve specifically:
1. Modify msi package of boinc client 7.0.28 to

a. Edit project info
b. Install boinc as a service by default
c. Add account file and cc_config.xml
d. Disable boinc manager
e. Disable screensavers

2. Deploy client via active directory group policies over a domain, controlled by Windows Server 2008

Go to the Property Manager and tweak the values of:
ENABLEPROTECTEDAPPLICATIONEXECUTION2 to 1
ENABLESCREENSAVER to 0

Setting ENABLEPROTECTEDAPPLICATIONEXECUTION2 to 1 should cause the installer to install BOINC as a service.

Setting ENABLESCREENSAVER to 0 should prevent the installer from setting the screensaver by default.

---

----- Rom
BOINC Development Team, U.C. Berkeley
My Blog