Guide to Customizing and Distributing Mozilla 1.4.1

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Chapter 14   Distributing Your Installers

Once you have generated and tested your customized installers, you need to prepare them for distribution. This chapter summarizes some of the major tasks involved.

This chapter contains these sections:

Distributing a CD-Based Installer
Distributing Network-Downloadable Installers or Binaries

Distributing a CD-Based Installer

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The general process for distributing Mozilla installers on CDs works like this:

1. Verify your CD layout.


2. Create the CD master disc.


3. Verify and virus check the CD master disc.


4. Create an archive copy of the CD master disc.


5. Deliver CD master disc for duplication.


6. Distribute CDs.

The sections that follow describe how to verify your CD layout and prepare your files for CD distribution.

Verifying Your CD Layout (No Autorun Screen)

If you didn't include a CD autorun screen, verify the files for your CD layout as described below.

Windows CD Layout

Verify your CD layout for Windows as follows:

1. Open the directory



installation_directory\CCKTool\Configs\my_config\Output\
 

Verify that it includes the following files:
 

• A file called Setup.exe, which is the Mozilla installer file.
• A set of .xpi files, which contain the Mozilla component files in archive format.
• autorun.inf, which automatically launches the Mozilla installer setup.exe file when the user inserts the Mozilla CD into a CD-ROM drive.
   
2. Remove the file called Setup.exe, since it's not needed. Users will double-click the setup.exe installer file to begin installation.


3. Go to "Preparing Your CD-Ready Files for CD Distribution,", later in this chapter.

Macintosh CD Layout

For Macintosh, you need to verify the contents of the Mozilla Full Installer folder that you modified as described above under Building Macintosh Installers. It should contain the following files and directories:

• Mozilla Installer


• Mozilla read-me file


• License


• Installer Modules (folder that includes config.ini, installer.ini, and all the .xpi files)

After confirming that these files and directories, go to "Preparing Your CD-Ready Files for CD Distribution."

Linux CD Layout

After you run the CCK tool to create a Linux installer, decompress the Linux tar file located in this directory:

CCKTool\Configs\my_config\Output\

The decompressed files should look like this:

• xpi directory


• config.ini


• installer.ini


• license.txt


• mozilla-installer


• mozilla-installer-bin


• README

After confirming that these files and directories, go to "Preparing Your CD-Ready Files for CD Distribution."

Assembling Your CD Layout (Autorun Screen)

If you included a CD autorun screen for your Windows installer, assemble the files for your CD layout as follows:

1. Open the directory



installation_directory\CCKTool\Configs\my_config\Output\

Verify that the Output directory contains the following:
 

• A directory called Core, which contains the customized Mozilla files
• A directory called Shell, containing the subdirectories \Bmps and \Nsetup32, which include the files for the CD autorun screen
• Autorun.inf (launches the setup.exe at the root of the CD image after the CD is inserted in the drive)
• Launch.ini (configures setup.exe and detects Windows operating system)
• setup.exe (launches nsetup32.exe, which displays the first Autorun screen)
   

Your CD layout should follow the same general layout as the typical one illustrated here:



 

2. Verify that the Shell directory contains these files and folders:


• A folder called \Bmps, which contains all the standard and customized bitmap (.bmp) files used by the CD autorun screens
• A folder called \Nsetup32, which contains the following:
• Nsetup32.exe, the autorun program
• rshell.ini, the file that defines the appearance and behavior of the Autorun screens. See Chapter 11 "Manually Customizing the CD Autorun Screen" for information on how to manually customize this file.
   
3. If you've manually customized the CD autorun screen so that users can install additional plug-ins or applications from the Autorun screens, create a directory called Xinstall inside the directory



installation_directory\CCKTool\Configs\my_config\Output\Shell
 

Buttons you add to your CD autorun screens can be linked to the executable files you include in the Xinstall directory, so that users can install additional software simply by clicking a button.
 

4. Put the additional installers into subdirectories inside the directory



installation_directory\CCKTool\Configs\my_config\Output\Shell
 

Important: Make sure that the actual locations of the additional installers match the file pathnames you specified for them in the rshell.ini file.
 

5. If you've manually customized the CD autorun screen to open any other files, such as a readme.txt file, include the additional files inside the directory



installation_directory\CCKTool\Configs\my_config\Output\Shell
 

and make sure that their locations match the file pathnames you specified for them in the rshell.ini file.
 

Preparing Your CD-Ready Files for CD Distribution

To prepare your CD-ready files for CD distribution, you need the following:

• Software to create a data CD, such as Adaptec Easy CD Creator or Adaptec Toast


• CD recorder, for creating your master CD


• CD-recordable discs, available where you purchased your CD recorder


• Bit-compare program such as Microsoft's WinDiff utility


• virus checker program


• CD duplication service, to make copies of your master CD

Follow these steps to create a master CD disc:

1. If you didn't include a CD Autorun Screen, verify the files in your CD layout as described in Verifying Your CD Layout (No Autorun Screen). If you included a CD autorun screen, assemble the files for your CD layout as described in Assembling Your CD Layout (Autorun Screen).


2. Using your CD creation software, create a CD master disc that contains all the files from the directory



installation_directory\CCKTool\Configs\my_config\Output\
 

If you are creating a hybrid CD that includes a Macintosh partition, you also need to specify the location of the Mozilla Full Installer folder that you modified as described in Chapter 13 "Preparing Macintosh Installers and Program Files".
 

If you are creating a hybrid CD that includes a Linux partition, you also need to specify the location of the Linux installation files that you decompressed from the Linux tar file produced by the CCK tool.
 

3. Using a bit-compare utility such as Microsoft WinDiff, verify that the files on the CD exactly match the files in the \Output directory on your hard disk.



If the files don't compare exactly, make sure you're comparing the correct set of files on your hard disk with the files on the master CD. The most common reason bit comparisons fail is that the wrong set of files are being compared.
 

4. Using a virus checker program, verify that the files on the CD are virus free.



Your gold master disc is now ready for duplication.
 

5. Create a second gold master disc and keep it in a safe place for archive purposes.


6. Provide your gold master disc to a CD duplication service.



Before the duplication service completes your entire order, be sure to request that the duplication service sends you the first several CDs, so you can verify that the contents of these CDs exactly matches your gold master archive CD. Alternatively, you can request that the duplication service performs this step.
 

7. Distribute the CDs to your customers.

Depending on how you plan to distribute your CDs, you may want to create a printed cover that can be inserted into the CD's plastic jewel case (the plastic case that contains the CD). Your duplication service may offer this service to you. Alternatively, programs such as Adaptec Easy CD Creator include a template for creating printed jewel case inserts.

Distributing Network-Downloadable Installers or Binaries

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To distribute Mozilla 1.4.1 over the network:

1. On your FTP site, create a Mozilla download directory that corresponds to:


• For Windows and Mac OS 9 (stub installers): the location you entered for the FTP directory in the CCK tool.This is the directory you'll use to store the Mozilla installer files.
• For Linux (fat installer): the location where you plan to put the Linux tar file produced by the CCK tool.
• For Mac OS X (customized binaries): the location where you plan to put the compressed Mac OS X files you modified using your customized Windows installation files.
   
2. If you are preparing a Windows installer, copy the contents of the directory



installation_directory\CCKTool\Configs\my_config\Output\
 

into the download directory on your FTP or HTTP site.
 

If you are providing a Macintosh installer (Mac OS 9) or binaries (Mac OS X) for network download, you also need to copy the self-extracting archive that you created as described in Chapter 14 "Distributing Your Installers".
 

If you are providing a Linux tar file for network download, you need to copy the Linux tar file from the Output directory.
 

3. If you are preparing a Windows installer, put the Setup.exe file for your Windows installer one level above the download directory. For example, if the download directory is Mozilla/download, put the Setup.exe file in the Mozilla directory.

In addition to setting up the download directory, you should provide instructions on your web site for each type of installer available.

End-User Instructions for Windows

Instruct your Windows users to follow these steps:

1. Create a new folder on their hard disk.


2. Download the Setup.exe to that new folder from the FTP location provided by the ISP.


3. Double-click the Setup.exe to install Mozilla 1.4.1.


4. Delete the new folder when installation is complete.

End-User Instructions for Macintosh

If you are providing a Macintosh Mac OS 9 installer for network download, instruct your Macintosh users to follow these steps to install Mozilla:

1. Download the self-extracting archive from the FTP location provided by the ISP.


2. After the file downloads and extracts itself into the Mozilla Full Installer directory, double-click the Mozilla Installer file to install Mozilla.

If you are providing a Macintosh Mac OS X binary for network download, instruct your Macintosh users to follow these steps to install Mozilla:

1. Download the self-extracting archive from the FTP location provided by the ISP.


2. After the file downloads and extracts itself, double-click the file Mozilla Installer file to run Mozilla.

End-User Instructions for Linux

If you are providing a Linux binary for network download, instruct your Linux users to follow these steps:

1. Download the Linux tar file from the FTP location provided by the ISP.


2. Untar the tar file.


3. Go to the directory mozilla-installer.


4. Run ./mozilla-installer to install Mozilla.


5. Delete the mozilla-installer directory when installation is complete.

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Copyright © 2003 Netscape Communications Corp. All rights reserved.

Last Updated October 05, 2001