Thread View: adobe.creative.suite.mac
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Started by kristin_maling
Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:50
Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: kristin_maling
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:50
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:50
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Hello. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience using CS3 (volume license) for mass deployment? We used to manually install on machines, but as the size of the organization has grown, this has become more and more inconvenient. This summer we're planning on a complete upgrade to all systems and during this process we're doing HD formatting and clean installations of all systems and software. To make this process more efficient (as all systems are set up the same way) we're now looking into using OS X 10.5 Server, NetInstall and a cloned system image for deployment to all machines.My question is, is there anything relating to CS3 that may cause issues with this process? Does CS3 installation bind itself to the hardware it was installed on? Since we are using a volume license, I don't have to worry about individual serial numbers and activating the system with Adobe, but again, I'm unsure if installations are somehow tied into the hardware they were installed on? Ideally, I'd install CS3 onto the "master" system and run all updates prior to making the final system image. Has anyone that's done this using CS3 provide any information that may help me out? Thanks, Kristin.
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: Neil_Keller
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:37
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:37
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kristin,
This summer we're planning on a complete upgrade to all systems and during
this process we're doing HD formatting and clean installations of all
systems and software.
Taking this discussion slightly off-track, if you are going through all this trouble, why aren't you installing the upgrade to bring all systems up to a volume license for CS4?
Neil
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: kristin_maling
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:59
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:59
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We're not upgrading to CS4. k.
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: Neil_Keller
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 23:06
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 23:06
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And thus my question. <g> Neil
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: kristin_maling
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:11
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:11
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Ok, if I'm upgrading to CS4, then do you think I'll get a reply?
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: Neil_Keller
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:33
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:33
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kristin,
No one is withholding a replay from you because you're using CS3. It is just that no one who may know the answer has wandered by. The folks who help here are Adobe product users, like you.
This summer we're planning on a complete upgrade to all systems and during
this process we're doing HD formatting and clean installations of all
systems and software.
My only point was that you will be spending a lot of time and effort on a setup that is centered around older, discontinued software. And my thinking is that if you are going to the time and expense of revamping your office, why not do it right and include CS4? If you install CS3 now, when you do decide to upgrade to CS4, you will be giving yourself a lot of extra work. From my point of view, the added software cost would be a good investment at this time.
Neil
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: Neil_Keller
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:34
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:34
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kristin,
No one is withholding a replay from you because you're using CS3. It is just that no one who may know the answer has wandered by. The folks who help here are Adobe product users, like you.
This summer we're planning on a complete upgrade to all systems and during
this process we're doing HD formatting and clean installations of all
systems and software.
My only point was that you will be spending a lot of time and effort on a setup that is centered around older, discontinued software. And my thinking is that if you are going to the time and expense of revamping your office, why not do it right and include CS4? If you install CS3 now, when you do decide to upgrade to CS4, you will be giving yourself a lot of extra work. From my point of view, the added software cost would be a good investment during the current systems overhaul. Otherwise, it just isn't a "complete upgrade". You're installing '07 parts on the '09 Mercedes.
Neil
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: Neil_Keller
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:40
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:40
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kristin, My concern aside, you should have an Adobe IT phone number for your volume licensing. If you don't see a response to your specific question here, you should be able to get an answer from Adobe IT. Neil
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: kristin_maling
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:46
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:46
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Thanks Neil. If I don't get any replies here, I'll call the number (it's just, I've dealt with calling that number before, and it's never pretty, so was hoping to get some info from here). And I understand your point about the CS3 to CS4 upgrade, I wasn't trying to be difficult, but I really don't want to get into a "discussion" about the decision not to upgrade to CS4. Thanks, Kristin.
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: Neil_Keller
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:12
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:12
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kristin, I sometimes hate to direct people to an Adobe support number because of the frustration factor. Just be sure that it is not the general consumer number you call. As a sidebar: A good friend just told me that on Friday evening he spent THREE hours on the phone with various levels of overseas support trying to activate a CS4 app upgrade. It should have been a no-brainer. What it came down to is that the correct answer could have been given to him two hours and fifty minutes sooner had the support personnel understood the issue and looked up the correct solution sooner. As for the CS3 v CS4 upgrade, I understand. Neil
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: Buko
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:20
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:20
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be prepared to spend money on support as CS3 is the old version now.
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: kristin_maling
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 21:32
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 21:32
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Lots of people chiming in with their opinions, but still no one touching the actual topic...? (and too bad they never worked out all the bugs in the "old" version and...wait, I said I wasn't going to get into this...)....
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: Buko
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:29
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:29
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Kristen, This is a User to User Forum. We can't help you with something we are not familiar with. And the opinion that the only people that can help you are Adobe and its going to cost money is a valid one.
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: kristin_maling
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:17
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:17
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No probs Buko, you've been a great assistance in other areas on these forums to me in the past. Anyway, I'll leave it a few days and see if there's anyone that's done this before (I can't believe I'm the first to deploy a volume license like this), and then I'll just start testing. If it doesn't work, I'll have to try runing post-install scripts on a DVD image, but it'd be a lot easier (especially since there's no all-in-one updaters for CS) if I could install on a system image for cloning. And if that doesn't work, then it's a manual install for it as we've had to do in the past. It's is one of the few applications not being installed across the board (we're removing it from about half the machines) so it wouldn't be the end of the world. Thanks, Kristin.
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: Buko
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 01:27
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 01:27
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There was a sticky thread about this but I can't find it now.
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: Robert_Hammen
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:00
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:00
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There is an Enterprise Deployment Guide here: <http://www.adobe.com/support/deployment/cs3_deployment.pdf> ... but be aware that the installers for CS3 are seriously broken. CS4 is incrementally better, but still not great shakes. There is hope for CS5... Really suggest looking at a tool like Casper, FileWave, or LanREV for helping automate deployment. Take a look at the Composer package from JAMF (http://www.jamfsoftware.com) - has the ability to snapshot the install and build a deployable .pkg - only $99 by itself, or included with Casper. --Robert not employed by JAMF, just a user of their tools
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: Buko
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:13
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:13
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CS4 works much better in Leopard that CS3. Leopard was not released when CS3 was released. CS4 would be a much better choice if you are upgrading to Leopard.
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: Neil_Keller
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:38
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:38
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kristin,
And, geez, I guess we're already looking to CS5 to fix things that CS4
didn't fix that were broken in CS3
??? From most reports, it's pretty much as Buko says. If you are having application-specific issues with any CS4 components, I suggest that you post in the appropriate product forums for some assistance. Aside from $$$, there are probably few deal breakers for not upgrading a Leopard-based OS to CS4.
As for CS5? You'll be waiting perhaps another year for CS5 as Adobe currently does 18-24 month upgrade cycles. And the only guarantee would be that CS5 won't be perfect either.
Hope that helps.
Neil
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: Tammy_Spradlin
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:55
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:55
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Hi Kristen, I did the exact deployment of CS3 Master Collection with MacOSX 10.5.5 this past fall. Created my image, tested it, erased all workstation hard drives (20 older G5), and deployed my image. Deployment went great! The only problem is that some users can't seem to access the built-in help. Reinstalling the suite on a case-by-case basis works. I'm sure it's a permissions problem. But I can't seem to hit on the right fix.
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: Tammy_Spradlin
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:01
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:01
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Kristen, One more thing. I did have problems with Mac Server 10.5.5. I could create my images, but 10.5.5 would not deploy them. I think it was an issue with me deploying to older G5 Macs. I had to down grade to Mac Server 10.5. For me it wasn't a problem, I have a server dedicated for OS deployments.
Re: Installing CS3 (Volume License) for mass deployment via NetInstall (via OS X Server)
Author: kristin_maling
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:13
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:13
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Thanks Tammy � I wasn't sure if CS3 (volume) installed hardware-specific or not � that was my main concern, but from the sounds of it, it doesn't, so that's great! I was pretty sure it wouldn't (as that would really hamper the volume license/installability thing), but in the past I've tried moving HD's from one mac to another (identical systems) in the past (when one machine went down), but that was with a non-volume edition, and that was just full of errors relating to being on different hardware. But, again, from the sounds of it, with the volume version, in your experience, this shouldn't be an issue! Thanks again Tammy, much appreciated! Kristin.
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