Windows Home Server Add-In

[bedrock]

@rpedde wrote:

So this is just the plug-in, right? Doesn’t actually have the full binary and everything.

The next obvious question would be how hard to a full install or upgrade of the app via an msi dropped in add-ins?

I’ve used wix before, and will probably (after the stable) migrate to wix/votive for an msi installer, and this is more justification to do so…

I’ll install this over the weekend and let you know.

Anyone else with WHS?

— Ron

Yes Ron, this is just the plugin.

I don’t know how hard it would be to do a full install or upgrade of the firefly package via an .msi dropped in, i haven’t really played with WiX before, but i could take a look.

–
Nic

[bedrock]

Ron,

What’s the best way to communicate, i tried to PM, but they’ve been disabled.

I did my initial development with VS2008 beta 2 and WiX 3 unstable, but i have ported back to current release versions VS2005 and WiX 2 stable)

I can drop you a zip with the code if you want to integrate it, i haven’t used SVN before, so some pointers in the that direction would be good for me

I’m familiar with the likes of VSS, SourceOffSite and SurroundSCM in a corporate environment, so it shouldn’t take too much to get familiar.

I’ve been reading about WiX this evening and i’m more than williing to give it a go (i.e. take on the whole package)

Do you have preferences on tool versions, i.e. stable vs. unstable, VS2005 vs. VS2008 etc…

–
Nic

[rpedde]

@bedrock wrote:

What’s the best way to communicate, i tried to PM, but they’ve been disabled.

im or email works. you can email me at [email protected].

Do you have preferences on tool versions, i.e. stable vs. unstable, VS2005 vs. VS2008 etc…

I’m using 2005 here. Just drop me an email and we can figure the rest out. svn is really no biggie, particularly if you’ve used vss or something, so no real issues there.

I am going (soon?) to move it off sourceforge, so stuff is probably going to be in a little flux, but I can keep you up to date on whats up there.

— Ron

[RodSpina]

hey, I don’t mean to sound lazy or anything, but I have been reading about firefly for WHS back and forth and can’t seem to figure exactly what needs to be done, and how.

there seem to be lots of good literature and explanations for the really savy guys, but nothing a slightly over the regular user can understand with confidence.

so here is my conclusions, which I haven’t tested yet…

1) download the small MSI and install it using the WHS add-in interface;
2) install the actual file server of firefly, version 1498 is currently the safest choice for WHS;
3) install some Apple middle ware, called BonJour;
4) work out some firewall port forwarding issue, if necessary

I can do items 1 and 4, but items 2 & 3 are not MSI files, but EXE so I am not sure the proper way to install them in WHS. I did find another WHS add-in, the Any Service Installer, that could be the answer for items 2 & 3 but its directions are also above my comprehension….

So, can any gentle soul help out with an understandable 1-2-3 on this ? I mean it does not have to be a Dummy guide, but something almost everyone would be able to follow…

thanks and sorry if I sound abusive,

Cheers

[rpedde]

@RodSpina wrote:

hey, I don’t mean to sound lazy or anything, but I have been reading about firefly for WHS back and forth and can’t seem to figure exactly what needs to be done, and how.

there seem to be lots of good literature and explanations for the really savy guys, but nothing a slightly over the regular user can understand with confidence.

so here is my conclusions, which I haven’t tested yet…

1) download the small MSI and install it using the WHS add-in interface;
2) install the actual file server of firefly, version 1498 is currently the safest choice for WHS;
3) install some Apple middle ware, called BonJour;
4) work out some firewall port forwarding issue, if necessary

I can do items 1 and 4, but items 2 & 3 are not MSI files, but EXE so I am not sure the proper way to install them in WHS. I did find another WHS add-in, the Any Service Installer, that could be the answer for items 2 & 3 but its directions are also above my comprehension….

So, can any gentle soul help out with an understandable 1-2-3 on this ? I mean it does not have to be a Dummy guide, but something almost everyone would be able to follow…

thanks and sorry if I sound abusive,

Cheers

the whs is pretty much just a regular win2k3 server. If you fire up your windows terminal service client (start -> run -> mstsc), you can connect to your whs server and log in as administrator with your WHS password.

Then you’ll be at the desktop of the server. Install bonjour and firefly like you would on a regular windows workstation, and you’re done.

— Ron

[Anonymous]

Has anyone else noticed with the WHS client, that any time you access anything at all via the ‘Settings’ menu of the WHS Console, you always get a Firefly pop-up saying ‘Changing the configuration etc etc…. even when I haven’t been near the Firefly section.
In the long run, it would be better if it didn’t show unless you actually opened the Firefly settings, but for now, is it suggested that you should answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’?

thanks,

Colin

[rpedde]

@ColinWH wrote:

Has anyone else noticed with the WHS client, that any time you access anything at all via the ‘Settings’ menu of the WHS Console, you always get a Firefly pop-up saying ‘Changing the configuration etc etc…. even when I haven’t been near the Firefly section.
In the long run, it would be better if it didn’t show unless you actually opened the Firefly settings, but for now, is it suggested that you should answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’?

thanks,

Colin

No would keep the server from recycling. Hadn’t seen that though.

[Anonymous]

Hmm, I tend to answer ‘No’, as I figured that’s what would happen. Goodness knows why I’m getting the pop-up, but it’s no big deal.

Colin

[anastazya]

It seems that FireFly WHS is no longer available for download at any of the links posted before..
Anyone knows where ca i get the add-in ??

[Anonymous]

@anastazya,

Sorry the link got broke over the weekend, I was doing some website re-organising 😉

Should be fixed now

@ColinWH,

I have seen this ‘feature’ also, but haven’t yet managed to track it down, to be honest I wasn’t really sure how many people are actually using this plug-in, it was kind of a proof-of-concept and a learning exercise for me on WHS coding.

I saw at some other forums that it didn’t get a very good reception 🙁 It was never meant to do anything revolutionary, just a replacement for the systray icon in WHS.

Anyway, things are pretty busy for me at the moment, but in 3 weeks time (after I have written my speech and done my best man duties) i should have a little more free time, so i’ll take a look and see if i can track this one down…

-Nic

[Author]

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