Multi-platform application installation

• US 20030208685A1
• Filed: 05/01/2002
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Abdel-Rahman, Hassan E.
• Application Number:
  US10/138,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20030208685A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

Disclosed are novel methods and apparatus for provision of multi-platform, efficient, and/or lightweight software product installation. In an embodiment, a method of configuring a software installer is disclosed. The method includes: launching the software installer; receiving a request to launch a file while the software installer is running; the software installer accessing an application launch facility to determine a launching command for launching the file; executing the launching command to obtain an installation key; and the software installer installing a software product based on data provided by the installation key.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a software installer, the method comprising:

launching the software installer;

receiving a request to launch a file while the software installer is running;

the software installer accessing an application launch facility to determine a launching command for launching the file;

executing the launching command to obtain an installation key; and

the software installer installing a software product based on data provided by the installation key.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the installation key includes secured information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the secured information is provided by a method selected from a group comprising encryption and provision of public-private key pairs.

4. The method of claim 1 further including cleaning up the launching command prior to the act of executing the launching command.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the data provided by the installation key includes a version identification of the software product, a duration of accessibility for the software product, a preferred language for the software product, a user identity for the software product, a password for accessing the software product, and a hostname of a machine to have access to the software product.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the software product is an application.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the application launch facility is provided by an operating system.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the operating system is selected from a group comprising Microsoft Windows, HP-UX, IBM-AIX, PALM, UNIX, BSD UNIX, Linux, AUX, Mac OS, and Solaris.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the installation key includes data that is utilized by the software installer to provide an appropriate set of features for the software product being installed.

10. The method of claim 1 further including capturing user information prior to providing the installation key.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the captured user information is selected from a group comprising user contact information, operating system in use, and a unique identifying indicia.

12. A method of installing a software application, the method comprising:

launching an application installer to install the software application;

while the application installer is installing the software application, receiving information about a file to launch during the installation of the software application;

determining a launching application that can launch the file;

requesting a launching command from an operating system, the application installer running on the operating system; and

launching the application to open the file.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the determination of the launching application includes utilizing a registry service.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the registry service is selected from a group comprising Win32, CDE, and launch services.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the received file information includes a name of the file.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the application installer installs the software application on multiple platforms.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the operating system is selected from a group comprising Microsoft Windows, HP-UX, IBM-AIX, PALM, UNIX, BSD UNIX, Mac OS, Linux, AUX, and Solaris.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the file is a data file.

19. The method of claim 12 further including cleaning up the launching command prior to launching of the application to open the file.

20. The method of claim 12 further including saving the launching command.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the launching command is saved prior to the launching of the application to open the file.

22. The method of claim 12 wherein the determination of the launching application includes utilizing an extension of the file.

23. An apparatus for configuring a software installer, the apparatus comprising:

means for launching the software installer;

means for receiving a request to launch a file while the software installer is running;

means for the software installer to access an application launch facility to determine a launching command for launching the file;

means for executing the launching command to obtain an installation key; and

means for the software installer to install a software product based on data provided by the installation key.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 further including means for cleaning up the launching command prior to the act of executing the launching command.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 further including means for capturing user information.

26. An article of manufacture for configuring a software installer, the article comprising:

a machine readable medium that provides instructions that, if executed by a machine, will cause the machine to perform operations including;

launching the software installer;

receiving a request to launch a file while the software installer is running;

the software installer accessing an application launch facility to determine a launching command for launching the file;

executing the launching command to obtain an installation key; and

the software installer installing a software product based on data provided by the installation key.

27. The article of claim 26 wherein the operations further include cleaning up the launching command prior to the act of executing the launching command.

28. The article of claim 26 wherein the operations further include capturing user information.