POST-INSTALL CONFIGURATION FOR APPLICATIONS

• US 20090064131A1
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Ferris, James M., Huff, David P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,370,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

Embodiments of the present teachings provide for standardized post installation configuration of a software application. For Linux-based applications, a portal service provides a Red Hat Packet Manager (“RPM”) package that includes selected software to be installed on a user'"'"'s computing device, and a post install configuration file (“PIC”). A post-install configurator accesses the PIC file and performs post-installation configuration based on the contents of the PIC file. The PIC file thus provides a standardized mechanism in which software vendors can specify post-installation configuration of their applications, without having to develop their own tools or applications.

Claims

1. A method of installing a software application and post-install configuring the software application, comprising:

installing a RPM package comprising the software application, wherein the RPM package also comprises one or more post-install configuration files;

starting post-install configurator after the RPM package has been installed; and

post-install configuring the software based on information in the one or more post-install configuration files.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising parsing a selected post-install configuration file of the one or more post-install configuration file with the post install configurator to perform the post-install configuration.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein a selected post-installation configuration file is configured to provide a description of the post-install configuration.

4. The method according to claim 1, installing the RPM package comprises saving the post-install configurator and the one or more post-install configuration files to a predefined location.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein starting the post-install configurator comprises checking for prerequisite software applications associated with the software application.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein installing the RPM package comprises installing the RPM package from a compact disc.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein installing the RPM package comprises installing the RPM package from a flash drive.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein installing the RPM package comprises installing the RPM package over a network.

9. An apparatus comprising means configured to perform the method of claim 1.

10. A computer system configured to install a software application and post-install configure the software application, said system comprising:

a storage device storing a RPM package comprising the software application, a post-install configurator and one or more post-install configuration files; and

a processor configured to install the RPM package and start the post-install configurator after the RPM package has been installed and post-install configure the software based on information in the one or more post-install configuration files.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the processor is configured, by the RPM package, to save the post-install configurator and the one or more post-install configuration files to a predefined location in the storage.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein processor is configured to check for prerequisite software applications associated with the software application upon starting the post-install configurator.

13. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable program code for installing and post-install configuring a software application, said medium comprising a RPM package containing executable code for a software application, executable code for a post-install configurator, and a post-install configuration file.

14. The medium according to claim 13, wherein the RPM package comprises program code for saving the post-install configurator and the one or more post-install configuration files to a predefined location.

15. The medium according to claim 13, wherein the program code for the post-install configurator comprises program code for checking for prerequisite software applications associated with the software application.

16. The medium according to claim 13, wherein the medium is a compact disc.

17. The medium according to claim 13, where the medium is a flash drive.