Package compatibility

• US 8,171,469 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2006
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Elliott, Ian A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang, Insun
• Application Number:
  US11/504,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20080127167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,086 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

One method embodiment includes defining a first package to be opened by a computing device. The method includes associating installation content to be installed on the computing device with the first package. The first package includes a second package that includes the installation content to be installed and the first package includes package functionality information to determine whether a particular package functionality can be utilized by the computing device.

Claims

1. A method for providing computing device package compatibility, comprising:

defining, via a computing device, a first package to be opened by the computing device, the first package having information including;

package functionality information;

a second package that includes installation content; and

a protection mechanism;

determining using the package functionality information, by the computing device, whether the protection mechanism can be utilized by the computing device; and

identifying using the protection mechanism, by the computing device, whether the second package has been modified if it is determined that the protection mechanism can be utilized.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes identifying using the protection mechanism, by the computing device, whether the information of the first package has been modified if it is determined that the protection mechanism can be utilized.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the protection mechanism can be utilized by the computing device includes using the package functionality information to determine whether the computing device includes executable instructions to utilize the protection mechanism.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the method includes:

utilizing the protection mechanism to restrict access to the second package if it is determined that the computing device has executable instructions to utilize the protection mechanism and if it is identified that the second package has been modified.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the method includes installing the installation content on the computing device if it is determined that the computing device does not have executable instructions to utilize the protection mechanism.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein using the protection mechanism includes using a checksum routine to identify if the second package has been modified.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the protection mechanism is selected from a group of protection mechanisms including the mechanisms of:

a digital signature of the second package, and a digital signature of a copy of a portion of the second package.

8. A non-transitory computing device readable medium having executable instructions thereon for causing a device to perform a method, comprising:

defining a first package to be opened by a computing device, the first package having information including;

package functionality information;

a second package that includes installation content; and

security information;

determining using the package functionality information, by the computing device, whether the security information can be utilized by the computing device; and

identifying using the security information, by the computing device, whether the second package has been modified if it is determined that the security information can be utilized.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein the method includes installing the installation content on the computing device and deleting the second package once the installation content is installed.

10. The medium of claim 8, wherein the method includes installing the installation content on the computing device and deleting the first package once the installation content is installed.

11. The medium of claim 8, wherein the method includes identifying using the security information, by the computing device, whether the information of the first package has been modified if it is determined that the security information can be utilized.

12. The medium of claim 8, wherein the method includes associating a checksum file with the security information to determine if the second package has been modified.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein the method includes reading the checksum file to determine if the content of the second package has been modified.

14. A computing device package structure embodied on a non-transitory computing device readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon, comprising:

a first package including;

package functionality information;

a second package that includes installation content; and

security information;

wherein the executable instructions when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to;

determine, using the package functionality information, whether the security information can be utilized by the computing device; and

analyze the security information to determine whether the installation content has been modified if it is determined that the security information can be utilized.

15. The package structure of claim 14, wherein the security information is a digital signature of the second package.

16. The package structure of claim 14, wherein the security information includes a checksum protocol to determine whether the installation content have been modified.

17. The package structure of claim 14, wherein the executable instructions comprising the first package includes a set of executable instructions to determine, by the computing device, whether information of the first package has been modified.

18. The package structure of claim 14, wherein the executable instructions comprising the first package includes executable instructions to install the installation content on the computing device if it is determined that the security information can not be utilized by the computing device.

19. The package structure of claim 17, wherein the first package includes executable instructions to cause the computing device to:

restrict access to the second package if it is determined that the second package has been modified by using the security information and if it is determined that the security information can be utilized by the computing device; and

install the installation content on the computing device if it is determined that the second package has not been modified and if it is determined that the security information can be utilized by the computing device.

20. An executable instruction set installer embodied on a non-transitory computing device readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon, comprising:

a first set of executable instructions executable on a computing device to cause the computing device to;

retrieve a first package having package functionality information and security information from a memory location;

determine, using the package functionality information, whether the computing device has executable instructions to utilize the security information;

determine whether the first package has been modified if it is determined that the computing device has executable instructions to utilize the security information; and

determine, using the security information, whether a second package within the first package has been modified if it is determined that the computing device has executable instructions to utilize the security information.

21. The instruction set installer of claim 20, wherein the security information is an encrypted checksum of the second package.

22. The instruction set installer of claim 20, wherein the first package includes a second set of executable instructions cause the computing device to install the second package on the computing device if it is determined that the computing device does not have executable instructions to utilize the security information.

23. The instruction set installer of claim 22, wherein the second set of executable instructions is a script.

24. The instruction set installer of claim 20, wherein the first package includes a second set of executable instructions to cause the computing device to install the second package on the computing device if it is determined that the second package has not been modified and if it is determined that the computing device does have executable instructions to utilize the security information.

25. The instruction set installer of claim 20, wherein the first package includes a second set of executable instructions to cause the computing device to restrict access to the second package if it is determined that the second package has been modified and if it is determined that the computing device does have executable instructions to utilize the security information.