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The Streaming Client installer goes out of its way to prevent installation on the "home" editions of Windows XP and Vista. Technically, the streaming client does not really care about which edition of the operating system it is; its just a test coverage statement. This post describes how to convince the streaming client to install on the "home" editions and has some fun debating the dev-test checks and balances that exist in all large software organizations.
Consider this scenario
- Streaming client was written without any particular dependence on "Professional" version of the operating system
- Streaming client installer was written to prevent installation on non-professional versions (meeting requirements).
- Customer feedback during XenApp 5.0 / Streaming 1.2 Beta described this restriction as undesirable.
- Now - You want to fix it....
The Streaming Client supports many platforms. In streaming client 1.2, we dropped Windows 2000 Professional, but it still supports a large list including
- XP Professional
- Vista Professional
- Windows 2003 Server
- Windows 2008 Server
- XP Professional 64-bit
- Vista Professional 64-bit
- Windows 2003 Server 64-bit
- Windows 2008 Server 64-bit
The above list may not be the correct list, but stick with me on the concept. That's 8 platforms that the test team has to "certify". Add in XP and Vista "home" and you have 2 more. If it takes N days to decide that an operating system version definately works, then that's 2 * N more work to do and this has to be repeated numerous times throughout a development cycle.
Back to the "bug" - Streaming Client refuses to install on "XP Home".
Development point of view: The Streaming Client doesn't care about home vs. professional. It will work.
Test point of view: I haven't SEEN IT WORK - therefore, it doesn't work.
The solution taken for Streaming Client 1.2 was to publish an installation transform which would FORCE the streaming client to install even if it doesn't like what it sees with regard to the operating system version at installation. This transform was officially included on the XenApp 5.0 installation media, allowing the "home" editions to remain officially unsupported, yet letting them un-officially really work.
The Citrix Support team has a knowledge base article written on this: ctx118086
What it comes down to is
1) You need the installation transform. It is on the XenApp 5.0 installation media (DVD) in the "Support\AppStreaming " folder.
2) You need to tell the installer to use the transform. XenAppStreaming.exe is the streaming client installer.
XenAppStreaming.exe /C:"setup TRANSFORMS=<LocationOfTransform>"
There's one more thing. The KB references how to do this using the MSI installer. You'll notice that there is no MSI installer for the streaming client included on the installation media. I don't recall the reason, but we removed it and I'm sure it was a good reason. The EXE version extracts the MSI and runs it. The point: the KB references two methods to run the transform - use the one for the EXE installer.
I extend my thanks to our CEO, Mark Templeton for purchasing a machine with XP Home pre-loaded and expecting to be able to stream to it. This motivating me to "spread the knowledge" so other folks might work around the same thing without great headaches. We will do well to remove the "home" limitation in future releases.
A question to solict comments: If we remove the installation check for "home", from a customer point of view, is it necessary to actually test "home"? Notice that this means that we assume "home" will work given that "professional" does, and let conflicting views arrive during beta feedback. I note that we already do this for "Media Center" and "Ultimate" editions.
Joe Nord
Product Architect - Application Streaming
Citrix Systems, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
Comments (6)
May 30
Anonymous says:
Hey Joe: Just think for a minute: If a User goes to Dell's web site...Hey Joe:
Just think for a minute: If a User goes to Dell's web site right now and buys a laptop,
what do you think the odds are that they're going to get VISTA HOME on it???
Pretty good, don't you think? So how much foresight do you think it would take to realize
this, and to go ahead and put out a Streaming Client that supports ALL VERSIONS of
XP and Vista????
So fine, frustrated-yet-motivated IT Admins like me will dig through the CTX articles and
find the one about needing to run a Transform... But how hard would it be to go ahead and
PUT the freaking transform right here on the Clients page, so we don't then ALSO have to
dig out our XenApp 5.0 installation media to find the darn transform file???
It's "think-inside-the-box" oversight like this that makes us all crazy...
May 31
Joseph Nord says:
It might not make you feel better, but I agree with you completely. Next releas...It might not make you feel better, but I agree with you completely.
Next release, the installer is changed to not trigger on the OS flavor, at all. XenApp 5.0 / Streaming Client 1.2 was a transition point where the MSI transform provided ability to enable "home" while still letting the test folks officially not QUALIFY the "home" platform.
I'll see what I can do about the download page. The problem goes away when the next streaming client is released.
This message sent to you from a Windows 7 RC machine (Ultimate Edition...) running Application Streaming.
-Joe
Jun 08
Joseph Nord says:
MyCitrix download page has been updated to add a reference to the KB article. G...MyCitrix download page has been updated to add a reference to the KB article.
Get to the download page via: mycitrix.com login and then
Home>Support>Downloads >-- XenApp >Citrix offline app plug-in 5.1 and Streaming Profiler 1.3.1
Jun 02
Greg Kern says:
Hi Joe: I went through the same thing our anonymous friend went through, ...Hi Joe:
I went through the same thing our anonymous friend went through, digging for info on that Transform file
and then going out to our Software share to get the actual MST... This came up immediately because as soon
as we rolled out some Streamed Apps, we started getting calls from far-flung Users saying they weren't able
to run the Apps on their Vista Home and XP Home machines... After we had really sold them on the
"Any App on Any Device over Any Connection" story!
Looking forward to seeing that next release of the Client... Will it have a new NAME, too??
Jun 02
Joseph Nord says:
Updated the link to have the correct link to the Citrix support site for KB Arti...Updated the link to have the correct link to the Citrix support site for KB Article.
http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX118086
Oct 01
Anonymous says:
What if I don't have the installation CD? I'm using a Virtual Lab through ...What if I don't have the installation CD? I'm using a Virtual Lab through a University so I don't own the installation media. Can I download the transform instead?
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