VMware Horizon Community
cH1LL1
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

https://slack.com/is packagaing

     Hi Guys,

Ive been struggling with Appstacking the desktop app called Slack or Better known as #Slack

Slack: Be less busy

just wondered if anyone has any guide lines or instructions to share.

although it appears to be light weight it seems to have several running processes once installed. (once appstacked the executable does nothing.)

Thanks

8 Replies
Ray_handels
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

Maybe the application is being installed in the APpdata folder of the user? Where does the shortcut point to? The fact that nothing happens seems to be more of an issue with the package than with the application.

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Smoke14
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Ray, I think you are correct. There is another discussion on SLACK and the guy mentions that all the settings are User profile. But he did say it launched via the AppStack.

Here is the discussion: Slack desktop client

Mike_A
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Lakshman
Champion
Champion

I would suggest to give it a try with ThinApp that can be delivered via AppStack.

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Ray_handels
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

Personalisation is a different thing but when the application is being stored in Appdata you have an issue.

As a reference, if you install Google Chrome as an admin the application is installed in the C:\Program Files (x86)\Google folder. If you are a non admin the application is installed in the %APPDATALOCAL%\Google folder, for whatever good reason.

I have no idea if SLACK works like that but it could be the case. I would also make sure to install the application with the "Run As Administrator" option. This way you are 100% sure the application is installed using the admin token.

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cH1LL1
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Thanks Ray

This is what happens when I install Slack: Run as administrator:

the application is installed here c:\users\Administrator\appdata\Roaming\Slack

Additional data is stored here:

                                                   c:\users\Administrator\appdata\local\Slack

the shortcut "Target Path" is the following:

                                                   c:\users\Administrator\appdata\local\Slack\Update.exe --processStart Slack.exe

The "Start in" path is the following:

                                                    c:\users\Administrator\appdata\local\Slack\app-2.2.1

@MIKE A  -  Thanks ive read that article on UEM., we are using non persistent and do not have UEM.. but we could look at doing Writable volumes for this purpose.

Although i'd very much like not too.

Lakshman‌ -  Yes i can give Thinapping another go, I did previously try this and failed, but i did only attempt a simple next next finish Thinapp.

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Ray_handels
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

So there you have your issue.

Even if you do this with a writable volume, it still won't work because a normal user doesn't have permissions to the APPDATA folder of the administrator.

When installaing slack silently is there no way to point it to a different directory? My guess is (but lakshman know better Smiley Happy) that you can't use ThinApp as well as it is being installed in administrators appstack folder.

If you wanna go the easy route my guess is that the only thing you can do is use writable volumes with profile and install the application in the user context. To be honest this is just crappy written software. AN application should never install in the Appdata, settings need to be stored there, not an application.

cH1LL1
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Ray thanks so much for your reply.

Ive emailed #Slack  to see what install options they can help with, (If you dont ask, you dont get.)

thanks again.

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Smoke14
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

That is not true, you can use ThinApp. By using ThinApp, you will capture all user changes and they will be set to use macro variables so the application looks and feels like it was installed by the user that launched the ThinApp application.

I suggest you use ThinApp and then provision the ThinApp Slack application to an App Volumes AppStack.

Mike_A
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