[Feature request] Paint.NET EXE installer silent / quiet install

[olavrb]

With Intune one have the option to package anything (EXE installer for instance) inside a "*.intunewin" package thanks to the "Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool" + Intune Win32.

 

It would be awesome if the EXE installer "/auto" switch described here could be acompanied with a optional "/q" or "/quiet" switch which hides any GUI.

 

This would make packaging Paint.NET to Intune even easier than it already is.

• Currently one can "/createMSI" and put that directly to Intune or inside a "*.intunewin" package for more granular logic for detection and similar.

[Rick Brewster]

Can you tell me some more about your scenario? e.g. In what context are you using Intune for?

[olavrb]

On 8/25/2021 at 12:49 AM, Rick Brewster said:

Can you tell me some more about your scenario? e.g. In what context are you using Intune for?

 

Sorry for the very late reply. We're using Intune/ Endpoint Manager for the company I work at. There we publish apps in the Microsoft "Company Portal", so users without admin permissions (which should be all) can install optional software. One of those softwares in Paint.NET.

 

Here, Microsoft Store (for business) is not feasible, as:

• We'd have to manually manage licenses. There is no such thing as a "pay as you go" model there AFAIK.
• It's being EOL-ed. Maybe we'll have a better replacement for it in the future?
  • https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-it-pro-blog/evolving-the-microsoft-store-for-business-and-education/ba-p/2569423
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/announcements/microsoft-store-for-business-education-retiring

 

The way we package apps is described in the first post.

 

Why add totally silent EXE installer switch?

• Less manual steps to deploy new versions to Intune, as we don't need to /createmsi first
• Would also make it easier to create logic for "auto updates" with some PowerShell.
  • I'd prefer Microsoft Store version for this, but as mentioned, but how licenses in Microsoft Store for Business works is not feasible for us.

 

BTW, I found that NSIS installer has a case sensitive switch "/S". This hides the first dialog, but after extraction Paint.NET dialogue appears. I've only tried this from user as admin context, will try to see what happens if deploying in SYSTEM context from Intune. Maybe it's not shown to the end user.

Edited October 11, 2021 by olavrb

[Rick Brewster]

You mention /createMsi ... are you able to deploy MSIs? I was thinking of providing MSIs along with the offline installers and portable ZIPs over at https://github.com/paintdotnet/release/releases. I'm already building them, and I have the ability to build them outside of the installer EXE, it's just a few changes to my packaging script. (I already have the changes, I just need to enable them)

 

Making the installer itself able to run w/o the GUI would be a large engineering task, and I can't justify it when there's only 1 request for this, and when MSI is also available. If you're able to work well with MSIs, then I'd rather run with that.

[Mat Jarvis]

I am also trying to roll this out to a client through Endpoint/Intune and would love a silent installer or MSI install.

 

[Rick Brewster]

@Mat Jarvis, I'll be publishing MSIs with the 4.3.3 update