Custom GNS3 Installation with PowerShell in Tech Support Site

To modify options available during the interactive GUI setup of GNS3 in SCCM for silent deployment, you can create a custom transformation file. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to create and use a custom transformation file for GNS3 installation in SCCM:

1. Create a custom transformation file (.xml) for GNS3:

   Open Notepad or any text editor, and create a new file with the .xml extension. Copy and paste the following XML code into the file:

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
   <Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
   <Fragment>
       <CustomAction Id="SetGNS3Options" BinaryKey="WixCA" DllEntry="CAQuietExec" Execute="deferred" Impersonate="no">
           <![CDATA[
               "C:\Program Files\GNS3\bin\gns3-gui.exe" --options="your_custom_options_here"
           ]]>
       </CustomAction>
   
       <InstallExecuteSequence>
           <Custom Action="SetGNS3Options" After="InstallFiles">NOT Installed</Custom>
       </InstallExecuteSequence>
   </Fragment>
   </Wix>
   

   Replace "your_custom_options_here" with the custom options you want to set for GNS3 during installation. For example, if you want to set the working directory to C:\GNS3, you can use:

   --working-dir="C:\GNS3"
   

   Save the file with a name like GNS3CustomActions.wxs.

2. Create a custom transformation file (.tt) for SCCM:

   Open a new text file, and copy and paste the following code into the file:

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
   <Transformation xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/Transform" xmlns:util="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/UtilExtension">
       <Fragment>
           <util:File Id="GNS3CustomActions" SourceFile="C:\path\to\your\GNS3CustomActions.wxs" />
       </Fragment>
   </Transformation>
   

   Replace "C:\path\to\your\GNS3CustomActions.wxs" with the path to your custom actions file (GNS3CustomActions.wxs). Save the file with a name like GNS3CustomActions.tt.

3. Import the custom transformation files into SCCM:

   In SCCM, navigate to the Application Management workspace, and select Applications. Right-click on the application you want to modify, and select Properties. Go to the General tab, and click on the Transforms button. Click on Add, and browse to the location of your custom transformation files (.wxs and .tt).

4. Update the application source:

   Navigate to the Application Management workspace, and select Applications. Right-click on the application you modified, and select Properties. Go to the General tab, and update the Application Source to the location of the modified GNS3 installer (.msi).

5. Deploy the application:

   Create a new deployment for the modified application, and configure the deployment settings as needed. Deploy the application to the target devices.

After deploying the application, the custom options specified in the transformation files will be applied during the installation of GNS3 on the target devices.

References:

• WiX Toolset Documentation
• SCCM Custom Transformations