Preparing EndNote X8 for deployment using AutoPkg

As previously discussed here, one of the software packages used in my shop is Clarivate Analytics’ EndNote bibliography software.

Recently, EndNote X8 was released. When the new version’s installer was downloaded, it was discovered to be an installer application, which can pose problems for deployment.

By itself, the change to an installer application may not have been a huge problem as long as it had options for running the installation process from the command line. However, when I checked with EndNote support about the new installer, I was told that there was no option for installing EndNote X8 on a Mac using the command line.

Since the EndNote X8 installer does not have the option of command line installation, the only real option I thought I had was to install EndNote X8, then re-package it as either a drag-and-drop install or an installer package. However, when I dug deeper into the installer, I discovered a .zip file buried inside the installer.

When expanded, this .zip file proved to be a complete install of EndNote X8.

When I ran the EndNote X8 installer, it appeared to be performing the following functions:

1. Checking for Endnote updates
2. Extracting the .zip file into a new EndNote X8 folder

3. Moving the new EndNote X8 folder into /Applications

4. Launching the EndNote X8 application, which automatically loads the EndNote X8 Customizer screen if EndNote hasn’t been configured.

For more details, see below the jump.

Since the majority of the work appears to be unzipping the embedded .zip file into a new EndNote X8 folder, then moving that folder into /Applications, I decided to write AutoPkg recipes to create an installer package for me. The AutoPkg recipe model I used looks like this:

1. Download the installer application from the vendor.
2. As part of the AutoPkg .pkg recipe, take the following actions:

• Copy the zip file from the EndNote X8 installer application.
• Create a package-building directory structure that installs into /Applications
• Uncompress and move the EndNote X8 application directory into the proper location inside the package-building directory structure.
• Set the EndNote X8 application directory with the following permissions:
  • Owner: root – read/write permissions
  • Group: admin – read-only permissions
  • Everyone: read-only permissions
• Build an installer package which installs the EndNote X8 application directory into /Applications.

The recipes are available on GitHub via the link below:

https://github.com/autopkg/rtrouton-recipes/tree/master/EndNote