Multi-User Software Installs

[Stefan Dösinger]

Hi,

> I'm looking for ways to install wine on a multi-user box so that
> hundreds of users can share the same base registry.
>
> Username substitution would help in the registry processing.
> So when a flag is set for installing a global setting, registry keys
> written which include the username would instead put something like
> $username into the key.
I've found a way to do so, but I have only a small home computer and not 
hundrets of users.

I've put the C-Drive in /opt/windows, owned by root:root and writeable only by 
root. system.reg, dosdevices, userdef.reg and the config file are 
in /etc/wine. In the home directories, there's a .wine directory with 
individual user.reg directories and soft links to the files in /etc/wine. 
This way only root can install software and the users can't modify 
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE(They can temporarily for themselves, but it won't be 
stored and the others are not affected. Furthermore I copy the applnk entries 
to a system wide directory(/usr/share/applnk/wine) and modify them manually 
so every user can see them in his start menu.

The major problem I have are those Apps which require full access to their 
install directories and installers which write required application settings 
to HKEY_CURRENT_USER. So basically the same problems as under Windows :-(
Another thing is that even new applications do not really realize that I'm 
using the Administrator account if I am root, so that's why they install 
everything to HKEY_CURRENT_USER.

My hack works for a small system like mine, but I doubt it's possible for 
hundrets of users.

Stefan Dösinger