Automating WSS v3/MOSS 2007 development environment setup: part X – Install Visual Studio 2008 + VS2008 SP1 + Team Explorer

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Hi,

We now have:

  • a platform that supports MOSS 2007 (with SP1 and Infrastructure Update) and SQL Server 2005 with SP2
  • a MOSS 2007 farm with the minimum of settings to run normally
  • a server acting like a Domain Controller, enabling AD sync features between MOSS and AD

If we were operating the platform, that could be it. But, we’ll use it to develop. We then need much more than this.

First tool we need, is …… THE tool to develop on Microsoft platforms : I named Mister VISUAL STUDIO !

Step 1: Install Visual Studio 2008

Current release is Visual Studio 2008 with SP1.

To setup Visual Studio 2008 an unattended way, you need to create an answer file.

The reference, explaining all the scenarios for a managed deployment of Visual Studio is here : https://download.microsoft.com/download/4/9/0/490EADD1-19C0-47F9-9748-E901C926F925/adminreadme2008.htm 

Let’s go:

First thing : if you want to setup with some settings or parameters, you MUST use the setup.exe that is located in the \setup\ folder. DO NOT use the setup.exe that is located at the root folder of Visual Studio install binaries.

To know how to use the parameters, type:

%VS2008folder%\Setup\setup.exe /?

You’ll get the options displayed on this screen:

as you see, you need to create a setting file with *.INI extension. To do that, you launch this instruction:

%VS2008folder%\Setup\setup.exe /CreateUnattend “C:\VS2008setup.ini”

You’ll have the setup screen that runs, as if you were installing.

Select the options you need (in my case, I REMOVE Visual Basic, Visual C++ and SQL Server Express).

Click “Save Settings” button, and the INI file is created.

 

Now, to launch the setup, you just need to type:

%VS2008folder%\setup\setup.exe /UnattendFile “C:\VS2008Setup.ini”

And let the system run.

At the end, Visual Studio 2008 is ready for you.

Step 2 : Apply Visual Studio 2008 SP1

Now, I apply the Service Pack 1 to Visual Studio. To do so, I just launch :

%CS2008SP1binfolder%\vs90sp1\SPInstaller.exe /q /norestart

from the folder (or mounted ISO) I use for the binaries.

Step 3 : Install Team Explorer

Last step, to connect my system with Team Foundation Server, I install Team Explorer (TFS client component).

Team Explorer is available as an ISO, for free, from Microsoft download site (it’s here : https://www.microsoft.com/DOWNLOADS/details.aspx?FamilyID=0ed12659-3d41-4420-bbb0-a46e51bfca86&displaylang=en )

Mount the ISO in the VM, and run :

setup /q /full /norestart

if you want to see the command line arguments, you can always type

setup /?

and read the result and instructions that are:

Here you are. Your development platform begins to take life.

You can connect to your code, managed by TFS, and work with “standard” Visual Studio projects.

Next step : add a little bit of SharePoint development in that.

Regads,

<Emmanuel />