Deploy/Use Avid Pro Tools First in Lab?

[taugust04]

We've received a faculty requests twice now to install the new "free" version of Pro Tools, Pro Tools First, in one of our labs.

Has anyone tried or had success with this? I did download and install the .pkg from Avid, but the installer wants to do a lot of non-standard things, like mount disk images to install additional packages, and install additional files when the application is first launched.

After installation, it wants to lock the install down to an Avid user account. Plus there is an Avid Application Manager that repeatedly barks about updates that need to be installed after installing the most current package from the Avid site that won't go away until the updates are installed (which of course requires admin rights as well). Not sure how this is feasible in a multi-user computer lab where its being requested to be installed.

We're pretty sure with the way the product is licensed and locked down, that its just not feasible to use in a lab environment. However, the faculty member "talked with a rep" and claims it can be done (though doesn't know how, and hasn't shared the contact info of the rep with us). Thanks for any instruction/advice you may have for me!

[taugust04]

BTW - I did open a support ticket with Avid about this after I registered a copy to my name, but so far, it's been mostly pre-canned responses from the first level tech support binder.

[Look]

We are using the iLok full version of Pro Tools but I am sure at least some of this applies and may be useful, the process has been very similar for version 10, 11 & 12.
Our Pro Tools deployment consists of the following packages:

Avid Pro Tools 12.6.0 Codecs LE.pkg - 11
Avid Pro Tools 12.6.0 First Run.dmg - 13
Avid Pro Tools 12.6.0 HD Driver.pkg - 11
Avid Pro Tools 12.6.0 License Support.pkg - 12
Avid Pro Tools 12.6.0.pkg - 10

The number at the end is the priority and determines the order.
Most of the packages are the additional content that came on the installer.
The License Support package can be found inside the Pro Tools.app by rooting around after using right click + Show contents.
The first run which is the tricky one is Composer captured and contains:

/Volumes/Avid Pro Tools 12.6.0 First Run//Library/Application Support/Avid/A_BUNCH_OF_STUFF
/Volumes/Avid Pro Tools 12.6.0 First Run//Library/LaunchDaemons/com.avid.asset.cache.service.plist
/Volumes/Avid Pro Tools 12.6.0 First Run//Library/LaunchDaemons/com.avid.bsd.shoetoolv120.plist
/Volumes/Avid Pro Tools 12.6.0 First Run//Library/LaunchDaemons/com.avid.hub.service.plist
/Volumes/Avid Pro Tools 12.6.0 First Run//Library/LaunchDaemons/com.avid.transport.client.plist
/Volumes/Avid Pro Tools 12.6.0 First Run//Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.avid.bsd.shoetoolv120

Most of the annoying extra bits like Application Manager and Cloud Services are just Launch Agents that can be disabled by removing the appropriate plist file from:

/Library/LaunchAgents

Like I said this is from the purchased version but things are probably similar with the free version.

[taugust04]

@Look thanks for the response I'll dig into it and give it a try. The issues I'm worried about with Pro Tools First are that it really wants to lock down a license to a user and not let go of it. I may get past the packaging/deployment hurdle but still might get caught on licensing.

[Look]

@taugust04 That wouldn't surprise me, the pro version I think needs a dongle on the machine to work (seriously who still uses dongles!)