Suitcase Font Fusion Font Vault Woes

Wakko
Contributor II

Okay so I've been able to create serialized packages for deployment in the past, not a problem. I've even created a based font vault (licensed and seats accounted for) to be deployed out as needed. This works out great since we can ensure that ever user has the valid font vault library. I've been able to capture SF plug-in prefs as well.

Even if some ones font vault is acting funny, I've create a SelfService install to "reset" their vault and plug-in prefs. All of this has been tried and test without any issue. It worked great and users loved that they had the ability to reset their font vault.

Apparently SF7 not needs a "cloud-like" activation. So creating a highly customized package like before has been troublesome. Yes I can push some plist later, but it's more of a pain now. So I'm just pushing the pkg and then having the user activate the software. Then going through the setup, yadda, yadda, yadda.

So now I'm trying to create a new Font Vault. I've add the fonts and create font-sets. Button everything up and create a DMG to deploy out. However here is where the issue starts yet again. The DMG pushed out to the target machine along with a script that we run. So SF can read this new font vault (like I said before tried and tested). Ask the user to log-in as the user which was signed in Suitcase Font Fusion 7. I've tried to strip out everything that makes sense to me, but I can't make it a "universal" install like before. I've mentioned this my customer and they've gotten used to the idea of being able to "reset" their font vault via SelfService. This is extremely helpful and minimizes downtime on the designers end. So my question to the community is as follows:
Has anyone figured out how to make a "universal font vault" which could be deployed to users. Without it asking for the original logged in creator on Font Fusion 7?

2 REPLIES 2

hinrichd
New Contributor III

Actually i can not bring up a solution for a default font vault rollout&distribution. But i remember the problem you talk about some months ago... Next to the font fault in suitcase fusion exists a postgreSQL or SQLlite database, in which is stored the users vault prefs like full user path to vault and so on. So, you have to edit this sql table for every user to access a given vault. For default, the vault itself is stored inside the users home, not shared. That mean a copy for every user. Vaults can get big. If fonts need to be updated it is getting much more complicated. You will properly rollout the complete vault for every user again.
So this was the reasons why we changed from Suitcase Fusion to Universal Type Server/Client (both from Extensis) in our design dep which makes installation and administration much easier. You can create default vaults, workspace with default/standard fonts an apply them to user/groups with automatic installation. Have a look on it....
The good thing for the user, the Universal Type Client´s GUI is pretty the same as Suitcase Fusion. The user only needs to login the server application with their credential. SSO also supported. Back then Extensis migrated our Fusion licenses to universal typ client for a very fair fee.
Just to let you kown that....

Wakko
Contributor II

@hinrichd Thanks for the reply. Yeah the SQLlite DB was a work around or hack that was very useful. However now it looks like once you sign into the Extensis server it attaches a UUID. I'm testing a machine in which I logged in and created a test font vault. I've copied it into the Shared folder and created another user on the machine. I then logged out of Suitcase Fusion and logged out of my account. Logged into the new account and trashed all the default files with account creation, so that they could recreate. Copied the vault into place and adjusted permissions as needed to make sure it's not a permissions issue. Logged in as another user, Suitcase goes and does what it need to does. Then blah-m0!!!! No bueno. I'm still poking around the SQLdb to see if I can find something. Such a simple, time saving task has changed dramatically.
I heard ya on UTS, and I know of the benefits that it offers. We have other clients running it. However this outfit has a very limited IT staff with no Apple knowledge. Which is why we setup JAMF Pro and created these SelfService policies. To allow the users do these task easily without having to wait for an IT personnel to help them with exceptional WinOS knowledge and get no where. Hopefully I can create something similar to what I've had setup before. If not Humpty Dumpty fell down, rolled down the hill and was run over by a bus.a1bdc5ee8e2342f4b8d1a454ac2a2b9f