Deputize an Installer
This is a legacy feature that is no longer fully supported.
Despite the historic name of our platform components, the process and need for keying software is generally no longer needed in the industry due to newer license control mechanisms like user based entitlements. While the Key and Deputize features are not removed from the platform, development ceased many years ago, and the functions will not be updated to support newer technology. For example, keying ARM based software will not and will never work. For those who have legacy software on older OS versions that still work with this feature, it is still available. We encourage not using it moving forward, and will not address any instances where it does not work on specific applications.
A keyed program cannot run unless granted a "key" so in cases where online updaters are not available to revert to an unkeyed version, the keyed copy can be deployed freely with less vulnerability to piracy. But deployment of the keyed program copy cannot be done directly using the original installer since it creates unkeyed program copies.
The "Deputize an Installer ..." item from the File menu lets you transform the original installer so that it will install a keyed program version instead of the original version. Note: deputy is currently only supported for certain installer formats - generally speaking, .exe or .msi on Windows, and .pkg or .mpkg on Mac. In cases where the program can simply be copied from a shared volume or cloned from an image, this method may be simpler than deputizing and installer.
Deputize Steps
- Put the installer on a computer which has KeyConfigure installed.
- Select Deputize an Installer ... from the File menu.
- In the window the comes up, click Browse... and select the installer file.*
- After KeyConfigure reads through the installer, it will list the various Programs in the installer. Some programs may appear with a small key icon next to them – this simply indicates that a copy of this program has previously been keyed against your KeyServer. Clicking to the left of any program in the list will toggle between showing or hiding a keyed icon. When you click OK, the keyed icon will be used to determine which programs will be keyed whenever they are installed by the deputized installer. Most modern installers contain quite a few executables - more than just the main application. Most of these programs are likely to be helpers, and should probably be left without displaying the icon.
- At the bottom of the window, KeyConfigure has chosen a suggested Product name (and possibly Version/Publisher) based on the internal properties of the installer. You can change these if you like - they will be used for the new product record which deputizing will create.
- When you click OK, KeyConfigure will modify the installer, keying any programs which you have selected in the Programs list, and adding them to a new Product record as specified in the Product section of the window.
- After deputizing is complete, you will see the newly created Product Details window. You must associate this product with an appropriate Policy in order to allow the keyed programs to run.
- Make the deputized installer available for use on your KeyServer client computers.
*Note: many windows installers consist of a “setup.exe” which simply points to an “.msi” file that does the real work. It is the msi that you need to deputize.
Deputizing an installer can take quite a bit longer than keying a program. This is because KeyConfigure must open all of the installer's compressed files in order to examine all executables that the installer is capable of installing. These executables are then compared with the list of programs which have been keyed on the KeyServer.
When you make the deputized installer available for use on your KeyServer client computers, it will behave just like the original installer. If the original installer requires that an install code must be entered, the deputized installer will likewise have the same requirement.