Do I need to create different Virtual Software Packages for each operating system I plan to deploy the applications to?

Q:
Sara asked, "Do I need to create different Virtual Software Packages for each operating system that the package will be deployed to?"

A:
Hi Sara. Usually, the answer is no. SVS uses variables that take into account the different configurations of an application on different operating systems. These variables are automatically created and are used for file system paths, registry values and shortcuts.

For an example, go to SVS Admin, deactivate a layer, right click and select "Edit Advanced layer properties…" The display on the Files tab is shown by variable name. If you click on the "Variables" tab, you'll see the current values of all the variables, on the local machine where you are running SVS Admin. This can help you see what the variables "really" point to!

Some applications do require different files to run correctly on different versions of Windows. Currently, in that case, you would need to build different Virtual Software Packages for each version of Windows, to ensure that the correct file versions are included. However, Wise Package Studio already includes the logic to handle multi-platform packages. The MSI format let's you build one package that installs the correct file versions based on the Windows version where the install is being run. Soon, you will be able to do the same thing with Wise Package Studio and VSP's -- SVS will use the correct version of the file, based on the Windows version the VSP is being activated on.