Deploying WSS 3.0 Full Templates

After the very long wait, the WSS 3.0 templates are finally ready. There are altogether 20 Site admin templates and 20 application templates. Grab them at :

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsserver/sharepoint/wssapps/templates/default.mspx

Now comes the exiciting part, the installation is totally screwed up. So far, I have not heard of anyone who got it right the very first time.

Lets see what the problem.

First thing you will need to install the core which run with a stsadm.exe. If you are not familiar with this, you probably will never find the file (thats where desktop search comes in). Anyway, its in "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\12\BIN" if that is your default.

So, cleverly, you either run with a reference like "c:stadm.exe blah blah..." or even trying to copy the *.wsp into the same directory with stsadm.exe. This is what you may see :

Command Line Error

Emm... Thats very informative. You can try and try all combinations of parameters thinking its wrong somehwere... Or just take a shortcut from me and do this :

1. Close your command prompt.
2. Go to My Computer->Property, Advance, Environment Variables.
3. Edit the Path variable to include the path of the stsadm.exe. It can be "....;"c:\....\bin"". Use the quote if necessary.
4. Open command prompt. Run "stsadm". It should run it. If not you done something wrong in step 3.
5. Now run the commands.

And automagically (Patent Pedning :P) it will work.

Now at least that will get you to add the solution. Next when you run the deploysolution, you will have an error will the parameters. For a standalone deployment, you will need to add "-immediately" behind the whole string.

It is quite likely you still have an error saying that you cannot deploy because administratative services is not running... Stuck again. Ok, this part is easy. Open command prompt and run "services.msc". Yes, its much faster to get to the services this way. Look for "Windows Sharepoint Services Administration". Run the service. If you repeat the step, you wil lsee that the deployment should be on its way and if complain you cannot run it again.

Well, I am kinda stucked again having Deployment Status : Error now... Let me take my lunch, rethink what went wrong and get back to this again.