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/t5/acrobat-reader-discussions/static-url-for-latest-reader-installer/td-p/11726802 Jan 04, 2021 Jan 04, 2021
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I'm scripting the creation of some Windows images, and would like to install Reader as part of that process. I anticipate updating the images from time-to-time, and would always like to use the then-current version of Reader. My question is:
- Is there a static URL from which I can always download the latest Reader installer?
I know that I can go to the https://get.adobe.com/reader page, fill out the form, and get a URL for a specific version. I'm also aware of the ftp://ftp.adobe.com site, but it looks like I also need to choose a specific version by name. So, what I've found so far are things like this:
What I'm hoping to find is something like this:
Thanks in advance for your help!
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17 Replies 17 Community Expert ,/t5/acrobat-reader-discussions/static-url-for-latest-reader-installer/m-p/11728329#M74671 Jan 05, 2021 Jan 05, 2021
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It's even worse than that. Adobe recently decided (without provided a proper explanation as to why) to stop uploading the newest Reader installers to the FTP site, so you can't even rely on that for getting them any longer. I do really like your idea, though, but I highly doubt it will even be implemented. It seems they want people to pass through their web-site in order to get the installers (and probably get the "optional add-ons" too).
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Community Beginner ,/t5/acrobat-reader-discussions/static-url-for-latest-reader-installer/m-p/11728844#M74684 Jan 05, 2021 Jan 05, 2021
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Ugh. That's bad news about the FTP site. But, thanks for letting me know; I'll take it off the list as a potential solution.
It's a shame that more and more vendors are going this way. I don't mind using the web form to find the installer when I'm hand-building my own workstation, but that's not a viable option for fully-automated deployment pipelines. Maybe we'll just stick with the built-in PDF readers in the web browsers instead of installing Reader.
Thanks again for taking the time to help!
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Community Expert ,/t5/acrobat-reader-discussions/static-url-for-latest-reader-installer/m-p/11728352#M74672 Jan 05, 2021 Jan 05, 2021
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You don't need that.
Open Acrobat Reader and go to : Help menu : Check for updates.
Otherwise you can set Acrobat Reader to "Automatically install updates" (Preferences : Updater).
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Community Expert ,/t5/acrobat-reader-discussions/static-url-for-latest-reader-installer/m-p/11728706#M74681 Jan 05, 2021 Jan 05, 2021
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If you manage an organization with thousands of computers that is not a viable solution. You want to be able to download the latest installer directly (preferably automatically), not via some menu item in the application.
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Community Expert ,/t5/acrobat-reader-discussions/static-url-for-latest-reader-installer/m-p/11728711#M74682 Jan 05, 2021 Jan 05, 2021
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And you want to control when updates take place, so enabling automatic updates is not desirable, either.
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Community Beginner ,/t5/acrobat-reader-discussions/static-url-for-latest-reader-installer/m-p/11728863#M74687 Jan 05, 2021 Jan 05, 2021
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Per the OP, we're installing a new instance of Reader, not updating an existing one. Do you know of a way to directly access the latest installer, without having to interact with the UI on the https://get.adobe.com/reader/ page?
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/t5/acrobat-reader-discussions/static-url-for-latest-reader-installer/m-p/11729388#M74692 Jan 05, 2021 Jan 05, 2021
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You should get a direct link when you apply for a redistribution license for Reader - without which an IT department MUST NOT install Reader. Did one come with your redistribution license? I think IT departments are expected to use SCUP catalogs these days.
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Community Beginner ,/t5/acrobat-reader-discussions/static-url-for-latest-reader-installer/m-p/11729563#M74695 Jan 05, 2021 Jan 05, 2021
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Do I understand from your reply that we'd need a redistribution license in order to install Reader on internal machines?
In this use case, we are configuring a jump/bastion server so staff have remote access to an off-site data center. It'll be one machine to start, and probably grow to a few over time. The jump server will host a handful of concurrent, interactive desktop sessions for end users.
As the IT department, we had planned to pre-install Reader on this server, because the end user representatives included it on their list of desired applications. To meet the requirements of an external security certification framework to which we are subject, end users will not have the ability to install applications on the jump server themselves; if we want Reader to be part of the deployment, we (administrators) will have to do it on their behalf.
I wouldn't think of this type of routine deployment as "redistributing" Reader, under the normal English definition of the word. But, I also haven't read the EULA. The final decision is above my pay grade, but I'd venture to say that if we have to apply for a special license to accomplish this, that we'll likely make due with another solution.
Thanks for any clarification you can provide.
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/t5/acrobat-reader-discussions/static-url-for-latest-reader-installer/m-p/11730061#M74698 Jan 05, 2021 Jan 05, 2021
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The standard EULA requires the user of the software - the sole user of the software - be the one who accepts the EULA, and any other use is in violation. It's less about distributing, it's more about who is bound by license terms and who gets the right to use. The license is important, but it is free of charge. It must be renewed, and has a number of terms to be checked carefully (such as how long you may distribute an old release). https://acrobat.adobe.com/uk/en/acrobat/pdf-reader/volume-distribution.html
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Community Beginner ,/t5/acrobat-reader-discussions/static-url-for-latest-reader-installer/m-p/11731942#M74720 Jan 06, 2021 Jan 06, 2021
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I've read the Distribution License Agreement twice now. I'm not a lawyer, so maybe I am missing something but, in general, I find that this Agreement:
- Does not appear to restrict what a reasonable person would consider "normal" use of the software
- Imposes several burdensome, ancillary restrictions
- Is ambiguous with respect to my customer's intended use case
I will refrain from itemizing the myriad questions that I have with respect to the full Agreement, and instead focus on a few points related to #3 above. To start, please allow me to ask about a comment in your previous post:
"It's less about distributing, it's more about who is bound by license terms and who gets the right to use."
I ran a test on our home PC by installing Reader using my account, then opening the app using a family member's account. I accepted the Terms and Conditions on the download page (I know that this is a different agreement than the Distribution License Agreement ; bear with me). When I opened the app using the family member account, however, I was not presented with any Terms and Conditions language, and could just start using the software.
In this case, is the family member bound by the Terms and Conditions? If so, how do they know, and when did they accept them?
This is relevant because this test simulates the same workflow that my customer wants to follow - have an administrator install the software, and end users use that software. If the act of the administrator accepting the agreement implies that end users are automatically bound by it, I think that would be fine for our environment.
So, what does the Agreement say about this use case? Honestly, I'm not sure. Most of it talks about actually "distributing" the software, in the conventional sense of the word - from a file server, on CD, bundled with a vendor's product. None of these cases apply; we're just seeking to install and use it locally, not to distribute it - even within the customer's company.
There is one section (2.3, Server Use ) that may apply to us, but it is rife with ambiguity. I'm going to include the text of that short section here, for reference:
"2.3 Server Use . Distributor may install one copy of the Software on a computer file server within Distributor’s Intranet for the sole and exclusive purpose of allowing use of the Software from an unlimited number of client computers on Distributor’s Intranet via (a) the Network File System (NFS) for UNIX versions of the Software, (b) Windows Terminal Services, (c) Citrix, or (d) similar support virtualization technology. Unless otherwise expressly permitted hereunder, no other server or network use of the Software is permitted. By way of example, the foregoing does not permit Distributor to serve the Software as an element of an Intranet or Internet hosted service."
My questions include:
- What does it mean to "install. on a computer file server" - actually installing the application on a computer that happens to be a file server, or putting a copy of the installer on the file server so other users can access it and install it on their own machines?
- Are we literally only allowed to "install one copy" in the entire enterprise?
- Do "client computers" include other servers, specifically our jump server?
- What exactly are we allowed to do on the "Windows Terminal Services" host, and how does that relate to the aforementioned "file server"?
- Does our intended use case violate the "no other server or network use" restriction?
I'm not trying to pick a fight - I truly don't understand what this paragraph describes, and am seeking to understand it.
Likewise, I'm unclear as to whether our environment qualifies as an "Intranet", as used here, and as defined in Section 1.1(E). We are planning to run this on a virtual machine in a public cloud environment. Note that by "public cloud" I mean something like AWS or Azure, and not a "private cloud" run from the customer's own data center. The jump server will reside in the public cloud environment, but will only be accessible by the customer's staff, per typical cloud authentication methods. Strictly speaking, however, this isn't the "Distributor's internal network" as stated in Section 1.1(E); it's the cloud provider's network, and our users - and only our users - will access it over the internet. Basically, we're doing normal cloud stuff, but the dated language in the definition does not appear to contemplate this modern scenario (or, again, I'm just reading it wrong).
There are plenty of other potential spoilers in this Agreement, not the least of which being Section 7, which may allow Adobe access to the customer's internal environment (which is explicitly disclaimed in Exhibit B for AIR and Flash Player, but not for Reader). I'll leave those for another post, if we get that far.
For the moment, I'd like to understand:
- Does our use case actually require a Distribution License?
- If so, does the Distribution License Agreement allow what we intend to do?
Thank you for your continued help.
