In this post I will briefly discuss using Google Analytics in conjunction with Silverlight, to track the version installed and your application usage patterns.

Following on from Nikhil Kothari's blog entry on Tracking Silverlight-enabled Browsers via Analytics I have made a few tweaks to the original JavaScript that can be placed at the end of your HTML document after pageTracker has been initialised to provide for the following.

• A change from the old __utmSetVar function in the urchin.js tracking to the new pageTracker._setVar in ga.js version for the following reasons.
• A check for Linux to distinguish between Moonlight usage versus Silverlight.

Based on this information it may help you further refine your Silverlight strategy based on your visitors e.g.

• The split in visitor numbers between Silverlight Version 1 or 2. Important in terms of:
  
  • Install experience.
  • Documentation on why the user should upgrade (Features/Differences).
  • What messages should be displayed to the user of an older Version 1.0 client.
  • Compatibility with the upcoming Silverlight 1.0 for Mobile which will initially only support Version 1.
• Determine the cross platform use of your application.
• The possible need to cater for font availability across different operating systems.

Also as indicated in the comments of Nikhil's blog post Jeff Wilcox has a great post Using Google Analytics with rich (managed) web applications in Silverlight that explores how to integrate tracking within your Silverlight application.

            <
            script
            type
            ="text/javascript"
            >
          

            function getSilverlightVersion() {

            var version = '';

            var container = null;

            try {

            var control = null;

            var product = 'Silverlight';

            if ( navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Linux")!=-1)
product="Moonlight";

            if (window.ActiveXObject) {

            control = new ActiveXObject('AgControl.AgControl');

        }

            else {

            if (navigator.plugins['Silverlight
Plug-In']) {

                container = document.createElement('div');

                document.body.appendChild(container);

                container.innerHTML= '<embed
type="application/x-silverlight" src="data:," />';

                control = container.childNodes[0];

            }

        }

            if (control) {

            if (control.isVersionSupported('2.0'))
{ version = product + '/2.0'; }

            else
            if (control.isVersionSupported('1.0'))
{ version = product + '/1.0'; }

        }

    }

            catch (e) { }

            if (container) {

        document.body.removeChild(container);

    }

            return version;

}

            if ( pageTracker )

    pageTracker._setVar(getSilverlightVersion()); 

            </
            script
            >
          

Wanting to dip your toe in an see the current state of Moonlight under Linux or check the compatibility of your Silverlight 1.0 application with Moonlight then read on.

Until recently to install Moonlight you had two choices:

1. Use the non multimedia version from the official Moonlight Download page.
2. Compile from the source files for full Moonlight multimedia support.

Fortunately there is a precompiled package on the Third Party openSUSE site that allows a relatively easy install process for openSUSE. In this post I am going to walk through the process of setting up the current Moonlight Build 0.7 that is available as a 1 Click install within OpenSUSE 10.2 or newer using Microsoft Virtual PC 2007.

• Download openSUSE LiveCD Version 11 from the download site. For this post I have used the KDE version.
• Install of the Live CD onto the Virtual Hard Disk.
• Optional update of network settings for DNS server. This is only required if you cannot access the Internet by default from within the virtual client.
• Online update to get security updates and latest Version 3.0 Firefox browser.
• Install of Moonlight from PackMan using 1-Click install.
• Install of Microsoft TrueType fonts to ensure correct rendering in the browser.
  

01-VPC Install

01-Virtual PC-Setup New

02-Create A Virtual Machine

03-Name The Machine

04-Select Other Operating System

05-Finish To Complete

06-Start The Virtual Machine

07-Capture The Live Cd Iso

08-Start Open SUSE 11

09-Close Welcome Dialog

10-Select Install From Desktop

11-Agree To License Terms And Click Next

12-Select Timezone And Next

13-Accept Default Partitions

14-Enter User Name And Password

15-Review Install And Click Install

16-Click Install To Confirm

17-Click OK And Release Iso

18-Next To Reboot

19-Will Startup For First Time Time

20-Close Dialog

02-Network Setup (Optional)

01-Select YAST To Administer Settings

02-Enter Password Setup Earlier For Admin User

03-Select Network Devices And Click On Network settings

04-Select Hostname_DNS Tab Uncheck Update DNS data Via DHCP and Enter External Nameserver

05-Click Finish

06-Configuration

03-Update

01-Review and Accept Updates

02-Click Continue To Accept Changes

03-Online Update

04-Post Install Firefox3 Accept Agreement

04-Install Moonlight

01-Open Firefox-Navigate To Packman For Libmoon

02-Click OK To Open With YAST

03-Click Next To Accept Changes

04-Click Next To Accept Install

05-Click Yes To Accept Changes

06-Enter Admin Password To Allow Packages To Be Installed

07-Import The Public Key For Pack Man

08-Click Finish

09-Close And Reopen The Browser

05-Fonts

01-Open Fonts Page

02-Save Fonts Rpm

03-Close Dialog And Browser

04-Enter The Admin Password

06-Sound

01-Open YAST Hardware And Select Sound

02-Scan For Old Hardware

03-Edit

04-Add Card- Select Creative Labs SB16

05-Advanced Options

06-Select Advanced Options

06-Test The Sound

07-Finish

08-Will Save Sound Changes

09-Install alsatools

07-Troubleshooting

Boot Options