samba - Oct 2003 - Automatic Windows Patch Deployment (OS Agnostic)

A month ago I mentioned on this list work on a automated package
deployment tool for Windows systems, which is server agnostic. At the
time, I didn't have the time to put it up in a place for public
consumption. I do now.

The utility is named wpkg (punny isn't it?) It's nothing more than a
simple .js (jscript) file which needs to be run on Windows, from a
directory containing three XML files describing packages, hosts, and
profiles to be installed on a system.

Each package consists of nothing more than a set of command lines to run
on install/upgrade/removal, a version number, and a name. When the
script is run (preferably as a service at boot, using srvany.exe, or
FireDaemon), it checks a local C:\$SYS$\System32\wpkg.xml file, which
lists the package entries of locally installed packages, determines
which new packages are available, and attempts to install them according
to their command lines, and reboots if neccassary.

It is very simple, but I've now been running it for a week, with about
10 boxes (about to roll it out to all my systems), and it is totally
successful. It's very easy to add new packages, or upgade existing
packages, and then force a system wide reboot.

I am sending it to the list because I imagine there are similar Windows
administrators out there, running Samba (or not) that need a good
software deployment utility. Microsoft's SUS sort of requires IIS, SMS
isn't much better. Also, I would like people to check it out, and submit
patches, or changes, or new features to me, so that I may make use of
them too. :)

The source code is currently hosted on my subversion repository, at:

http://jack.feedbackplusinc.com/svn/repos/wpkg/

Username: guest
Password: your email address

The package is released under the GPL. (Can one of you license guru's
tell me if the GPL is appropiate for a windows patcher written in
jscript?)

Enjoy.

--

My current setup is using this sytem, with FireDaemon to launch the
service at start. Soon as Monday rolls around, im going to play with the
ResKit's srvany.exe program.

-- 
Jerry Haltom <jhaltom@feedbackplusinc.com>
Feedback Plus, Inc.

On Sun, 2003-10-26 at 12:16, Jerry Haltom wrote:
> A month ago I mentioned on this list work on a automated package
> deployment tool for Windows systems, which is server agnostic. At the
> time, I didn't have the time to put it up in a place for public
> consumption. I do now.
> 
> The utility is named wpkg (punny isn't it?) It's nothing more than
a
> simple .js (jscript) file which needs to be run on Windows, from a
> directory containing three XML files describing packages, hosts, and
> profiles to be installed on a system.
> 
> Each package consists of nothing more than a set of command lines to run
> on install/upgrade/removal, a version number, and a name. When the
> script is run (preferably as a service at boot, using srvany.exe, or
> FireDaemon), it checks a local C:\$SYS$\System32\wpkg.xml file, which
> lists the package entries of locally installed packages, determines
> which new packages are available, and attempts to install them according
> to their command lines, and reboots if neccassary.
Have you considered making it look in the registry for the hotfix keys? 
For sites which are not deployed from scratch, this could help move to
this central system, without needing to standardise all the machines
from scratch.  
> It is very simple, but I've now been running it for a week, with about
> 10 boxes (about to roll it out to all my systems), and it is totally
> successful. It's very easy to add new packages, or upgade existing
> packages, and then force a system wide reboot.
> 
> I am sending it to the list because I imagine there are similar Windows
> administrators out there, running Samba (or not) that need a good
> software deployment utility. Microsoft's SUS sort of requires IIS, SMS
> isn't much better. Also, I would like people to check it out, and
submit
> patches, or changes, or new features to me, so that I may make use of
> them too. :)
As I mentioned on IRC, the big thing I think it needs is a GPG signature
over the patch repository, to try and prevent spoofs.
> The source code is currently hosted on my subversion repository, at:
> 
> http://jack.feedbackplusinc.com/svn/repos/wpkg/
> 
> Username: guest
> Password: your email address
> 
> The package is released under the GPL. (Can one of you license guru's
> tell me if the GPL is appropiate for a windows patcher written in
> jscript?)
Well, it doesn't have much of a binary form, but the GPL works pretty
well for almost anything :-)
> Enjoy.
I certainly will :-)

Andrew Bartlett
> --
> 
> My current setup is using this sytem, with FireDaemon to launch the
> service at start. Soon as Monday rolls around, im going to play with the
> ResKit's srvany.exe program.
> 
> -- 
> Jerry Haltom <jhaltom@feedbackplusinc.com>
> Feedback Plus, Inc.
-- 
Andrew Bartlett                                 abartlet@pcug.org.au
Manager, Authentication Subsystems, Samba Team  abartlet@samba.org
Student Network Administrator, Hawker College   abartlet@hawkerc.net
http://samba.org     http://build.samba.org     http://hawkerc.net
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Hi,
as far as i studied your scripts, this will only deploy
msi packs , am i right ?
so far ,wonderfull idea but at my knowledge you can do this
with netlogon scripts too  i.e if you check the registrty at logon
and if not exist the wanted pack, install it via batch and the quit option
which is included
to msi, reinstall should work just the same.
after all wonderfull work , i will test it...but a deploy system
for all kind of packs would be the greatest ...do you have any idea about
that with freeware.
on freshmeat there is only one project "unattended" which relates in
this
stuff
it is a complex perl thing... i would preffer a more simple solution
lets stay in contact about that....
best Regards
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jerry Haltom" <jhaltom@feedbackplusinc.com>
To: <samba@lists.samba.org>
Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2003 2:16 AM
Subject: [Samba] Automatic Windows Patch Deployment (OS Agnostic)

> A month ago I mentioned on this list work on a automated package
> deployment tool for Windows systems, which is server agnostic. At the
> time, I didn't have the time to put it up in a place for public
> consumption. I do now.
>
> The utility is named wpkg (punny isn't it?) It's nothing more than
a
> simple .js (jscript) file which needs to be run on Windows, from a
> directory containing three XML files describing packages, hosts, and
> profiles to be installed on a system.
>
> Each package consists of nothing more than a set of command lines to run
> on install/upgrade/removal, a version number, and a name. When the
> script is run (preferably as a service at boot, using srvany.exe, or
> FireDaemon), it checks a local C:\$SYS$\System32\wpkg.xml file, which
> lists the package entries of locally installed packages, determines
> which new packages are available, and attempts to install them according
> to their command lines, and reboots if neccassary.
>
> It is very simple, but I've now been running it for a week, with about
> 10 boxes (about to roll it out to all my systems), and it is totally
> successful. It's very easy to add new packages, or upgade existing
> packages, and then force a system wide reboot.
>
> I am sending it to the list because I imagine there are similar Windows
> administrators out there, running Samba (or not) that need a good
> software deployment utility. Microsoft's SUS sort of requires IIS, SMS
> isn't much better. Also, I would like people to check it out, and
submit
> patches, or changes, or new features to me, so that I may make use of
> them too. :)
>
> The source code is currently hosted on my subversion repository, at:
>
> http://jack.feedbackplusinc.com/svn/repos/wpkg/
>
> Username: guest
> Password: your email address
>
> The package is released under the GPL. (Can one of you license guru's
> tell me if the GPL is appropiate for a windows patcher written in
> jscript?)
>
> Enjoy.
>
> --
>
> My current setup is using this sytem, with FireDaemon to launch the
> service at start. Soon as Monday rolls around, im going to play with the
> ResKit's srvany.exe program.
>
> -- 
> Jerry Haltom <jhaltom@feedbackplusinc.com>
> Feedback Plus, Inc.
>
> -- 
> To unsubscribe from this list go to the following URL and read the
> instructions:  http://lists.samba.org/mailman/listinfo/samba
>
>

Hi @all,
i just played around to have an universal deploy solution which
is simple and handy
the tool autoit ( its a keyboard simulator for windows )
is a tricky freeware way to distribute every software you might need.
with netlogon you can check if software is installed if not than
you can start a from an autoit compiled exe to install the software from
samba server
This is not a prof solution which may work in big networks but it is free
and simple.
i use it to implement antivir free version everytime a winclient joins the
domain and has no antivirus.
also i created the update service for antivir ( which is no service in the
free version )
maybe someone is interested in that stuff
Regards
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jerry Haltom" <jhaltom@feedbackplusinc.com>
To: <samba@lists.samba.org>
Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2003 2:16 AM
Subject: [Samba] Automatic Windows Patch Deployment (OS Agnostic)

> A month ago I mentioned on this list work on a automated package
> deployment tool for Windows systems, which is server agnostic. At the
> time, I didn't have the time to put it up in a place for public
> consumption. I do now.
>
> The utility is named wpkg (punny isn't it?) It's nothing more than
a
> simple .js (jscript) file which needs to be run on Windows, from a
> directory containing three XML files describing packages, hosts, and
> profiles to be installed on a system.
>
> Each package consists of nothing more than a set of command lines to run
> on install/upgrade/removal, a version number, and a name. When the
> script is run (preferably as a service at boot, using srvany.exe, or
> FireDaemon), it checks a local C:\$SYS$\System32\wpkg.xml file, which
> lists the package entries of locally installed packages, determines
> which new packages are available, and attempts to install them according
> to their command lines, and reboots if neccassary.
>
> It is very simple, but I've now been running it for a week, with about
> 10 boxes (about to roll it out to all my systems), and it is totally
> successful. It's very easy to add new packages, or upgade existing
> packages, and then force a system wide reboot.
>
> I am sending it to the list because I imagine there are similar Windows
> administrators out there, running Samba (or not) that need a good
> software deployment utility. Microsoft's SUS sort of requires IIS, SMS
> isn't much better. Also, I would like people to check it out, and
submit
> patches, or changes, or new features to me, so that I may make use of
> them too. :)
>
> The source code is currently hosted on my subversion repository, at:
>
> http://jack.feedbackplusinc.com/svn/repos/wpkg/
>
> Username: guest
> Password: your email address
>
> The package is released under the GPL. (Can one of you license guru's
> tell me if the GPL is appropiate for a windows patcher written in
> jscript?)
>
> Enjoy.
>
> --
>
> My current setup is using this sytem, with FireDaemon to launch the
> service at start. Soon as Monday rolls around, im going to play with the
> ResKit's srvany.exe program.
>
> -- 
> Jerry Haltom <jhaltom@feedbackplusinc.com>
> Feedback Plus, Inc.
>
> -- 
> To unsubscribe from this list go to the following URL and read the
> instructions:  http://lists.samba.org/mailman/listinfo/samba
>
>