Hello, I run a Windows domain based on Samba 3 and I am searching for a way to distribute/deploy software to clients. I.e., a user logging on to a client, software should be automatically installed or upgraded. Is there any common solution? I heard of MSI packages, but I don't know if it is necessary to create MSI packages of all installations... Thanks Florian
Florian, Please keep me updated on your findings and in particular on the solution you end up using. I believe it would be most useful to document this in the Samba-HOWTO-Collection. I look forward to your feedback. Cheers, John T. On Sunday 07 November 2004 09:04, Florian Effenberger wrote:> Hello, > > I run a Windows domain based on Samba 3 and I am searching for a way to > distribute/deploy software to clients. > > I.e., a user logging on to a client, software should be automatically > installed or upgraded. Is there any common solution? I heard of MSI > packages, but I don't know if it is necessary to create MSI packages of > all installations... > > Thanks > Florian-- John H Terpstra Samba-Team Member Phone: +1 (650) 580-8668 Author: The Official Samba-3 HOWTO & Reference Guide, ISBN: 0131453556 Samba-3 by Example, ISBN: 0131472216 Hardening Linux, ISBN: 0072254971 Other books in production.
Basically what you are looking for is called "Electronic Software Distribution" (ESD) and is far too rarely used in the industry. Honestly MSI stinks. My Opus 1 product back in 1995 is much like what MSI is today. Currently I am working on Opus 4, plus have used some vendor tools as well. The name of the game is to get the right files in the right places, the right registry entries in the right places, and BINGO! the software works. That's it! Unfortunately most people are blind to this simplistic view of computing, and end up building things like MSI which make the task far more complicated than it needs to be... and then use their bad attempts at a solution as justification for even worse ideas like Cytrix / WinFrame ideas putting all of their eggs in one basket... "gee, I I only need to keep one really big computer working then it will be easier!" but they forget that when that one system goes down, everyone is down, and they still have no automated way to get that one computer back again configured exactly the way it was before Murphy happened along. The additional duct tape like GoBack is applied... oh don't get me started! Anyway, high level overview of ESD... ftp://ftp.lueckdatasystems.com/pub/presentations/iccm2002tfm.pdf I'm slightly passionate about this topic! ;-) -- Michael Lueck Lueck Data Systems Remove the upper case letters NOSPAM to contact me directly.
Hi John,> Please keep me updated on your findings and in particular on the solution you > end up using. I believe it would be most useful to document this in the > Samba-HOWTO-Collection.Of course, will do as soon as I know something. ;-) A good page is www.gruppenrichtlinien.de , but it seems that it is impossible without manual scripting. Thanks Florian
Florian Effenberger wrote:> Hi John, > >> Please keep me updated on your findings and in particular on the >> solution you end up using. I believe it would be most useful to >> document this in the Samba-HOWTO-Collection. > > > Of course, will do as soon as I know something. ;-) > A good page is www.gruppenrichtlinien.de , but it seems that it is > impossible without manual scripting.is this page available also in English? Tomek
Florian Effenberger wrote:> Hello, > > I run a Windows domain based on Samba 3 and I am searching for a way to > distribute/deploy software to clients. > > I.e., a user logging on to a client, software should be automatically > installed or upgraded. Is there any common solution? I heard of MSI > packages, but I don't know if it is necessary to create MSI packages of > all installations...The only solution I'm aware of is MS Active Directory (distributed software installation)... But I'd be glad to get something that is Open Source, too. If you just want to install a system + your applications, try Unattended (unattended.sf.net). Tomek
Hi Thomasz,> is this page available also in English?Unfortunately not. :-( Florian
Hi Florian, just to keep it simple, there is no ultimate way for deploy software. In all solutions , free or not free, you have to repack the progs. ( some may work easy others dont ) So it depends on you what you prefer. There is a sourceforge project called unattended ( i think , with a lot of tips ) a good prof solution is netinstall. ( very prof, but expensive ) Last time i used to do it with rexecservice http://www.codeproject.com/system/remoteexec.asp?df=100&forumid=14084&exp=0&select=718310 this piece of code runs as service on win machines in addition with psexec and psinfo ( maybe wget for win )you can check the installed software on a win client maybe pump the info in a database, install or reinstall if needed ,with cpau you can make this as admin ), so this pieces gives you absolut freeware deployment service, and free to code its behavior with native dos tools and .bat-files. There is also a half prof solution from a company in germany which i looked at linuxtag. http://www.uib.de/www/download/index.html this company offers a complete solution for deploy whole windows installs and software deploy, the stuff is open source , you can rewrite if you want ,its based on debian woody server , its used in a german stateoffice so its clear it works well. the company only earns money with their repack of the packs which is needed here too. But this people really earn respect, and for smaller companies i would recommend this solution as ideal. Best Regards Florian Effenberger schrieb:> Hello, > > I run a Windows domain based on Samba 3 and I am searching for a way to > distribute/deploy software to clients. > > I.e., a user logging on to a client, software should be automatically > installed or upgraded. Is there any common solution? I heard of MSI > packages, but I don't know if it is necessary to create MSI packages of > all installations... > > Thanks > Florian
Hi! We have been using AutoIt with wpkg scripts for a while as a deployment solution with win2k workstations. It is quite simple solution but has been "good enough" for us. http://sourceforge.net/projects/wpkg/ hannu
Hi,> We have been using AutoIt with wpkg scripts for a while as a deployment > solution with win2k workstations. > It is quite simple solution but has been "good enough" for us. > > http://sourceforge.net/projects/wpkg/Thanks for the feedback, will have a look at it! :-) Florian
>>>>> "Florian" == Florian Effenberger <floeff@arcor.de> writes:Hi, Florian> I run a Windows domain based on Samba 3 and I am Florian> searching for a way to distribute/deploy software to clients. Not really samba related, but as nothing better has popped up atm : http://adamoto.sourceforge.net/ HTH Eric Masson -- Floriano veux d?truire le ng , alors pour quoi ne pas le r?susiter juste apr?s sa destruction je m'explique il ne veux plus de ce groupe ben ont en recr?e un nouveau du m?me nom -+- L in GNU - Neuneu fait des miracles -+-
Hi Eric,> Not really samba related, but as nothing better has popped up atm : > http://adamoto.sourceforge.net/Thanks, has been bookmarked! Florian
Florian Effenberger schrieb:> Hi Eric, > >> Not really samba related, but as nothing better has popped up atm : >> http://adamoto.sourceforge.net/ > > > Thanks, has been bookmarked! > > Florianlooks very nice
On Sun, Nov 07, 2004 at 05:04:29PM +0100, Florian Effenberger wrote:> Hello, > > I run a Windows domain based on Samba 3 and I am searching for a way to > distribute/deploy software to clients.Sorry for the late response, but to add to the list of responses, http://www.pcrdist.org/ has always seemed like a neat idea. It's even free now. I haven't taken the time to thoroughly try it out yet though. Ed