[wpkg-users] Can WPKG install packages while user is at desktop - Lets move on the 2nd problem

[Rainer Meier]

Hi Steve,

Steve Handy wrote:
> One more thing though. Why is it that when I uninstall the firefox, and then run the cscript \\.... /sync.., the program doesn't install.

As written already many times either you used execute="once" or the 
checks still evaluated true. In case (parts) of an application is still 
running it is quite common that the uninstall entry is not entirely 
removed until the next reboot (when uninstall is finished, files are 
removed and uninstall entry is cleanded). So WPKG might still find the 
uninstall entries unless you reboot and therefore thinks the application 
is still installed.


> Let's move on Rainer:
> 
>  So basically what I have I good. Great. Okay, now here is the 2nd dilemma.
> 
> We have employees here at my organization. They have offsite laptops. Currently they use the Windows PPTP VPN client to connect to the company from outside. When they initially boot, they DO NOT HAVE a network connection established. (So  WPKG will NOT install software at this point). When they arrive at their respective desktops, they establish a network connection via Sprint broadband air cards they have. They then click the VPN icon to establish a VPN connection into the company.

 > Here is where WPKG comes in, I need the WPKG to execute the cscript 
\\Store1\WPKG\wkpg.js /Synchronize /quiet and check for packages that 
need to be installed. (and install if necessary).
 >
 > How do I make this happen?

Well, you don't need WPKG to invoke itself as you wrote. You need to 
configure your VPN software to run WPKG when the connection is up and 
running. I know that some VPN clients (OpenVPN for sure) allows you to 
define some scripts to be run after connection establishment. There you 
can simply add a batch script to execute WPKG.

Today I wrote already as an answer to another request that you might 
simply run the WPKG service from command line instead of manually 
invoking the wpkg.js script. Of course this only applies if you 
installed WPKG client and the service is available. If yes, then you 
might use the command

net start WpkgService

to run the WPKG service again. This works perfectly fine if you 
configure WPKG client to terminate after wpkg.js terminated (see 
configuration). If not, then you might need to execute 'net stop' before 
to terminate the still running service:

net stop WpkgService
net start WpkgService


NOTE: The user executing this commands needs privileges to start/stop 
Windows services.

Alternatively you might execute WPKG on a regular base using the Windows 
task scheduler (twice per day? up to you...).
WARNING: If you run wpkg.js manually (using 'cscript ....' then all 
variables defined in WPKG client are not defined. You need to write a 
small batch script which is doing this part of WPKG client if you like 
to do so. Something like:

@echo off
set SOFTWARE=...
cscript ....\wpkg.js /synchronize


> In addition we are now eliminating the PPTP VPN client method and using a SSL VPN method where our employees are taken to a webpage via a public url https://portal.callglobalcom.com and thru active x components are brought "inside the company" How can WPKG work in this scenario? The SSL VPN is created by a Sonic Wall device.

Again, you need to ask your VPN provider how to implement a 
post-connection script where you can run WPKG. Or just run it regularly 
using the task scheduler.

Most VPN solutions should support such a requirement. If not then you 
can go for the task scheduling option or ask users to execute the 
software update manually after connection (which is the last option I 
would go for).
If you need to use the task scheduler you can (AFAIR) create a task 
which is run as the SYSTEM user. Just execute the 'net start 
WpkgService' command as described above by such a task. If you do this 
twice a day it will not affect users too much. Recent versions of WPKG 
client also allow you to check server connectivity first. So if WPKG 
client (invoked by 'net start WpkgService') discovers that your 
'server.companydomain.local' does not exist, then it will even not try 
to invoke wpkg.js and terminate immediately.


HTH,
Rainer


HTH,
Rainer