[wpkg-users] Reflections on a new application deployment software.

[heiko.helmle at horiba.com]

wpkg-users-bounces at lists.wpkg.org wrote on 14.06.2011 23:32:37:

> I'm currently thinking about a new deployment tool software for 

You might want to take a look at ocsinventory (
http://www.ocsinventory-ng.org/). It might scratch your itch :)

> Microsoft systems (XP/Vista/7) like WPKG but with the following 
functions:
> - Installed directly as a Windows service (no cscript)

I understand this. wpkg.js is a good concept but it suffers from lots of 
bugs and limitations in WSH. If cscript would not be the steaming pile of 
* that it is, I'd love it.

Updates are no concern. wpkg.js hasn't seen a release since 2009. Even the 
bugfixes in SVN are still unreleased.

> - Retrieve the list of the packages to be installed on the computer from 

> an HTTP server (a PHP script that queries an LDAP directory to choose a 
> database or xml file like Profiles.xml). The description of the packages 

> could be an XML file whose format is identical to WPKG.

you can already do that with wpkg. (with wpkgexpress)

> - Retrieving of files (installation programs) from an HTTP server

Dito - but be aware - wpkg uses cscript to retrieve HTML - and will load 
everything in RAM before dumping to disk. If you try to the a 
notes-install this way off to the swapfile you go :)

Workaround is getting a wget.exe and calling that to retrieve your files. 

> - Signing packages and files to ensure they have not been altered and 
> nobody use this tool to install other software.

This is definitely a weak point in wpkg that's not easily fixed. As the 
main program is not run locally, there's not even a point in signing the 
data files.

> - Sends the installation state through the HTTP server (a PHP script 
> that stores information in a DB)

you can already do that with wpkg. Just upload the wpkg.xml as a 
post-script.


Best Regards
        Heiko
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