[wpkg-users] wpkg software deployment using bittorrent

[Rob Bos]

On 13-07-10 01:32 PM, Carlos R. Pasqualini wrote:
>
>
> This transfers the installer of say 'bigpackage', but you need to start
> the install process per se.
> how do you manage this two, may be separate, process inside wpkg?

Two install commands; the first transfers the data, the second runs the 
installer.

Here is eg a Matlab installer example.

     <install architecture='x64' cmd='%TORRENTCMD% 
"%SDP%\torrents\Matlab#R2012a.x64.torrent" "%LOCALCACHE%\%PKG_PATH%" > 
%LOG_TORRENT%' />
     <install cmd='"%LOCALCACHE%\%PKG_PATH%\bin\%ARCH%\setup.exe" 
-inputFile "%LOCALCACHE%\%PKG_PATH%\installer_input.txt' />

As for deleting the data, I suppose you'd just do it as an install 
command. I leave the data on the local computer because disk is cheap, 
many installers require media for uninstallation, and because later 
upgrades may also need the full data plus a patch file or something.

eg

     <install cmd="cmd /c rmdir /s /q %LOCALCACHE%\%PKG_PATH%" />


> you put those commands inside the package definition of the 'bigpackage'
> installer or you use some kind of two packages, one for the transfer and
> a second one for the install process (that depends on the transfer)?
>
> the use of '--bt-exclude-tracker=*' and later using your own tracker is
> for the client to not search for the torrent on the public internet? we
> need to specify that we want to search for it on our LAN only?

I did that so that the tracker specified in the torrent would be 
ignored, and a department could specify their own. We have campuses in 
three cities, and the federated package deployment requires that local 
lan admins have absolute control. So the design lets lan admins run 
their own torrent server to save bandwidth over inter-campus links. 
Don't really want city A desktops sharing data with city B desktops.

I create the torrents with "localhost" as the tracker by default, and 
let the script pick the correct one.

>
> Why only 10 minutes in --seed-time=10? why not more time? is a resource
> hungry on the workstation? do this seed process create some interference
> with the user's use of the workstation?

It seemed right. Also, processes backgrounded from a WPKG prevent 
wpkg.js exiting, so the package installs, but WPKG doesn't exit until 
the torrent time is finished. If you figure out how to fix that, let me 
know.


>
> i haven't found any cleanup process of the local save path. how do you
> manage old installers removal? may be adding a delete subroutine in
> the :seed section, but we need to check if the program has been
> installed correctly too, or may be launch the cleanup on the next
> version of this package... just guessing

As above, stick the deletion into the WPKG package so you can do it as 
appropriate for the package. Some require the media to be kept around 
for uninstall.