[wpkg-users] WPKG client service script error on clean

Vasaris krx at takas.lt
Sat Feb 27 13:52:24 CET 2010


> Again, works here - most likely a problem on your side.
> But someone else could recommend if it works for them or not.

Would be nice. I tried visual traceroute to wpkg.org server, it seems, that there is are no problems. Therefore maybe only my route is bad.

> > Sorry, but I do not know whats does this accomplishes? Installs the client? Or runs the WPKG normal cycle?
> > 
> > I would rather stick to MSI packages, as they allow seemless upgrade, when new version is out. If it is not possible, I think, that server-mode deployment is better then.
> 
> If you have "wpkg" package defined (including WPKG Client), it will install WPK Client.

OK. I understood. wpkg.js is capable to deploy WPKG client itself. But doesn't this implies, that in such configuration, one must have two different WPKG-server side folder trees with .xml config files, sub-folders and packages? This is because WPKG client must have different tree to pull deployment information. If only one tree will be used, both AD-executed wpkg.js and the WPKG client will deploy packages twice. Or if wpkg.xml local datastore escapes this situation, then only wpkg.js will do actual deployment, and when WPKG client is run, it will have no actual jobs to do. Is this right or not?

\> As AD is not able to handle MSI parameters (although it is advertised 
> that "it handles MSI"), or install exe and such, this was one of 
> motivations to write WPKG.

Yes, it does not handle. On the other side, MSI often can be edited directly, or MST transform created to add those command line parameters. Not an intuitive way, but possible.

In any case WPKG is salvation, as MSI is not available to all software, and some software cannot be cleanly re-wrapped from .exe recorded to .msi.

>  From experience, you'll have to decide if you want to use AD to deploy packages or WPKG.
> If you decide to use both, you'll likely to get confused one day, when 
> WPKG will install some package, then AD will remove it, then WPKG will 
> install it, and so on.

I do not think so :-) If there is MSI package, it will be deplyed by Active Directory software deployment, as it fast, convienient and most of the time works OK. In case there is no MSI package, WPKG is a way to go. I do believe, that in some cases MSI package will not deploy well through AD, so WPKG can help in this case also.

> 
> If you want seamless upgrades using MSI and parameters, Microsoft recommends you to migrate to SMS.

Oh, M$ recomends to buy software assurance for 3 years in advance, don't they? ;-)

Regards,

Andrew.





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