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WPKG with Samba

1,338 bytes added, 21:38, 12 October 2005
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* extremely small footprint on the server: no additional service/daemon is started
* keep inventory of software installed on your Windows workstations
 
== How WPKG works ==
WPKG keeps its configuration in three XML files, which can be changed easily in an editor like ''vi'' or ''mcedit'', or even automatically.
These XML files are:* [[hosts.xml]] - defines the hosts and associated profiles, which these hosts will use.,* [[profiles.xml]] - defines the software packages or scripts, which will be installed/executed on hosts.,* [[packages.xml]] - defines how to install and uninstall software packages. In other words, it is a list of all applications and scripts that can be deployed or executed on workstations. There is also one more file, [[wpkg.js]], which we can call a "WPKG engine". It is written in JScript, and is executed by the workstations.  === Server side (Samba) === You don't have to run any additional software on your Samba server to use WPKG.<br>You only need a share, accessible by the workstations, with the files used by WPKG: [[wpkg.js]] ("WPKG engine"), [[hosts.xml]] (host names, which will use WPKG), [[profiles.xml]] (which host will use which profile) and [[packages .xml]] (applications and scripts that can be deployed or executed on workstations). Of course, you also need a folder, where you will store your applications, scripts etc. - in other words - everything that you need to install or run on your workstations.  === Client side (Windows workstations) === Your Windows workstations will not be aware of WPKG just because you created an additional share on your Samba server. They need to be told to use WPKG first. All you need to use WPKG on a Windows workstation is to run a command like below: <code>cscript \\server\wpkg\wpkg.js /synchronize /quiet</code> You will likely run it manually as a local or domain Administrator when you would be still testing WPKG (just open a command line using menu Start -> Run -> cmd). When you finally configure everything the way you like, you will want to run it automatically on each of your dozens or hundreds of workstations.
There is also one more file, [[wpkg.js]], which we can call a "WPKG engine".
== WPKG installation ==