Revision as of 13:45, 1 September 2006

Server side

Configuration on the server side is pretty straightforward.

Samba server

If you run Samba, with security = share, add something like this to your smb.conf file:

[wpkg]
 comment = Windows Packager
 path = /home/samba/wpkg
 read only = yes
 browseable = no
 valid users = guest, nobody # Note this will _only_ allow these users to connect
 guest ok = Yes

If you run Samba, with security = user, add something like this to your smb.conf file and connect using a username and password:

[wpkg]
 comment = Windows Packager
 path = /home/samba/wpkg
 read only = yes
 browseable = no

You also have to copy hosts.xml (host definition file), packages.xml (packages definition file), profiles.xml (profiles definition file) and wpkg.js files to the above shared directory, either from within the Samba server using /home/samba/wpkg directory, or from the Windows workstation using \\server\wpkg You have to edit the configuration files: hosts.xml, packages.xml and profiles.xml to suit your needs. You don't edit wpkg.js, this is the WPKG engine.

Optionally - depending on your client setup (below) - you will also have to copy three .exe files - srvany.exe, instsrv.exe and scripten.exe, if you don't have them on your clients. To simplify, first copy them to your server - for example to /home/samba/wpkg/files - and from there distribute them to your clients. This is described in "Client side" below.

Active Directory server

If you don't run Samba, but a Windows server with Active Directory instead - your server setup should be similar (creating a share etc.).

Additionally, create a small batch script called wpkg-start.bat and put it on your server:

cscript \\server\wpkg\wpkg.js /synchronize /quiet /nonotify

Then configure your Active Directory to run this script on a workstation when it is booted.

Client side

Client side installation is also pretty easy.

Basically, you need to run wpkg.js script when the workstation boots up, like below:

cscript \\server\wpkg\wpkg.js /synchronize /quiet

It can be done in many ways. The most proper way to do it will depend on your setup, you have to decide which one to choose.

Requirements: Windows Scripting Host

wpkg requires Windows Scripting Host (WSH; also known as cscript.exe) which is shipped by default on Windows XP and higher only. The WSH shipped with Windows 2000 is too old and must be upgraded; if you've installed Internet Explorer 6 on Windows 2000, that should have upgraded WSH for you. Older versions of Windows probably don't have any WSH.

Do not confuse the two, different WSH installers: one for Windows 98, ME, and NT and another installer for 2000 and XP.

See the download for link to download WSH. See Windows Scripting Host for an automated method to install WSH using a batch file.

Starting WPKG using WPKG Installer

In August 2006 we have written a client side WPKG installer. It is distributed as a MSI package, and it can work in two modes:

• GUI - where you can point and click every aspect of your WPKG installation on a given workstation,
• CLI - command line - recommended for advanced users and for scripted installations; here parameters have to be given in the command line.

You can download WPKG Installer on the download page, usage instructions are in the package.

Other, advanced and custom installation methods