Thanks,
Aaron
Update existing program, do not install new programs
Update existing program, do not install new programs
We have recently purchased Chocolatey for Labtech through Plugins4Automate. We only want to update currently installed applications. We have the application installer OFF, but the application updater ON. It is reporting that the maintenance master switch is OFF and is not currently updating anything. I pasted some screenshots below. Is there a way to only update applications and not install?
Thanks,
Aaron
Thanks,
Aaron
Re: Update existing program, do not install new programs
Here is a quick read on getting started https://www.plugins4automate.com/pages/ ... tart-guide
Understand how Chocolatey works will help greatly in your efforts to use it as a global app manager. Chocolatey community edition has to be told what apps are on what agents before it can start updating them. How you do this is to tell Chocolatey to "install" Google (as an example) to the agent. The agent already has google installed but Chocolatey does not know this in the community edition. So by telling Chocolatey to install Google it will attempt the install, see that google already exists at the current version or newer and now associates google with the package of google you pushed. If google on the agent was older then the Chocolatey version then Chocolatey would "install/upgrade" the newer package and then would start maintaining that [package moving forward.
So the scenario is:
#1 package does not exist on agent, Chocolatey will install then update.
#2 package exists on agent and is older then Chocolatey package, Agent gets updated during install then is updated there after.
#3 package exist on agent and is newer or the same as chocolatey package, install is skipped during install process and association of package is made with chocolatey and chocolatey will update moving forward.
In all 3 scenarios you must first install before updates will work as Chocolatey does not know what package you chosen from repo that ties to a installed app on agent yet.
So with plugin, you can either install or install and update. Where install may actually not install anything is packages and current install is current.
Use the excludes to prevent agents from installing packages they do not already have installed.
Understand how Chocolatey works will help greatly in your efforts to use it as a global app manager. Chocolatey community edition has to be told what apps are on what agents before it can start updating them. How you do this is to tell Chocolatey to "install" Google (as an example) to the agent. The agent already has google installed but Chocolatey does not know this in the community edition. So by telling Chocolatey to install Google it will attempt the install, see that google already exists at the current version or newer and now associates google with the package of google you pushed. If google on the agent was older then the Chocolatey version then Chocolatey would "install/upgrade" the newer package and then would start maintaining that [package moving forward.
So the scenario is:
#1 package does not exist on agent, Chocolatey will install then update.
#2 package exists on agent and is older then Chocolatey package, Agent gets updated during install then is updated there after.
#3 package exist on agent and is newer or the same as chocolatey package, install is skipped during install process and association of package is made with chocolatey and chocolatey will update moving forward.
In all 3 scenarios you must first install before updates will work as Chocolatey does not know what package you chosen from repo that ties to a installed app on agent yet.
So with plugin, you can either install or install and update. Where install may actually not install anything is packages and current install is current.
Use the excludes to prevent agents from installing packages they do not already have installed.
Re: Update existing program, do not install new programs
Cubert,
Thanks for the thorough explanation. For our uses, we need to have the 3rd party updater to detect existing installs and update only those. We do not want it to install programs that do not exist on the client, only update existing ones. For this reason, this product doesn't fit our business. If this feature is every implemented, we would be more than happy to resubscribe, as this is a great product for the price.
Thanks for the thorough explanation. For our uses, we need to have the 3rd party updater to detect existing installs and update only those. We do not want it to install programs that do not exist on the client, only update existing ones. For this reason, this product doesn't fit our business. If this feature is every implemented, we would be more than happy to resubscribe, as this is a great product for the price.
Re: Update existing program, do not install new programs
Sorry it's not a fit. If Chocolatey.org puts out a community framework that includes those options we will make sure the plugin supports it.
Re: Update existing program, do not install new programs
It looks like you started updating C4A to have the ability to accept the licensed versions of Chocolatey. Will this be coming for C4L and will it include the MSP features like what the user was describing above?
Also, any reason we couldn't have the plugin look at the "Software" installed on a machine and "Install/Update" only for what it finds as a workaround to not buying the expensive MSP package? We had looked at scripting this out and it should be fairly doable. You'd just have to match the "App Name" to the "Package Name" validate if Choco sees it already. If not then do an install. If it is already managed then you are good.
Thoughts?
Also, any reason we couldn't have the plugin look at the "Software" installed on a machine and "Install/Update" only for what it finds as a workaround to not buying the expensive MSP package? We had looked at scripting this out and it should be fairly doable. You'd just have to match the "App Name" to the "Package Name" validate if Choco sees it already. If not then do an install. If it is already managed then you are good.
Thoughts?
Re: Update existing program, do not install new programs
It would need to be a bit more complex than that.
We would need to keep a database of app names to repo packages so that as we went and read through the agents software list we would know that "Google Chrome" actually meant the chocolatey repo package "googolchrominstall". We (as in You) would need a place where you could enter and manage those associations so as package names and app names changed you could keep the list up to date. Then we would need to write a program to use that list, review an agents software, determine if software is out of date and then apply updates if needed.
Chocolatey has 4000 posible packages so the app list could get unyielding to manage by hand. People would want someone to maintain a common list that could be downloaded and applied automatically on a week to week basis so we would then need to build and maintain both the software to get and store list as well as the list itself.
I would say this is starting to sound like it's own plugin and not part of a current plugin. Now if we just knew someone who developed plugins that would pick up such a job....
We would need to keep a database of app names to repo packages so that as we went and read through the agents software list we would know that "Google Chrome" actually meant the chocolatey repo package "googolchrominstall". We (as in You) would need a place where you could enter and manage those associations so as package names and app names changed you could keep the list up to date. Then we would need to write a program to use that list, review an agents software, determine if software is out of date and then apply updates if needed.
Chocolatey has 4000 posible packages so the app list could get unyielding to manage by hand. People would want someone to maintain a common list that could be downloaded and applied automatically on a week to week basis so we would then need to build and maintain both the software to get and store list as well as the list itself.
I would say this is starting to sound like it's own plugin and not part of a current plugin. Now if we just knew someone who developed plugins that would pick up such a job....
Re: Update existing program, do not install new programs
See, A well versed post could spawn wonders!
Plugins4Automate is about to release a new plugin that is just what the doctor ordered!
You want a simple plugin and play plugin that will allow you to upgrade applications that are already installed on the agents. You want the plugin to go see what the agent has installed and then match that software with update packages. Then automatically keep updating those packages regularly! You want it to be easy! just enable an agent or client and go without all the hub-bub configurations and approvals, Well we heard you loud and clear.
App Genie Is just around the corner so watch for its first release in the next few days!
Plugins4Automate is about to release a new plugin that is just what the doctor ordered!
You want a simple plugin and play plugin that will allow you to upgrade applications that are already installed on the agents. You want the plugin to go see what the agent has installed and then match that software with update packages. Then automatically keep updating those packages regularly! You want it to be easy! just enable an agent or client and go without all the hub-bub configurations and approvals, Well we heard you loud and clear.
- App_genie_header.png (23.51 KiB) Viewed 15381 times
Re: Update existing program, do not install new programs
Read up on our new plugin at https://www.plugins4automate.com/blogs/ ... -app-genie