Install Software from Repo Cache is empty

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Cubert
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Re: Install Software from Repo Cache is empty

Post by Cubert »

You are absolutely correct. That feature is missing from the client console.

It should be there, a means to select from a list of agents to push any title available on the repo.

I will add this as a feature to the client console.

Give me a few days to get it in the que and tested and we get that out to you.

Awesome request!

Uniwan-RDE
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Re: Install Software from Repo Cache is empty

Post by Uniwan-RDE »

Hello Cubert,

Thank you for your enthusiast answer :).
This feature would be indeed awesome in this plugin.

By the way, we had to change 2 lines in the Automate script "Choclatey For Automate Service" (located in Automate at "Scripts > Maintenance > Defragmentation") to avoid some (minor) errors.
Would these changes be a useful feedback for you ?
I'm asking because I suspect you also are behind this Automate script, correct ?
Just let me know ;)

Regards,

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Cubert
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Re: Install Software from Repo Cache is empty

Post by Cubert »

We just pushed out 3.5.0.7.


Adds 2 new features.

New Push MSP License to agent from agent menu if enabled and the Mass Installer from cache control.



choco-mass-install9.png
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To mass install, select 1 or more agents from list and then select package to send. you will only see agents here that are not standalone agents. Stand alone agents can not install from a cache repo.


choco-mass-installer.png
choco-mass-installer.png (30.33 KiB) Viewed 2600 times

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Cubert
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Re: Install Software from Repo Cache is empty

Post by Cubert »

Anytime you find an error or a possible issue, please due bring it to our attention. Send us any infor you can on how to reproduce issues and what was changed to resolve and we will review and make changes as needed quickly.

Uniwan-RDE wrote: Thu May 12, 2022 3:29 pm Hello Cubert,

Thank you for your enthusiast answer :).
This feature would be indeed awesome in this plugin.

By the way, we had to change 2 lines in the Automate script "Choclatey For Automate Service" (located in Automate at "Scripts > Maintenance > Defragmentation") to avoid some (minor) errors.
Would these changes be a useful feedback for you ?
I'm asking because I suspect you also are behind this Automate script, correct ?
Just let me know ;)

Regards,

Uniwan-RDE
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Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2022 11:59 am
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Re: Install Software from Repo Cache is empty

Post by Uniwan-RDE »

Hello Cubert,

I come back to you with some feedback.

Regarding, the mass installer :
- I don't see any agent in the left field, did I miss a setting ? (s1.png)
- I noticed the text when hovering the Mass Installer icon was the same than the text of the Schedule icon (this one is not a "blocking" issue of course). (s2.png)

Regarding the "Chocolatey For Automate Service" script :
- 2 lines in the script are problematic with the actual chocolatey instructions (s3.png)
The "-version" parameter has to be used as "--version". An error is thrown when using "-version" and the version is not detected correctly.
The "-source" parameter was also changed for "--source" for consistency but both are working fine.

In a more general way, there is a very interesting note in chocolatey manual (choco --help), about the scripting best practices and the deprecated use of some commands. Maybe the automate script could be updated to reflect those changes, better be ready before the release version 2.0.0 :).

Finally, I have a suggestion for two new feature requests :

1- Would it be possible to have a similar menu than the "Update Scheduler" but for installation (initial deployment).
The scenario would be the following :
When a new agent joins an already set-up Client, a list of pre-selected software are automatically installed on this agent.
Right now, we can manually mass install a software on several agents, but we would like to avoid the manual initial deployment of the software for every new agent that joins Automate.

2- Is there a way to use Automate groups in this plugin ? For example a way to map a list of applications on a Automate group would allow the previous feature request to be more "flexible" by not beeing applied only all the client agents.

Thank you for the support.
Let me know if you need any more info or if you need me to open a new thread.


Regards,
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Cubert
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Re: Install Software from Repo Cache is empty

Post by Cubert »

Thanks for the heads up, a lot of our original Chocolatey stuff resides in our processes from as far back as supporting XP. It is good that Chocolatey is changing to a more common standard. We will of course change with them.

As for the main issues, We updated our script to reflect the changes from single dash to double dash. Expect your script to update automatically.

Your second issue should also be resolved with build 3.5.0.8

Build 3.5.0.8

See if that fixes you up.

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Cubert
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Re: Install Software from Repo Cache is empty

Post by Cubert »

As for the requests features, I do not see why not. Let me look over that process and see how to best tie it in.


You need to be able to create the list of apps and have a few options to trigger if desired.

Only work stations, only servers, only new agents, etc...

Uniwan-RDE
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Re: Install Software from Repo Cache is empty

Post by Uniwan-RDE »

Hello Cubert,

I come back to you with more infos :

- Mass installer works nice since version 3.5.0.8. Even though, the hovering-text is still not correct (but that's clearly a minor thing).
- The "doubles-dash" issue is confirmed working as well.

- Regarding the previous "auto-deploy" feature requests, here is the ideal scenario for us :

The situation :
- Choco is enabled for one Automate client and 7zip package (for example) is maintained up-to-date by the plugin on all the agents of this location.
- 7-zip is added to the (not existing yet) "auto-deploy/auto-install" list for agents of this client only.

When :
- A new agent joins the client

Then :
- Choco framework is installed on this new agent (I think this is already the case event though I didn't have a chance to try this one yet).
- And the packages that are in the "auto-deploy/auto-install" list are installed automatically on this new agent.

This way everytime a new Automate agent is installed on a new machine, the pre-selected apps for this client are automatically installed without manual intervention.


The second request (less priority) would be to be able to use the already existing Automate groups, so we could be more flexible with the target agents, not beeing restricted only by the "All agents / Clients agents / One agents" segmentation.


Also, I don't know if it is a feature request or just something I do wrong, but is there a way to pass chocolatey parameters to a package installation ?
Example : I would like to install the VLC package like this :
vlc --params "/Language:en"
vlc --params "/Language:fr"

This is something we managed to do with the old Chocolatey For LabTech plugin but it didn't seem to work with this Chocolatey for Automate one.
If I remember correctly my first tests with this Chocolatey For Automate plugin, using "vlc --params "/Language:en"" as package name is failing at the version check step or when trying to download the package (I can do more trying to be more precise if you need).
I tried the twos differents syntaxes recommended by Chocolatey (cmd vs powershell) but the behaviour is the same in Automate.


Finally, I noticed that chocolatey dependencies were not resolved automatically.
For example : the Firefox package depends of the "chocolatey-core.extension" package, which itself depends of the "chocolatey-compatibility.extension" package.
So to be able to install Firefox, I need to first install the "chocolatey-compatibility.extension" package then the "chocolatey-core.extension" package and finally the "Firefox" package.
If I try to install "Firefox" only, the script returns an error saying dependencies are not satisfied (mentionning the missing dependent package).
When I use chocolatey without Automate, a "choco install Firefox" resolves the dependencies and automatically installs the dependent package(s).
Maybe this is a normal behaviour of the choco plugin. I was just curious if this dependencies resolution could be integrated.

Let me know if you need any more infos/details/tests.


Regards,

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Cubert
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Re: Install Software from Repo Cache is empty

Post by Cubert »

Thanks for the extra info on the requested feature.

We use the package nae in many different functions and adding extra prams like old versions is not supported here. You can use it in the "Install package from repo" tool but not as automated commands.

The dependency issue is odd. It maybe do to the fact we are redirecting to a local cache so if not on that cache it can not execute that added package.

Our work around for that in the past is to add it to the repo list using the search tool to add it to available packages. Then approve and push out theses packages to respective agents. I will look at what we can do to help facilitate that.

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