Support Forum

Hi everyone,

It's my first post and I'm fairly new to these plugins so please forgive me if I'm asking really stupid questions.

I have followed the documentation and the YouTube videos for setting up the Chocolatey for Automate plugin and I'm afraid it doesn't seem to be working at all. I'm really hoping one of you can point me in the right direction at an appropriate guide please as either I'm missing something or the guides I am looking at don't match up to the current plugin or Automate versions.

At the top level (Tools > Chocolatey for Automate) it has 25 pre-defined app packages in there but they all show the available app version as "None" and I can see that should be populated with a version number based on the documentation and screenshots available. Most of the app packages are set to be Enabled by default.

At the client level (Browse > Clients > clientname > Open) I have ticked Enable Workstations and can see the one enabled agent (this is a test client with only a single workstation), however it shows a Red indicator under "current" and I can't see what that means apart from that I see it is green in the screenshots on here.

On the same screen, Managed Applications is empty so I'm not able to enable installing or updating any apps for the client.

Like I said, I probably messed up somewhere and I bet it's a real simple thing like a tick box somewhere but if someone could please put me out of my misery that would be amazing.

Thank you so much.

Kind regards,

Alan

Since you are running a single agent, set the agent in plugin to standalone. This will cause it to have agent talk directly to repo.

Next run a scan via Launch Scan, you will see plugin show its pushing scan to agent in plugin title area. Now open agent console and look at Scripts log.



You should see the Chocolatey For Automate script scheduled/running.

This script should....

1. Look for Chocolatey framework on agent and if missing installs it.

• If chocolatey found it will request all currently installed software Via chocolatey framework

- This generates the current list of software installed on agents and current versions.

• Test available/enabled software and installs to agent if enabled.

- Agent must be set to standalone or have a cache available.

• Master version table set for enabled software.

During automation cycles an agent is selected to query the repo and get current enabled software versions.


To get this all flowing, you first need to have a agent set to standalone, this will get chocolatey installed and then enabled packages and versions both master and current agent versions.


These things are automated in Automate so look for agent to get script scheduled several times a day being the only agent enabled. This agent will be given the task of master versioning once it's seen to have chocolatey installed. Currently since it had not cache settings nor standalone it sits in purgatory.



Once set the script starts the process and logs each package event.


Afterwards a refresh of the client console shows agent with data

Hi Cubert,

Amazing detail. Thank you so much for a brilliant response. That all worked out beautifully and I have now enabled a few agents which have all updated beautifully. Adding in extra apps to the list is straightforward too and it is working a treat.

My only remaining question (I think) is do I need to set all client computers to be standalone agents for them to get the updates? I don't mind doing that, just wondered if there was a way to switch it on for a whole company rather than going through each machine and marking as standalone please.

Thanks again for your help.

Kind regards,

Alan

I would read up on the following posts,


Describes Caching verses Standalone

viewtopic.php?t=6032


Describes how to setup caching and keep it updated.

viewtopic.php?t=6031


In these post we talk about the pros and cons of standalone and how in sites with more than a few agents how caching prevents repo throttling or blocking.