..Install software?

[kingswood]

How do you install software on your school network?

We currently use Prism Pack/Deploy on our upper site, but the Systems' Manager is reluctant to purchase the extra licenses and upgrade needed for our new lower site servers and clients. Leaving me with a problem: how will I install applications??

I have already setup an admin MSI install of Office 2K3. But how do you configure things to get your apps out?

Paul

[Geoff]

Imaging with Ghost and/or MSI's.

With Ghost I have the Enterprise version. You can remotely image/reimage machines fairly quickly. Its great for doing large scale changes to lots of similar machines.

I create my own MSI's or use pre-existing ones (I really wish more vendors would ship MSI files..*grumble*). I deploy them with GPO's in active directory. Dead easy.

[mark]

I keep my ghost images on a server - i've used enterprise multicast - our citrix installers 'left it behind' - but I prefer just vanilla ghost - I boot up with ultimate boot cd - straight onto the server and run ghost.

[russdev]

msi's as we have rm cc3 here


russ

[Dos_Box]

RIS for the OS and MSI's where I can.

[mrtechsystems]

Norton Ghost Corp Booting from USB pen into the network and restore image

[ChrisH]

MSI when possible and build my own when they dont come as MSI. If not then it's a case of running around!! I was going to try and do something creative with a remote command to start the setup on several machines at once.

[tarquel]

Bit of everything really ...

- Using a custom UA XP CD if theres only one of that model in the school (when I have more storage space I'll store images of them lol)
- Imaging with Ghost and then Ghostcasting them out when needed - I use the Sysprep method which works for me
- Have been using the Restore CD on one or two of them and updating after its finished (on the ones that are unattended and "decent")

With all of the above - whether it be 98 or XP, I usually have some manner of updating software via batch scripts I run

Office is installed either in the GHST images first or manually after depending on the machine in question. The licenses vary depending on what was bought at the time. Its (currently) easier for me to manually start the install (which is UA of course via a MST using a simple batch command).

Not installing anything via GP yet, but will look into it some time.

Right....think that was long winded enough.

Cheers
Nath

[tarquel]

Norton Ghost Corp Booting from USB pen into the network and restore image

How do ya do that? I've been looking to do it for ages but never got around to learning how to do it lol

Nath

[ChrisH]

Just make your pen drive bootable like you would a floppy disk and go from there. I have to set it up on a machine that fully supports USB booting and I run a windows 98 boot disk and use the sys command to transfer the system over.

[Dos_Box]

Norton Ghost Corp Booting from USB pen into the network and restore image

How do ya do that? I've been looking to do it for ages but never got around to learning how to do it lol

Nath

Try this as well

http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/fi...oad/20306.html

A USB drive make bootable program (and no, I couldn't make that sound better).

[mark]

Thanks Chris - i'll give that a go too!

[kingswood]

Hi.

Thanks for that. I pretty much figured that MSI would be the main method, but I'm surprised that some use Ghost etc. Saying that, I am using RIS and then RIPREP to image systems with some applications, pushing out Office via MSI--and (hurray) the Systems Manager bought Prism Deploy/Pack today.

Why do these things have to be so hard though? I wish software houses would publish all their software in MSI form...but that doesn't happen.

And is it just me, or have you all got the problem of staff (teachers) approaching you on the last day of the year to give you 15 disk set software apps they want installed for September????

Cheers for the answers!

Paul

[GrumbleDook]

We use Deploy Center from PowerQuest (which has since been bought out by Symantec) to load machines. Powercast from a server with the image on to a full room takes 2 hours. This includes the OS and all site licenced software.

We tend to build our own MSIs using Winstall LE 2003 when the product doesn't come with an MSI ... but, as with the previous versio of Winstall LE, this works less and less as the service packs increment for the OS.

So every summer (and sometimes Easter too) we rebuild the master image for each room and make sure it includes the relevant software.

Not perfect ... but cheaper for us than forking out for Ghost or NetRunna (a REMBO variation)

[Netman]

@Kingswood...

And is it just me, or have you all got the problem of staff (teachers) approaching you on the last day of the year to give you 15 disk set software apps they want installed for September????

Nah, they bring them to me in September and ask for them to be installed by.... September

To stay on topic - MSI via GP. Also use Ghost(Initial deploy) and Altiris.