On demand software install

[DanW]

I would like our users to install software on to there desktops / laptops from a predefined list of software with out us having to visit and install it for them.

 

Any one know of any software that will do this for us.

 

 

 

Thanks

 

Dan

[sted]

if its an msi group policy can do it if you apply it to users it can be set to install when requested i believe via add remove programs

[joe90bass]

if its an msi group policy can do it if you apply it to users it can be set to install when requested i believe via add remove programs

 

Never done it myself, but I believe you're right!

[sparkeh]

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager allows you to advertise packages for users to install.

[strawberry]

mdt. Get them to do a runas, or script it, they then get a loverly clear interface , do the checkboxes and it'll all install for them.

 

need any help or a demo let me know.

 

Or use appv, again, boring explantion on demand!

[teejay]

I would like our users to install software on to there desktops / laptops from a predefined list of software with out us having to visit and install it for them.

 

Any one know of any software that will do this for us.

 

 

 

Thanks

 

Dan

 

We do it through group policy the way sted mentioned, works great.

[MichaelL]

At the moment, where I work. We get calls coming in for users to have our department install programs for them as we do not allow end users to install programs themselves. We normally VNC on to every ones computer and install it like that. I am intrigued with the possibility of have our staff and teachers install software through some sort of portal and not allowing this on to student systems.

 

What would be the best way of integrating this? a step by step brief would be helpful.

 

 

- Michael

[Ric_]

@MichaelL: If you want to use a web portal solution you want to look into App-V from Microsoft and XenApp from Citrix. Both can either publish applications running on a remote server similar to terminal services minus the desktop or they can fully package the app for running on a local machine. Both are relatively complex to set up initially.

[MichaelL]

Is there any free or cheap solutions to do this at all?

[sparkeh]

Is there any free or cheap solutions to do this at all?

 

Whilst I have not come across anything free that does this exactly (ie allow users to choose software to install), if you want a free software management tool then WPKG is excellent.

[OutToLunch]

I've been looking at Cameyo at the moment - not sure if you could get something going along the lines you want using it?

 

Cameyo | Free Application Virtualization

 

Going to try it for some non essential apps etc here and see what happens once the initial start of term panic is over!

[mhundley]

Not sure if this is exactly what you want but you could run an internal website in IIS/Apache and simply include hyperlinks to the installation files, I have done this at one school where all apps are generally packaged up into MSI's and if necessary with MST's included. This was used for staff laptops which were workgroup built until they were rebuilt onto the domain.

 

If you need to use an MST you will need to create a batch file of some sort which calls msiexec with the /t or /transforms argument, then link into that batch file.

 

If you want an idea I will be back at that school tomorrow afternoon and I can look at borrowing* the files to give you an idea of the structure you need.

 

 

*Borrowing in the loosest terms as I wrote them in the first place.