[Samba] distribute/deploy software to clients

[John H Terpstra]

On Monday 08 November 2004 06:18, Florian Effenberger wrote:
> Hi Robert,
>
> thanks for these links, I will check them out! I wonder that no one has
> ever deployed a real good solution. We can fly to the moon, but we can't
> install packages pre-configured automatically. What a mess... ;-)

No, no, ... What a messy feature! :)

In the Microsoft world there are two primary ways to handle remote roll-outs:

1. Build a machine that is exactly as you want it for the target hardware - on 
the target hardware - then image it using a tool such as Norton Ghost 
(Symantec Ghost) Enterprise level, create an ISO that is self-booting, 
distribute it via PXE.

2. Build an MSI Image of all you want to install on a target workstation using 
the tools from the MS Windows XPP Resource Kit or the MS Windows 2003 Server 
Resource Kit. Distribute it via ADS controls.

There are many other options, but these are the main ones in common use that I 
am aware of.

The first is the most commonly used method in my experience.

One of the most common criticisms I hear about Linux and Samba deployment 
concerns the matter of how to roll out new desktop configurations using 
controlled mass roll-out methods. I have bumped into companies that what to 
deploy up to 3000 machines in one hit this way.

This issue has been raised with increasing frequency over the past 2 years. 
That is why I am keen to document a good method in the official Samba docs.

All submissions of working methods that anyone is using to solve this mess are 
most welcome. I'll summarize them into the Samba-HOWTO-Collection.

Cheers,
John T.
-- 
John H Terpstra
Samba-Team Member
Phone: +1 (650) 580-8668

Author:
The Official Samba-3 HOWTO & Reference Guide, ISBN: 0131453556
Samba-3 by Example, ISBN: 0131472216
Hardening Linux, ISBN: 0072254971
Other books in production.