Squidworks Chocolatey II Plugin General Beta Release

Chocolatey NuGet is a Machine Package Manager, somewhat like apt-get, but built with Windows in mind. It was designed to be a decentralized framework for quickly installing applications and tools that you need. It is built on the NuGet infrastructure currently using PowerShell as its focus for delivering packages from the distribution repositories to your computer.  For more information on the Chocolatey Repos and Applications please visit https://chocolatey.org/about

There are 3 fundamental places to manage Chocolatey II.  Globally, at the Client level and at the Computer level.

The Global Level – View Main Menu – Chocolatey II

The Configuration Tab:

At the global level you can control the applications you want to approve for auto installs and auto updates. Using the controls you can add as many packages as you like which will make them available to any client PC. You can control whether or not to auto install, auto update and exclude or include Windows servers.

The Exclusion Tab:

Using this tool you can control by client who gets a global exclude from application installs. This area only allows you to flag machines inside a client at the time you apply the exclude. If a new machine is added to client after global exclude is applied then that system will not be excluded and when you return to this page they client will no longer be checked as fully excluded. Reselecting the client will reset all systems including the new ones back to excluded again. If a machine is removed from the exclusions then it will also cause the client to show unchecked. Any system allowed to install software at a client level or system level will override the global exclusions here and will remove the check for client here in the global exclude area.

Client Console

Client Configuration Tab:

The client console Chocolatey II tab allows the admin the ability to exclude the Client for auto installs of software. You can exclude all applications for install or updates and you can exclude any number of packages directly without excluding them all. This allows you to fine tune what applications are distributed to the client PCs.

When selecting to exclude an application at the client level it will force all PC under client to exclude the application. If you then go into a computer console and un-exclude that application then it will receive that app in less than 10 minutes. If you return to the Client Console Tab the application will no longer show as excluded because at least 1 PC under client is getting it. All other PCs will remain excluded from installs.

Client Systems Tab:

This tab allows you to manage the software installed at the client level. You are presented with a list of systems and each application installed on that PC. From here you can launch an update or uninstall the applications across the client. A terminal window is provided to you can monitor live the request being sent to system and the responses sent back from the end system.

Computer Console – Chocolatey II Tab

Configuration Sub Tab:

This view shows what approved apps are available to the PC level and allows the admin to exclude any of the packages from auto install. There is also the ability to exclude from all installs and to exclude updates.

Computer Console – Chocolatey II Tab

Software Sub Tab:

This view allows the admin to see what is actually installed on PC currently and to uninstall or update the packages manually. We also added the ability to manually install any package “not” in the approved list for those one off application installs.

Chocolatey II has been redeveloped and can now be found here.

Enjoy the Plugin

Cubert