applications Archives

The New Chocolatey II Plugin

Cubert has been going gang busters with the new Chocolatey II plugin and now he is ready to show everyone a little of what he has been doing. So without any further adieu let me introduce to you the new Chocolatey II Plugin for LabTech!

A little history about Chocolatey Nuget

Chocolatey is a package manager for Windows (like apt-get or yum but for Windows). 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 distros to your computer. Chocolatey is like apt-get, but built with Windows in mind (there are differences and limitations). For those unfamiliar with APT/Debian, think about Chocolatey as a global silent installer for applications and tools. It can also do configuration tasks and anything that you can do with PowerShell. The power you hold with a tool like Chocolatey is only limited by your imagination! Chocolatey is the brain child of Rob Reynolds, a passionate developer and technology guru.

How is Chocolatey different than Ninite?

Great question, see Chocolatey vs Ninite.

The Chocolatey Plugin for LabTech

Squidworks has harnessed the power of Chocolatey and brought it into the LabTech RMM platform. This allows MSPs to control mass amounts of Windows systems and software applications in a very simple to use interface. In fact, managing software applications could not be easier when using the Chocolatey plugin for LabTech. As you read further I will go over the plugins functions and how you to can harness this power for your MSP.

The Master Control manager

The Master Control manager provides the on and off controls over whole system. The configuration tab of the manager incorporates licensing and the common settings to control auto installs and auto updates.

ViewMenu-Configuration

Approved Apps

This is where you setup your application list, we recently added the ability to set a repository for each application you want to control. This allows a MSP to pick and choose where they get each application. We also provide a “seed” button that will auto populate the list with the most common apps used like Java, Chrome and Adobe.

Global Excludes

You can control who is allowed to install applications at a global level, make quick work of allowing or denying installs across clients. This was completely rewritten after Beta 6 release to be more accurate and faster.

Global Graphs

See what applications are being distributed across your MSP, monitor the versions of Chocolatey installed across you client base and see the current daily install activity.

Now we move to the Client Level

Client Configuration

Here you can include or exclude a client directly or select any set of apps to exclude from the client as a whole.

Client level – System bulk management

Here you can select systems and applications from the approved apps list and manually install them, update or delete them. Everything is reported back to plugin in real time so you get to see what is going on as it happens.

Computer Level Management

Computer Configuration

We provide very granular control over who, what and when applications get installed. You can control down to the PC level if apps get installed and what gets installed to provide a very low level of control for the distribution of applications.

Computer Software

At the computer software level you can do one off installs of any software anywhere for some really extreme flexibility, any applications installed will be included in updates, they will get listed and version checked as part of the maintenance cycles. You are also able to update and delete software at this level making it very convenient for MSPs to manage software . Everything is reported back to plugin in real time so you get to see what is going on as it happens.

Behind the Scenes

Chocolatey Maintenance

This service checks based on your desired settings for systems that need the Chocolatey Application installed and also manages all versioning management of all software installed on PCs

Chocolatey Installer

This service monitors PCs for software installed and or approved and not yet installed and makes sure that the PCs get the new software based on the Maintenance cycles selected.

Chocolatey Updater

This service checks for and executes updates for both the Chocolatey application and all applications installed.

All behind the scenes services will run at least once every 24 hours and can be set to run as much as once per hour by adjusting the controls in the master control.

Now released and available at http://w ww.plugins4labtech.com

Thanks and have a great day!

Cubert

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.