[Casper] Software Update - laptop labs, progress indicator

Thu Apr 2 09:40:42 PDT 2009

Closing the lid invokes sleep.  What I'd be interested in testing is if you
can wake/boot/reboot the target machine while the lid is already closed, and
gain network access.

----------
Miles A. Leacy IV

 Certified System Administrator
 Certified Trainer
Certified Casper Administrator
----------
voice: 1-347-277-7321
miles.leacy at themacadmin.com
www.themacadmin.com

On Thu, Apr 2, 2009 at 12:24 PM, Thomas Larkin <tlarki at kckps.org> wrote:

>  No it is not possible from what I understand.  If it is powered on but
> the lid shut it kills all network connections.  I know it kills my ssh
> sessions when a user closes their lid.  I have had it done to me quite
> often.  I will get them on chat, tell them that I am ssh in and will fix
> their issue with out them knowing it.  I say ok the command is running but
> needs time to complete, they close their lid and move along, and my session
> was murdered.
>
>
>
>
> ___________________________
> Thomas Larkin
> TIS Department
> KCKPS USD500
> tlarki at kckps.org
> blackberry:  913-449-7589
> office:  913-627-0351
>
>
>
>
>
> >>> Clinton Blackmore <clinton.blackmore at westwind.ab.ca> 04/02/09 11:19 AM
> >>>
>
>  Wait a second--Is it possible for a laptop, closed and in a cart, to run
> scripts and such?  If so, will it go back to sleep when it is done, and is
> heat an issue?  (The carts are ventilated, mind you.)
>
>
>   Also, is it possible to throttle software update?  If I wanted my
> clients to download the updates while the computers are in use (and not
> hammer the network too hard), is there any way to do that (preferably on the
> client side)?
>
>
>   Cheers,
>
> Clinton
>
>
>
>   On 2-Apr-09, at 10:09 AM, Miles Leacy wrote:
>
>
>   Sitting in a cart powered off or asleep seems to be the main problem
> here.  You can use MCX (via scripting or WGM) to schedule a boot/reboot/wake
> time.  If you schedule this during off-hours, and then have a software
> update policy following closely behind, this should solve the issue,
> assuming the machines are connected to your network while in the cart.
>
>
>   At one school I worked with, we had a closet built with a secure lock,
> ventilation, power and ethernet.  The laptops went into this closet over the
> weekend where they could sit on the network and receive any maintenance or
> updates.
>
>
> ----------
> Miles A. Leacy IV
>
>  Certified System Administrator
>  Certified Trainer
> Certified Casper Administrator
> ----------
> voice: 1-347-277-7321
> miles.leacy at themacadmin.com
> www.themacadmin.com
>
>
>
>
>   2009/4/2 Thomas Larkin
>
> <tlarki at kckps.org>
>
>
>    There is also a softwareupdate binary from the command line.  You could
>> create a policy to run or do it via ARD admin
>>
>>
>>   $ softwareupdate
>>
>> usage: softwareupdate <mode> [<args> ...]
>>
>>
>>   -l | --listList all appropriate updates
>>
>> -d | --downloadDownload Only
>>
>> -i | --installInstall
>>
>> <label> ...specific updates
>>
>> -a | --allall appropriate updates
>>
>> -r | --recommendedonly recommended updates
>>
>>
>>   Per-user preferences:
>>
>> --ignore <label> ...Ignore specific updates
>>
>> --reset-ignoredClear all ignored updates
>>
>> --schedule (on | off)Set automatic checking
>>
>>
>>   -h | --helpPrint this help
>>
>>
>>
>>   If you have a SUS set up you can say run all approved updates from the
>> SUS and such.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ___________________________
>> Thomas Larkin
>> TIS Department
>> KCKPS USD500
>> tlarki at kckps.org
>> blackberry:  913-449-7589
>> office:  913-627-0351
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>   >>> Matthew Butch <matt at pennmanor.net> 04/02/09 9:52 AM >>>
>>
>>
>> What we have been doing is just pulling them off the cart, running Casper
>> Remote on them and telling them to "Install all available updates". Its a
>> pain, but it seems to be the best way to do it.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>    For the progress bar, we have a Unix command to run Software Update as
>> sudo which allows non-admins to install them. This is set as a Self Service
>> policy (the last tab allows running commands). The command is:
>>
>>
>>     sudo /System/Library/CoreServices/Software\
>> Update.app/Contents/MacOS/Software\ Update
>>
>>
>>     It gives them a nice UI to run them. We've had good feedback about
>> it, and it saves us from forcing them.
>>
>>
>>     -Matt
>>
>>
>>
>>      On Apr 2, 2009, at 10:22 AM, Clinton Blackmore wrote:
>>
>>
>>    Greetings.
>>
>> How do you handle software updates on laptop labs?  We have carts of
>> laptops in our schools, and, if they are not being used by a student,
>> they are charging in the cart.  That doesn't provide for a nice way to
>> update them after hours without pulling each machine out of the cart,
>> and yet, I don't really want to pop up a message to a student saying,
>> "Your computer is going to reboot now.  Deal with it!"
>>
>> Also, when you use the GUI tools to do software update, the machine
>> logs out and you get a nice progress indicator showing that updates
>> are installing.  Is there any way to do that from the command line?
>> (Yes, I know one can install updates, and Casper handles it nicely,
>> but can I get the progress bar?  We had some machines set to update,
>> and then found they had kernel panicked.  We wondered if a user
>> noticed the machine became sluggish and forced it off.)  More
>> generally, how do you convey to users that updates are in progress?
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Clinton Blackmore
>>
>> This email has been scanned by Barracuda Network's Anti-Virus and Spam
>> Firewall.
>> _______________________________________________
>> Casper mailing list
>> Casper at list.jamfsoftware.com
>> http://list.jamfsoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/casper
>>
>>
>>        --
>>
>>
>>    Matthew Butch
>>
>> Technology Support Analyst
>>
>> Penn Manor School District
>>
>> 717-872-9500 x 2385
>>
>> http://www.pennmanor.net
>>
>>
>>    Apple Certified Macintosh Technician
>>
>> Apple Certified Help Desk Specialist 10.4
>>
>> Apple Certified Support Professional 10.5
>>
>> Apple Certified Technical Coordinator 10.4 & 10.5
>>
>> Apple Certified Systems Administrator 10.4
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Casper mailing list
>> Casper at list.jamfsoftware.com
>> http://list.jamfsoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/casper
>>
>>
>   _______________________________________________
> Casper mailing list
> Casper at list.jamfsoftware.com
> http://list.jamfsoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/casper
>
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://list.jamfsoftware.com/pipermail/casper/attachments/20090402/2af94654/attachment-0001.html 