AB Tutor Control Forum/Message Board

tech · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 2

I'm running AB Tutor Control 3.9 and need to install it on several computers. We are a Novell environment and have snapshot but I've tried multiple times and haven't been able to get it go copy one specific ini file to the AOT. Anyone have any other ideas besides snapshot or ghosting every student PC?

Does everyone just install it manually on every workstation?

Thanks.

graeme_evans · Joined: 06 Jan 2006 Posts: 12

Hi

Starting with Version 4 (currently in beta) you will be able to deploy AB tutor with an MSI via Active Directory / Group Policy.

So far I have used a Symantec Ghost AI Snapshot successfully with 3.10.

Graeme

Netman · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 3

There is a freebie called beyondexec that can easily be used to push install clients - have done about 40 now without leaving my desk!
Use syntax: beyondexecv2.exe \\remotecompname -cs abcontrol.bat
where abcontrol.bat has this content...
net use z: \\machine\share /USER:domain\adminuser password
z:\setup.exe /s /p connectionpassword
The remotecomputername bit can be replaced with a text file with a group of computers in and it'll do them all..... see beyondexec readme for details...

tech · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 2

Thanks for the ideas. I guess I should have waited for ver. 4.

It sounds like AI Snapshot is basically Zenworks SnapShot. I'm not sure why I'd never heard of it before....

The beyondexe app is very interesting. I've been trying it out and it seems all of my pc's will need a gpedit to change ?Network access : Sharing and security model for local accounts? from "Guest" to ?Classic ? local user authenticates as themselves? because it won't let me log on remotely unless I make that change (not good since we're a Novell shop with no domain). Just my luck! It looks like we really need to get Zenworks Windows Group Policy going.

skewltek · Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 2

My mantra is "if i can't script it, it ain't worth doin'".

Yesterday when I was finally given my copy of AB Tutor (I think I was the last person in my district to get it) I through this together:
[code]@echo off
For /F %%i IN (clients.txt) DO md "\\%%i\C$\Program Files\ABControl" & copy /y /v abtcsetup.msi "\\%%i\C$\Program Files\ABControl\abtcsetup.msi"
For /F %%i IN (clients.txt) DO PSEXEC \\%%i -s -i -d msiexec /i "C:\Program Files\ABControl\abtcsetup.msi" /quiet[/code]
it uses PSEXEC, a part of the PSTools package, free from Microsoft, and a list of hostnames (clients.txt) and batch installs the client on all of the machines.

How can I specify a connection password???

beyondtool · Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 10

You need an answer file to specify changes to the msi. I used "install tailor" to make an mst answer file for the msi with the password and install settings. If you use group policy in 2003 server you can deploy the msi to the whole network in this manner.