Self-Service Kiosk - Software Installation
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@Dashrender said:
what is the goal here?
Allowing users to install software just seems like a bad idea.
Why? If you are providing a repo of software and they need no admin rights, what's the risk? Too many licenses deployed? It's very standard in the enterprise to do this. I've seen it done very well.
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Good point, one I've never experienced, so it's outside my wheel house.
Plus the repo thing - just not there mentally yet.. though I do love the idea!
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Most secure company that I know of anywhere does this. Works well. There is good tooling available for this.
Go to a web page, request software, in some cases it installs instantly, in others there is a workflow for manager approval or for license acquisition or whatever.
It's pretty nice. Request PuTTY or Notepad++ and it just installs them, no questions asked. Ask for Visual Studio Pro for $900 and it shoots an email to your manager that says "DOes he really need this?"
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That's cool - I know that software can be installed on demand with Group Policy as well, I've just never run into anyone who is using it and talked about it.
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@Dashrender said:
That's cool - I know that software can be installed on demand with Group Policy as well, I've just never run into anyone who is using it and talked about it.
In some cases the tools simply automate Group Policy to make it all happen.
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It sounds like Scott is hiding the software solution that is being used.
What are you hiding Scott?
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I didn't manage the desktops and have no idea what the software was. I used PuTTY and nothing else so I never needed to use it.
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Ah.
Well it still sounds like an awesome setup.
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With some effort, but not a ridiculous amount, this is something that someone could build themselves. Here is an example setup...
- Choose a deployment system, I'll use Chocolatey as an example because I know it.
- Build your own repo full of the software that you want people to be able to deploy or use the public repos.
- Make a website where people log in using their desktop creds and can pick the software that they want from a list.
- Script gets called from the site that goes out over the LAN or VPN and kicks off the "cinst" command as the administrator and does a silent, background install via PowerShell remoting.
Simple, but works.
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Microsoft Service Center includes this functionality right from Microsoft.
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Took some searching, but it was LANDesk that I have seen used that has a very robust self provisioning tool in it.
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@scottalanmiller said:
Microsoft Service Center includes this functionality right from Microsoft.
So that requires System Center - not exactly a SMB product.
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@Dashrender said:
@scottalanmiller said:
Microsoft Service Center includes this functionality right from Microsoft.
So that requires System Center - not exactly a SMB product.
I think you will find LANDesk to be similar in price.
