ACU Step-By-Step Process with Setup /ACU

(Last modified: 02Jul2003)

This document (10013315) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.

goal

fact

Novell Client Install Manager (NCIMAN.EXE)

Novell Clients

Formerly TID 2943427

fix

To install new versions of the Novell client on NT, 95/98 there is an option to do an Automatic Client Upgrade (ACU) so you do not have to go to each workstation physically and install the client. You can also set install options without user intervention. Here is a step-by-step process for setting up and running the ACU:

1. Download the latest client from http://www.novell.com/download into a directory

2. Extract the files by the running the downloaded executable.

3. Within the files that are extracted there is a program named NCIMAN.EXE. Use this GUI utility to setup all desired options for the client install and save them to a text file (usually referred to as UNATTEND.TXT). Different versions of NCIMAN.EXE ship with each different version of the client. You want to make sure that the NCIMAN.EXE you are using is the one that shipped with your client.   You can use NCIMAN.EXE to create either a 95/98 or an NT UNATTEND.TXT from either platform. NCIMAN.EXE assumes that you want to create an UNATTEND.TXT for the platform you are on. If you would like to create a 95/98 UNATTEND.TXT from an NT box, just choose File | New, then it will ask which platform, select the appropriate one. Check for an updated NCIMAN.EXE from the Novell Product Updates site.

4. Run this program and set all desired options. Save this file by clicking on the File menu and choose Save. Save it as UNATTEND.TXT in the same directory where you will run SETUP.EXE for 95/98 client or SETUPNW.EXE for the NT client.

5. Copy the .CAB files to the server in the same directory from which you will run the install for the corresponding OS version if 95/98.

6. Edit the Container login script for the users that you want to get the update and insert the following lines. (This may vary depending on what OS you have or if you have multiple OS's - This is for Multiple OS's)

        IF OS = "WINNT" THEN
                  @\\SERVERNAME\VOLNAME\...\SETUPNW.EXE /ACU /u:UNATTEND.TXT
        END

        IF OS = "WIN95" THEN
                   @\\SERVERNAME\VOLNAME\...\SETUP.EXE /ACU /u:UNATTEND.TXT
        END

Note: See TID 10020274 ACU in mixed OSR1 & OSR2 environment for more information if you are installing into an OSR1 and OSR2 mixed environment.

7. When the user logs in and the login script runs SETUP.EXE (Win95/98) or SETUPNW.EXE (WinNT), it will check the local registry of the client for the following versions in the following priority order: 1. Major version 2. Minor version 3. Major internal version 4. Minor internal version.

        For example, an unmodified Client 3.2 with no internal versions and no UNATTEND.TXT would be read by SETUP.EXE as 3.2.0.0. If you modify the Major internal version to 1 with NCIMAN.EXE and UNATTEND.TXT to reflect this, SETUP.EXE would install the client on all workstations with 3.2.0.0 in their registries, because, SETUP.EXE compares the UNATTEND.TXT with workstation's registries. UNATTEND.TXT says 3.2.1.0: The version on the server is newer than the version on the workstation -install it. If the workstation's registry equals the UNATTEND.TXT on the server, the install will not run. Therefore, your SETUP.EXE lines can be left in the login script for when you do another upgrade and all that needs to be done is update the client install files and UNATTEND.TXT on the server.
        If you need to reinstall the entire client with the same version, you can increase the Major or Minor INTERNAL versions with NCIMAN and UNATTEND.TXT on the server.
        For NT, if you need to push out a new component of the same client version, you can increase the Major or Minor INTERNAL versions of that component by 1 or more numbers as well (NDPS, NAL, etc.).

Major, Minor, Major internal, and Minor internal versions are located in the Registry here:
NT:                 HKLM\Software\Novell\NetWareWorkstation\CurrentVersion
WIN95/98:         HKLM\Network\Novell\System Config\Install\Client Version
.

document

Document Title:	ACU Step-By-Step Process with Setup /ACU
Document ID:	10013315
Solution ID:	4.0.7757565.2251208
Creation Date:	28Jul1999
Modified Date:	02Jul2003
Novell Product Class:	Management Products NetWare

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