Environment
Novell iPrint for Linux
Novell iPrint for NetWare
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Microsoft Windows 7
Situation
How do you push the iPrint client installation file to workstations if you don't use ZENWorks?
How do you push the iPrint client installation file to workstations if an older version of the client is already installed?
How do you push the iPrint client installation file to workstations if no version of the client is already installed to the workstation?
How do you push the iPrint client installation file to workstations if an older version of the client is already installed?
How do you push the iPrint client installation file to workstations if no version of the client is already installed to the workstation?
Resolution
ZENWorks is the preferrable method to distribute installation files, such as the iPrint Client for Windows (nipp.exe). If that is not an option in your environment, create a login script to check if the client, by a specific version, is installed to the workstation. If the client with that version is not installed or no iPrint client is installed, then run nipp.exe (client installation file). If the client with that version is installed, then do nothing.
Below is an example login script which checks the registry to see if the 5.32 iPrint client is installed. If it is not, then it executes the client install file (in this case, nipp-s.exe which is the silent install version) to upgrade the client. Of course, there are many variations which can be implemented. This is simply one example:
regread "HKLM,SOFTWARE\Novell-iPrint,Current Version"
if "%99" = "v05.32.00" then
WRITE "Your client is already updated to 5.32, nothing will execute"
ELSE
#X:\nipp-s.exe
end
Additional Information
Users can be prompted to install a newer client by going to the /ipp page (http://x.x.x.x/ipp). The iPrint Client readme from download.novell.com steps through how to put an updated iPrint client on the server to have this happen.