Do you manage Java updates through K1000?
I want to manage Java updates via kace as our end users themselves don't have admin rights. I've seen plenty of posts for scripted installs of java, but they are all about individual installations of particular version updates, so I wanted to ping the community on the subject. Do you manage java updates through your environment? Is there a smart way of managing this? How do you approach it? Any way to let it auto update from whatever java.com provides as the latest version? "Upgrade to latest version" without having to update the kace install with the latest and greatest version?
Also, has anyone had problems with getting silent java updates to auto uninstall the old version(s)?
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Yes and no. We use Kaseya to manage our software side of things not K1000. We also use ninite. I have a few scripted procedures to update to latest version and uninstall older versions. Let me know if you would like a look at them. - jboling 9 years ago
Answers (4)
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Posted by:
anonymous_9363
9 years ago
I can't answer your Kace questions but I would counsel you in the strongest possible terms to never - EVER! - let vendors loose on your estate by allowing automatic updates.
I don't care who they are: they have all at one time or another caused many, many hours of unnecessary and sometimes very expensive work by screwing something up.
I don't care who they are: they have all at one time or another caused many, many hours of unnecessary and sometimes very expensive work by screwing something up.
Posted by:
iMonkey
9 years ago
Well more or less looking for an update button. Not trying to set up any automatic deployment. We already have to update java very frequently in our organization as our folks work in a lot of web portals for a bunch of major financial institutions who like to require the latest version on their sites, and quite shortly after the update is released I might add.
Posted by:
Ben M
9 years ago
Do you manage java updates through your environment? - I try to.
Is there a smart way of managing this? How do you approach it? - I push the updates through managed distributions in Kace. Depending on the version of Java this is different.
Any way to let it auto update from whatever java.com provides as the latest version? "Upgrade to latest version" without having to update the kace install with the latest and greatest version? - I try not to do this, partially for the reason VBScab mentioned and partially because my users don't have rights to run the Java auto-update and there's no way to make it run automatically without user input (that I have found).
Also, has anyone had problems with getting silent java updates to auto uninstall the old version(s)? - Yes. I can't say enough bad things about whoever broke this. I have to push out uninstalls through Kace along with my Java updates.
Basically, the only way I have found to manage this in my environment is to manually build a new Java Managed Distribution whenever it updates. The process sucks. Java sucks. But I haven't found any better answers after a lot of searching. If you find any better answers I'd love to hear them! :)
Is there a smart way of managing this? How do you approach it? - I push the updates through managed distributions in Kace. Depending on the version of Java this is different.
Any way to let it auto update from whatever java.com provides as the latest version? "Upgrade to latest version" without having to update the kace install with the latest and greatest version? - I try not to do this, partially for the reason VBScab mentioned and partially because my users don't have rights to run the Java auto-update and there's no way to make it run automatically without user input (that I have found).
Also, has anyone had problems with getting silent java updates to auto uninstall the old version(s)? - Yes. I can't say enough bad things about whoever broke this. I have to push out uninstalls through Kace along with my Java updates.
Basically, the only way I have found to manage this in my environment is to manually build a new Java Managed Distribution whenever it updates. The process sucks. Java sucks. But I haven't found any better answers after a lot of searching. If you find any better answers I'd love to hear them! :)
Posted by:
axie
9 years ago
Do you manage Java updates through your environment? Is there a smart way of managing this? How do you approach it?
Yes. Currently using 3 different methods:
- a PowerShell script that I wrote before Kace was introduced to our environment, worked really well in terms of installing/upgrading/uninstalling.
- K1000 Manage Installation - to install Java with Execution set to "At bootup" or "After login". You should NOT use "Anytime" and I prefer not to use "With user logged in" either. I only want to install Java when none of its processes are being used. Once that I see a bunch of machines having the latest Java, then I go back and change the previous manage installation of the older Java to uninstall mode. For that I have it to set to "Anytime"
- K1000 Scripting - for silently pushing out Java using Run Now with a Smart Label that grabs me a list of devices that don't have the latest Java. First I check if Java common processes are running. If not, then check if java.exe exists (Java 8 uses specific version folders). If not, install/upgrade Java silently.
Anyway to let it auto update from whatever java.com provides as the latest version? "Upgrade to latest version" without having to update the Kace install with the latest and greatest version?
I always prefer upgrading Java manually and you'll have to go through all the pain in Kace to push it out correctly.
Has anyone had problems with getting silent java updates to auto uninstall the old version(s)?
Yes. The way how Oracle installers for public releases are a complete mess unless you have the enterprise msi version. It was extremely easy to do during Java 7 era, but not for Java 8. Sometimes it uninstall older versions if I install the new Java using their EXE file and not installing it silently. Else Java versions keep on piling up on top of each other, such as the msi approach.
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What are the chances I could see a sample of your scripting version of the install? I can seemingly get the install to execute silently and create the jre folder, but it never actually installs (to show up in appwiz.cpl nor IE's addons). - iMonkey 9 years ago