How to collect Software Inventory from Debian based operating systems?

Products

• Inventory Solution for Unix/Linux

Issue/Introduction

Inventory Solution lets you gather inventory data about computers, users, operating systems, and installed software applications in your environment.

The list of supported operating systems can be found here http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO9965.

An option to install Symantec Management Agent (SMA) from Symantec Management Console to an unsupported OS is not available. However, there is no hard coded limit in ITMS that will block SMA installed on Ubuntu or Debian from communicating to Notification Server.

Despite of multiple rumors about our customers running SMA on unsupported operating systems, the number of public articles dedicated to the topic is low, few examples:
1. https://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/how-install-altiris-agent-ubuntu;
2. http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/sma-installation-debian-or-ubuntu.

The current article is a summary of recent successful steps to collect Software Inventory from Debian based operating systems like Ubuntu 16.x or  Debian 8.x in lab and production environments.
 

Environment

ITMS 7.6 (x) / 8.0 (X).

Cause

Product customization.

Resolution

STEPS

1. Activate root user. More information here, for example http://www.wikihow.com/Become-Root-in-Ubuntu.

2. Download the following folders from Notification Server:

• C:\Program Files\Altiris\Notification Server\NSCap\bin\UNIX\Agent\Linux\x64;
• C:\Program Files\Altiris\Notification Server\NSCap\bin\UNIX\Inventory\Linux\x64 (this package will be used to install Inventory plug-in, to collect Custom Inventory).

3. Install Alien tool (more information here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_(software)).
apt-get install alien -y

4. Install SMA and plug-ins using the files downloaded in (2).
alien -i aex-nsclt.rpm --scripts
alien -i aex-ctagent.rpm --scripts
alien -i aex-basetasks.rpm --scripts
alien -i aex-iragent.rpm --scripts
alien -i aex-smfagent.rpm --scripts
alien -i aex-inventory.rpm --scripts (Inventory plug-in for Custom Inventory data classes)

5. Steps needed for Ubutnu, not needed for Debian (skip it).
mkdir /etc/rc.d
mkdir /etc/rc.d/init.d
ln -s /lib/lsb/init-functions /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions

6. Configure SMA.
cd /opt/altiris/notification/nsagent/bin
./aex-configure -iconfigure

7. Verification commands.
Check SMA service is running
ps -ef | grep aex

Check installed plug-ins
aex-helper list all

Check connection to a Task Server
aex-cta ts

8. Remove Alien.
apt-get remove alien

9. Custom data class and task import (attached).
Go to NS Console and import
Debian_Package_Info_DataClass.xml ->
Settings  
 Notification Server  
 Resource and Data Class Settings  
 Data Classes  
 Inventory  
 Custom  
 Debian_Package_Info
 
Custom Inventory - Ubuntu - Debian Packages Collect.xml (attached) ->
Tasks  
 Jobs and Tasks  
 Samples  
 Discovery and Inventory  
 Inventory samples

10. Inventory collection.
Run "Custom Inventory - Ubuntu - Debian Packages Collect.xml" against the test client -> verify Resource Manager -> data should be in

Settings  
 Notification Server  
 Resource and Data...  
 Data Classes  
 Inventory  
 Custom  
 Debian_Packa...
 

NB!

1. The aforementioned steps do not imply official Ubuntu / Debian support by Symantec.

2. A third party tool is used during the installation process. Symantec is not responsible for any potential damage caused by the tool.