Methods to get aex-bootstrap-linux onto linux endpoint and install it

Products

• Client Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

There are multiple methods to get the aex-bootstrap-linux onto a linux endpoint and install it

Environment

8.7.x

Resolution

1. Pull method from linux resource:

From linux machine:

run: wget http(s)://<SMP SERVER NAME or IP ADDRESS>/Altiris/NS/NSCap/Bin/Unix/AgentInstall/Linux/x64/aex-bootstrap-linux

run:chmod u+x aex-bootstrap-linux && ./aex-bootstrap-linux

NOTE: the aex-boot-strap contains the communication profile to connect to the server

wget man page: https://linux.die.net/man/1/wget

wget examples: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/wget-command-in-linux-unix/

 

2. Push Method from Linux Desktop system or Windows SMP server:

1. From WINDOWS SMP Server.  After downloading and installing putty on the SMP server ( https://putty.org ) run the following commands:

cd \Program Files\Putty

pscp <altiris install drive>:\Program Files\Altiris\NSCap\Bin\Unix\AgentInstall|Linux\x64\aex-bootstrap-linux <user>@<LINUX IP ADDRESS>:<Path>

ex: pscp c::\Program Files\Altiris\NSCap\Bin\Unix\AgentInstall|Linux\x64\aex-bootstrap-linux [email protected]:/tmp  ( a password will be ask for )

once file is copied to endpoint

use Putty to log on to endpoint and enter:  cd /tmp 

enter: chmod u+x aex-bootstrap-linux && ./aex-bootstrap-linux

NOTE: This document is not a reference on how to use Putty. Here is a resource link on Puttys usage: https://www.ssh.com/academy/ssh/putty/windows

2. From a Linux desktop system obtain a copy of the aex-bootstrap-linux file and run scp to copy file to the remote linux system

scp aex-bootstrap-linux remoteuser@remotehost:/tmp

ssh remoteuser@remotehost (It will ask for password)

cd /tmp

chmod u+x aex-bootstrap-linux && ./aex-bootstrap-linux

scp man page: https://linux.die.net/man/1/scp

scp examples: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/scp-command-in-linux-with-examples/

 

3. Manual push from console:

The push installation of the Symantec Management Agent for Linux is performed by the Symantec Management Platform computer. The Symantec Management Platform computer establishes a connection to the target UNIX, Linux, or Mac computer, uploads the required files, and then executes them on the target computer.

The installation process is as follows:

• The Symantec Management Platform attempts to connect to the target computer through SSH.
• The SSH protocol supports logon with either privileged or unauthorized user accounts and multiple passwords.
• When connection is established, the Symantec Management Platform determines the client computer’s operating system and environment, and then it launches the appropriate platform-specific push-install script.
• The push-install script creates a directory structure on the client computer, and then it attempts to download the aex-bootstrap utility from the Symantec Management Platform computer. The push-install script tries each of the following methods, in order, until one succeeds: SCP/SFTP, wget, curl.
• If all of these methods fail, the script uses dd command to transfer the aex-bootstrap.Z.uu archive to the target computer. It then uses uudecode to convert the archive to a native format.
• The .aex-agent-install-config.xml file that contains all of the Symantec Management Agent installation settings is downloaded to the client computer.
• The aex-bootstrap script is executed, and the connection to Symantec Management Platform is closed.
• The aex-bootstrap script downloads the res.aex-agent-install-config.xmlt of the Symantec Management Agent from the Symantec Management Platform computer and configures the Symantec Management Agent with settings from the file.
• When the Symantec Management Agent for UNIX, Linux, and Mac runs for the first time, it collects basic inventory and posts it to the Symantec Management Platform.
• The Symantec Management Agent for UNIX, Linux, and Mac receives the appropriate tasks and policies from the Symantec Management Platform.

NOTE: Third-party firewalls must be configured to allow an SSH connection from Symantec Management Platform to the ULM client for a manual push to work. The firewalls configuration should use the same credentials that you provide in the Installation Settings

This task is a step in the process for installing the Symantec Management Agent manually.  

To install the Symantec Management Agent for UNIX, Linux, and Mac with a manual push:

1. In the Symantec Management Console, on the Actions menu, click Agents/Plug-ins > Push Symantec Management Agent.
   
   
2. On the Symantec Management Agent Install page, on the Install Agent for UNIX, Linux, and Mac tab, under Push install, select the UNIX, Linux, and Mac computers on which to install the Symantec Management Agent:

• • To manually add a computer:  In the text box, type the computer name (which must be a DNS-resolvable name) or IP address and then click Add.
  • To select from the available computers: Click Select Computers, in the Select Computers dialog box, add the appropriate computers from the Available computers list to the Selected computers list, and then click OK.
  • To import computers from a CSV file: In the toolbar, click Import computers from a selected file.
    In the Select File to Import dialog, select the appropriate CSV file, and then click Open.
    The CSV file is a comma-delimited text file. The file includes the DNS names or the IP addresses of the client computers on which you want to install the Symantec Management Agent. For UNIX, Linux, and Mac computers, each line in the CSV file represents a computer entry that is imported into the Symantec Management Agent Install page. You can also include the appropriate installation settings in the CSV file. These installation settings let you configure the communication and the authentication settings for the Symantec Management Agent for UNIX, Linux, and Mac.
    If you have a large number of computers that require different connection and configuration settings, use a CSV file to import the computers.
    Creating a CSV file for importing UNIX, Linux, and Mac computers

    3. Click Installation Settings, and then in the Installation Settings dialog box, specify the appropriate installation settings.

 If you added computers manually, you need to specify the appropriate installation settings for each target computer before you install the Symantec Management Agent for UNIX, Linux, and Mac. If you imported computers from a CSV file, you may have specified the installation settings for each computer in the CSV file. You can change these settings for individual computers or groups of computers.
Specifying the Symantec Management Agent for UNIX, Linux, and Mac installation settings

    4. (Optional) In the Simultaneous Tasks box, specify the number of installations to run simultaneously.

This value defines the number of threads running in parallel and serving Symantec Management Agent pushing. All of the threads share a common queue from which they take the next computer to install to. The default value is 5, but you may want to use a different value to suit the performance of the Symantec Management Platform, the client computers, and the network capacity. Increasing the number of simultaneous tasks may reduce the total installation time.

    5. Click Install

    6. In the Push install dialog box, click OK.

The Status column in the computer list shows the success or failure of the installation on each computer. Note that the newly installed Symantec Management Agent reports its status back to the originating Notification Server, even if another Notification Server manages it.

    7. If the computer list does not refresh automatically, in the toolbar, click Refresh to view the current push installation status for each computer.