1. Purpose

2. How I did it

3. How it works

4. SetupIP

    4.1 Facts

    4.2 Requirements

    4.3 Web Server layout

    4.4 Win32 directory

5. WriteIP

6. The hidden Stuff

7. The deal

8. The added Bonus

1. Purpose

The purpose of this document is to dig deep into the SetupIP functionality, showing the reader how to use this most effectively in their environment. Some information found in here, is even undocumented.

2. How I did it

The stuff revealed in this document, is based on a session I did at the Open Horizons Summit 2008 named "Digesting the GroupWise 8 Windows Client", where I was digesting the different ways to install a GroupWise Client.

Since then, I've been working even more with SetupIP, and by using FileMon and RegMon etc, I came across additional information, which I believe could be useful for the community.

3. How it works

SetupIP is a utility provided with GroupWise, which allows you to install a GroupWise Client on a workstation without the need to access a fileserver. All that is needed is a web server.
The way it works is the Administrator generates a file named setupip.exe using a tool named writeip.exe, that can be found in the <Software Distribution Directory>\admin\utility\setupip.

After being generated, SetupIP.exe is a launcher for the install with embedded information about how the setup should take place.

Setupip.exe will, when executed on the workstation, launch an http connection with the web server and start the install.

The files that are needed to install the GroupWise Client are:

• setupip.fil
  
  
  • • Core file containing all Non-Language specific files in a compressed format, that is not published.
  
  
  
• Setupip.en
  
  
  • • English Language files.
  
  
  • • This file should be replaced with the relevant ones for your installation.
  
  
  

The best part about SetupIP is, if it is aborted some how, it can continue where it stopped.

The details are like this:

When SetupIP.exe is launched, it'll download files from the webserver and extract them. After that is done, setup.exe will be launched.

In short, SetupIP is a frontend to Setup.exe.

Setup.exe is controlled by the file setup.cfg and setup.ini files, that needs to be present in the win32 directory.

Setup.exe is also, funny enough, a frontend for the GroupWise.msi file.

4. SetupIP

4.1 Facts

• • Standard software?
    
    
    • • Nope, made by Novell, and File format kept a secret
    
    
    

• • Needs a Web Server?
    
    
    • • Yes, and for writing this article, I was using Apache2 powered by Netware 6.5, but Apache2 on SLES and IIS on a Windows box will also work.
        
        Preparing for Client Software Installation from a Web Server
    
    
    

• • Needs File-Rights on the Server?
    
    
    • • Nope, Only http access
    
    
    

• • Needs Administrator rights on the workstation?
    
    
    • • Yes
    
    
    

• • Can the install be customized?
    
    
    • • Yes
    
    
    

4.2 Requirements

• • Do not put the files at the document root of the web server. Instead, put in a sub directory like "GWClient".

• • Do NOT use SSL. This will simply not work……Needs plain port 80.

• • When creating a temporary install path on the workstation using WriteIP.exe, make sure, that the path down to the last directory already exists, or simply use the defaults, because that'll work.

• • Make sure that Fancy Indexing is enabled for the GWClient directory.

• • Do not enable File compression on the webserver…This will break SetupIP.

4.3 Web Server layout

As said, make sure that Fancy Indexing is enabled for the directory. In this example I'll use a directory named "gwclient". This is where you are going to put the needed files.

Files layout is as follows:

<Document Root Directory (htdocs)>
	<gwclient>
		setupip.fil
		setupip.<Language code>
		<win32> This directory is optional, but handy.  I'll talk about this later.
		
		

Above is all that is needed on the web server.

4.4 Win32 directory

If you place a directory named win32 in the gwclient directory, setupip will detect it. Any files placed in the win32 directory will override the files embedded into the setupip.fil and setupip.<language code>

As such, if you get an FTF file from Novell, you simply put it into the win32 directory, and it will be installed when running setupip.

However, most of the time this is used to make the installation unattended, by applying a setup.cfg file and a setup.ini file.

• • Understanding the Setup Configuration File

and

• • TID 10064361: Administrator-defined Setup Prompts For Setup Language

5. WriteIP

Writeip.exe is the utility used to create the setupip.exe file.

Simply launch it, and fill in the GUI with the relevant info.

After this is done, two files are created in the same directory as the writeip.exe file.

• • Setupip.exe
    
    
    • This is the self contained launcher of the download/setup with all of your configuration embedded inside.

• • Writeip.ini
    
    
    • • This file is an ini file containing the configuration used during the setup.
    
    
    

6. The hidden Stuff

Now try and open the writeip.ini file with a text editor like Notepad.exe.

It might look something like this, with the exception of the lines in bold:

[Locations]
1=http://x.x.x.x/Client
[SetupIP]
DeleteFiles=Yes
RandomLocation=No
UpdatedFilesOnly=Yes
AllowPathSelection=Yes
DownloadPath=C:\GWSetup
EnableLogging =No
; EnableLogging =Yes
AllowRestart=No
; AllowRestart=Yes
[Languages]
ShowLanguageDialog=Yes
;ShowLanguageDialog=No

The entries in bold (above) are undocumented configuration options, which you can use. So let's take them one by one.

EnableLogging =No
; EnableLogging =Yes

This will enable logging, and is by default not enabled, but might be useful during troubleshooting.

The logfile will be located in the root of the windows directory, and is called SetupIP.log.

AllowRestart=No
; AllowRestart=Yes

This will allow SetupIP to reboot the workstation if a file that needs to be updated is locked.
After the restart, SetupIP will continue.

ShowLanguageDialog=Yes
;ShowLanguageDialog=No

This determines whether or not you will be able to select among the languages that are present on the webserver.

If this is set to no, all languages available on the webserver will be downloaded to the workstation and made available to setup.exe.

7. The deal

So….Wanna put some undocumented stuff into action?

If so, then know, that they are undocumented for a reason……They haven't yet received the official blue print, so use at your own risk….

How to do this?

Simple…..

Launch WriteIP.exe, and fill out the stuff you need, and save it.

After that, open up WriteIP.ini, and using notepad or siml. Tool, add the stuff you need.

Now run WriteIP.exe again, and save the stuff…..

THAT'S IT

Your new undocumented switches are now part of the SetupIP.exe file.

8. The added Bonus

So, if you have users, that aren't members of the Administrator group on your XP workstation, and they still need to install or update the GroupWise client, I've written a small utility, that might help you with this….

Please go here:
http://www.novell.com/communities/node/6584/easyinst-groupwise

Besides that, I'm currently digging futher into the gems of the SetupIP tool, and if I find anything futher, I'll be back….

Take care, and hope that this article has made you GroupWiseR

/Tommy