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#23326 - 2002-06-17 02:29 PM Updating KiX from v3.35 -> 4.02 - Suggestions?
Freddy Offline
Fresh Scripter

Registered: 2002-06-17
Posts: 5
I have this problem I'm not sure how to get around, so I'm turning here to find help.
I have a Windows NT 4.0-domain where all users, as their default logonscript, run kix32.exe which in turn executes the kixtart.scr default script. There is a mix of Windows NT 4.0 Workstations and Windows 98 computers and we want to update the DLL-files on the Win98-computers. The problem comes in two different flavors: Problem 1) How do I go about finding out if the existing scripts are compatible with the new version I'd like to upgrade to (old version 3.35, new version 4.02)? I have checked the release notes and documents but I can't get any clear information what functions etc. differ between the two versions. There are only some hints as to what differs between the 3.63 version and the v2001 Beta 1. (But v2001 Beta 1 isn't version 4.02!!)Problem 2) How do I do to replace the kix32.exe file from the \\server\netlogon share and at the same time, update the necessary DLL-files on the Windows 98 computers without missing any machines in the process? (I hope I'm correct when I think that the NT-computers don't need the DLL-files?)


Any suggestions are welcome!



Thanks for your time!

/Freddy

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#23327 - 2002-06-17 02:41 PM Re: Updating KiX from v3.35 -> 4.02 - Suggestions?
Lonkero Administrator Offline
KiX Master Guru
*****

Registered: 2001-06-05
Posts: 22346
Loc: OK
freddy, welcome on board.
I don't know how to start parsing this...
first, differences between 3.6* and 4.0* only adding functionality and speed.
if not 100% backwards compability is sure then uttleast 99,9%
to make sure your script works with kix2k1 you could run it on your own account first.
then, there is at http://home.wanadoo.nl/scripting/index.htm
kixstrip tool to check the correct syntax.
then, you are right, nt's don't need the regs and win9x neither for basic functionality but for full network info they are needed.
notice anyway that then also KIXRPC (the right version) should be used.
to easily upgrade wksta's to kix 4.02 you could go with installation softpack found on that same page.
the update on netlogon share is just replacing the exe.

if you run the kix32 from batch file, you should add the client update things in to that batch before starting kix32.exe
this way you can add routines to run kix32.exe from client and thus reduce logon time and network traffic.

don't know if I forgot something, but probably then someone will add that or you'll ask for more.

hope this helped uttleast little bit.

cheers,
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#23328 - 2002-06-17 02:52 PM Re: Updating KiX from v3.35 -> 4.02 - Suggestions?
Howard Bullock Offline
KiX Supporter
*****

Registered: 2000-09-15
Posts: 5809
Loc: Harrisburg, PA USA
This is based on you not using LMSCRIPT emulation.
If you have replaced LMSCRIPT.exe with Kix32.exe, tou have addiotnal steps.

Not too much of a problem. What you want to do is create a subdirectory in in your Netlogon directory. In the new directory add the new KiXtart binaries. Place a copy of your logon script here as well. Build a new batch file to call your new logon script.

Review this and similar threads Topic: %0%\..\.

You can include "Xcopy /D" in your new batch file or use kix402update.exe to update the client's KiXtart files.

You can then change the logon script of your test accounts to NewDirectory\logon.bat.

then edit your new script as necessary to get it working with 4.02.

[ 17 June 2002, 14:53: Message edited by: Howard Bullock ]
_________________________
Home page: http://www.kixhelp.com/hb/

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#23329 - 2002-06-17 03:08 PM Re: Updating KiX from v3.35 -> 4.02 - Suggestions?
Freddy Offline
Fresh Scripter

Registered: 2002-06-17
Posts: 5
Thanks for your quick replies!



I haven't tried it out yet but I think I was somewhat unclear in my first message.



It's good to hear that the new version is backwards-compatible (as far as one can expect), but the main problem I have is that the users don't have any "real" logonscript as one would usually set things up. Normally, the users first script that would be executed would be a script something like logon.bat or such. The main problem in this case is that they run kix32.exe as their first "script". When the users have been created, instead of giving them logon.bat as their first-run-script-when-loging-on, ;-) they run kix32.exe which in turn executes kixtart.scr. Is it possible to update KiX from within KiX?



/Freddy

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#23330 - 2002-06-17 03:18 PM Re: Updating KiX from v3.35 -> 4.02 - Suggestions?
Howard Bullock Offline
KiX Supporter
*****

Registered: 2000-09-15
Posts: 5809
Loc: Harrisburg, PA USA
Your best bet is to change the logon script property of the user account to call a batch file that does the work you want done.
_________________________
Home page: http://www.kixhelp.com/hb/

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#23331 - 2002-06-17 03:21 PM Re: Updating KiX from v3.35 -> 4.02 - Suggestions?
Schuliebug Offline
Hey THIS is FUN
*****

Registered: 2002-01-18
Posts: 379
Loc: Netherlands
In case of Kix32 run from the workstation, you can't update it within Kix32. You'll have to copy the necessary file to temporary ones, create a wininit.ini that renames the temporary files to the runtime files and restart the machine.

{edit}: you'll have to replace the Kix32.exe and .dll files for Win9x. For WNT only Kix32 has to be replaced. Better is to start Kix32 from a batch file, like Howard en Jooel suggested.

[ 17 June 2002, 16:25: Message edited by: Schuliebug ]
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#23332 - 2002-06-17 03:25 PM Re: Updating KiX from v3.35 -> 4.02 - Suggestions?
Lonkero Administrator Offline
KiX Master Guru
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Registered: 2001-06-05
Posts: 22346
Loc: OK
if you have kix32 called just as:
kix32
try to change it to
\\logonserver\netlogon\kix2001\kix32
then you can update via it, the client side.
win9x will have problem (probably with this) and this means you will probably have to call batch file for the update like howard described.
then after a while you may again turn the switch to kix32.

howard, does kix, if runned directly, execute from logonserver or from local machine?
this meaning, is there need to say in that logonscript definition something like:
%windir%\kix32
?
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#23333 - 2002-06-17 03:40 PM Re: Updating KiX from v3.35 -> 4.02 - Suggestions?
Howard Bullock Offline
KiX Supporter
*****

Registered: 2000-09-15
Posts: 5809
Loc: Harrisburg, PA USA
I copy Kix32.exe to %temp% and then execute it as %temp%\kix32.exe %0\..\scriptname.kix.
_________________________
Home page: http://www.kixhelp.com/hb/

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#23334 - 2002-06-17 03:45 PM Re: Updating KiX from v3.35 -> 4.02 - Suggestions?
Lonkero Administrator Offline
KiX Master Guru
*****

Registered: 2001-06-05
Posts: 22346
Loc: OK
sadly we have wksta's with win9x
otherwise could use more complex syntax on usermanager.
something like:
kixcheck if %errorlevel%>0 kixupdate && kix32
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#23335 - 2002-06-17 04:11 PM Re: Updating KiX from v3.35 -> 4.02 - Suggestions?
Howard Bullock Offline
KiX Supporter
*****

Registered: 2000-09-15
Posts: 5809
Loc: Harrisburg, PA USA
Freddy check out: http://81.17.37.55/board/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=003472 for some additional ideas.

All of my clients execute 'corp\corp-prd.bat'. Everything else happens from there.

My current batch file is at this URL.. this may be overkill for Freddy. I am sure that there are other examples posted on the board.
_________________________
Home page: http://www.kixhelp.com/hb/

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#23336 - 2002-06-17 07:54 PM Re: Updating KiX from v3.35 -> 4.02 - Suggestions?
Freddy Offline
Fresh Scripter

Registered: 2002-06-17
Posts: 5
I've been wondering..


What if I were to rename the existing kix32.exe file (the one I want to replace) to, say kix32b.exe and then make a fixkix.bat-file that did: \\server\netlogon\makestuff.bat as only command. If I then were to use the bat2exec util to convert the file fixkix.bat into a .com file and then rename it to kix32.exe and finally copy it into the \\server\netlogon dir. This way I wouldn't have to change the profiles for every user, but I would have the possibility of editing the makestuff.bat file to do the file-copying-thingies.

Does anyone see anything obvious that would make this fail?
Sure, I'd be forced to check every existing script to make sure it doesn't call the original \\server\netlogon\kix32.exe file, since this would make the script fail because the new \\server\netlogon\kix32.exe (converted file) won't be able to catch eventuall parameters and pipe them along to the kix32b.exe (original kix32.exe) file.


Thanx for all your comments!

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#23337 - 2002-06-17 07:58 PM Re: Updating KiX from v3.35 -> 4.02 - Suggestions?
Lonkero Administrator Offline
KiX Master Guru
*****

Registered: 2001-06-05
Posts: 22346
Loc: OK
freddy, if you are not wishing to touch user profiles, which is not hard, cause you can do a select all in usermanager too.

if you have the call in usermanager as kix32
you could just rename/move/delete the kix32.exe and but there kix32.bat in it's place.
this way you would not need to play with bat to exec...
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#23338 - 2002-06-17 08:01 PM Re: Updating KiX from v3.35 -> 4.02 - Suggestions?
Freddy Offline
Fresh Scripter

Registered: 2002-06-17
Posts: 5
Darn!
That was almost to easy.. I thought that I had overlooked something. Of course you are right! (but you allready knew that! ;-)) If the OS can't find a .com or .exe-file called kix32.exe, but there is a .bat-file och .cmd-file instead, as you say, it would be run instead.

Thanx, now I just need to go find my brain. I must have missplaced it somewhere. =) *lol*


But otherwhise, do you think my theory will hold?

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#23339 - 2002-06-17 08:03 PM Re: Updating KiX from v3.35 -> 4.02 - Suggestions?
Howard Bullock Offline
KiX Supporter
*****

Registered: 2000-09-15
Posts: 5809
Loc: Harrisburg, PA USA
I think he should start slow with one or two test accounts so that he can prove his script works as desired with Kix 4.02. He may require some tweaks to his code or just may see a much better way to code using some of 4.02 enhancements.

In either case, He should build a logon script that is started with a batch file that will update the Kix files on the client.

[ 17 June 2002, 20:03: Message edited by: Howard Bullock ]
_________________________
Home page: http://www.kixhelp.com/hb/

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#23340 - 2002-06-17 08:12 PM Re: Updating KiX from v3.35 -> 4.02 - Suggestions?
Freddy Offline
Fresh Scripter

Registered: 2002-06-17
Posts: 5
Howard, do you know what default execution order the following files are: .com .exe .cmd .bat? For Windows NT 4 and win98?



I can remember that .com executes first, but is it possible to have kix32.bat and kix32.exe file in the same directory and have the kix32.bat file execute before the kix32.exe file?



/Freddy

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#23341 - 2002-06-17 08:37 PM Re: Updating KiX from v3.35 -> 4.02 - Suggestions?
Les Offline
KiX Master
*****

Registered: 2001-06-11
Posts: 12734
Loc: fortfrances.on.ca
The following from on-line help:
quote:

When executing a command line whose first token does NOT contain an
extension, then CMD.EXE uses the value of the PATHEXT
environment variable to determine which extensions to look for
and in what order. The default value for the PATHEXT variable
is:

.COM;.EXE;.BAT;.CMD

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#23342 - 2002-06-19 12:54 AM Re: Updating KiX from v3.35 -> 4.02 - Suggestions?
MCA Offline
KiX Supporter
*****

Registered: 2000-04-28
Posts: 5152
Loc: Netherlands, EU
Dear,

For an easy upgrade of your clients with f.e. kixtart 4.02 you can use
our installation package kix402update.exe.

BUT we first we advice to upgrade to KiXtart 3.63 release. So you can see
your scripts are still running in a correct way. The jump from your cur-
rent to 3.63 is very big. It is the latest version which should be
downwards compatible with your current version.
After completon a succesfull test you can upgrade to latest kixtart 4.02
release. This version is no longer downwards compatible for all kixtart
functions f.e. OLExxx functions are removed and COM techniques are intro-
duced since Kixtart 4.00 release.

At the moment there are six releases:
  • kix362update.exe
  • kix363update.exe
  • kix400update.exe
  • kix401update.exe
  • kix402update.exe (final release)
  • kix410update.exe (beta)
Each time it will verify the correctness of your release. Incorrect
files will be replaced and missing files will be added. Regardless of
file attributes.
To prevent running more times weare using a control files.
You can easily upgrade it with our iexpress package.
Questions: how?

A way of installing/updating kixtart of your clients: with only one additional statement

For the installation of kixtart at your local workstation we see many version of doing it.
Most statements in your BATch file are using for this duty.
But there is also a way of doing it with a single statement, which doesn't only copy
the required files, but also compare file version information. After completion a logfile
will be created at your local workstation.

Another way of installing/updating kixtart on your clients:

For installing or updating of your clients you can download our packages kix363update.exe,
kix400update.exe or kix401update.exe from our site http:\\home.wanadoo.nl\scripting.

Possible calls in your logon procedure can be:

As first line of your logon procedure you can use one of following formats:
  • x:\kixtart\kix402update.exe /q
  • %0\..\kix402update.exe /q
  • if not exist c:\kix402.ok %0\..\kix402update.exe /q
  • \\server\NETLOGON\kix402update.exe /q
Second line can be something like:
  • kix32 %0\..\your_script.kix
  • kix32 \\server\netlogon\your_script.kix
Results of your BATCH can be:
for network environments (= update package will transfer during each logging on)
code:
@echo off
%0\..\kix402update.exe /q
kix32 %0\..\your_script.kix
@echo off

or for dial-up environments (= update package will transfer only once)
code:
@echo off
if not exist c:\kix402.ok %0\..\kix402update.exe /q
kix32 %0\..\your_script.kix
@echo off

or
code:
@echo off
if not exist $windir%\kix402.ok %0\..\kix402update.exe /q
kix32 %0\..\your_script.kix
@echo off

After using above programs there will be created a control
file c:\kix363.ok, c:\kix400.ok, c:\kix401.ok, c:\kix401.ok or
c:\kix402.ok. So it isn't necessary to run the installation
process again, but we advise to update (or better: verify)
kixtart files always.
Also those control files will put in the %windir% directory.

Reason: a security leak for running kixtart from clients.

remarks: SECURITY LEAK for running kixtart from clients

running kix32.exe from a local workstation can have also unwanted effects. An user
can modify or replace your kix32.exe file. f.e. not to run your script but for
reading your script.
For RAS users it is interesting not to download each time the kixtart required files,
but for other users we advise:
always check the kixtart files and update them when necessary before running your KIX scripts.

FIX for SECURITY LEAK:

In our case the first statement of our default logon procedure for network users is always:
%0\..\kix363update.exe /q
and it will guarantee that kix32.exe file will always the correct one.

remarks: performance

  • only 150 KBytes will be transfered to your workstation. the package has been compressed.
  • always the correct set of kixtart files will be used. during the execution of scripts
    the user can already starts working.
  • during installation or updating kixtart you will not get share violation error or busy file
    error. the install.kix scripts runs with his own kixtart version.
  • for RAS users we create additional authorizations which will run minimum set of script code.
    for them the logon procedure containts as statement:
    if not exist c:\kix363.ok %0\..\kix363update.exe /q
greetings.

btw: related kixtart topic http://kixtart.org/board/Forum2/HTML/000583.html

btw: be sure no other kix32.exe and DLLs are active on your clients.
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