Software installation and Software Deployment
Software installation is the technical process of placing a program or software onto a specific device and preparing it for use. This involves copying files, configuring settings, and ensuring the software runs correctly on the device. Typically, the task is performed by the user or IT department on individual endpoints.
However, as the number of endpoints grows, software installation becomes more time consuming, requiring a more efficient approach. This approach, known as software deployment, involves planning, managing, and tracking software installation across multiple devices within an organization.
Automated software installation plays a crucial role in software deployment. Even without a formal deployment strategy, automating installations significantly reduces effort and minimizes human errors
Can I install software with NinjaOne?
What Are The Typical File Formats Used to Install Software?
- MSI software. Stands for Microsoft Software Installer. It refers to a specific file format and technology used to install and manage software on Windows operating systems.
- EXE software. Stands for Executable file, commonly referred to as a “.exe” file. It is the most common type of executable file format on Windows operating systems.
- PKG software. File format used for software packages on several different platforms and devices. It´s used on Mac devices amongst others.
- DMG software. Refers to Apple Disk Image files, it’s not technically “software” itself, but rather a container format used to distribute software on macOS systems.
Can NinjaOne install Software on Windows Devices?
Can NinjaOne Install Software on Mac Devices?
How do I Install Software For my Endpoints With NinjaOne?
Here are the steps required for installing software using NinjaOne.
- Create an installation package.
- Submit the installation package using one of the following methods.
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- On demand to one or multiple endpoints.
- Using a scheduled task.
- Using a Policy.
How do I Create an Installation Package?
Follow the steps below to create an installation package in NinjaOne.
- Download the installation executable file from the distribution point. This executable must be capable of doing a silent and unattended installation.
- Investigate the installation options. Check the software documentation to see if/what command line parameters (or switches) are required for the silent and unattended installation, like language, silent option, suppress messages, etc.
- Test the installation file manually on a target computer. Make sure the installation runs silent, and unattended. Adjust the switches, if necessary, until the installation is as expected. Take note of the command line switches or parameters, since they will be needed later.
- Create an automation in the NinjaOne library using this package.
Let´s illustrate this with an example: creating a Windows installation package for the Foxit PDF reader software. You can download the installation file from this link. For this example, download the package according to your language.
Once you have the installation file in your download folder, which in this case is an .EXE file, open a command prompt window, go to the download folder, and run: FoxitPDFReader20243_enu_Setup_Prom.exe /? (This will help us investigate what switches are available). A pop-up window will appear showing the different command line options. From the list, let´s choose the “/SP,” “/VERYSILENT,” and “/SUPRESSMSGBOXES” options. Now, let´s try it out by running it manually, the command to test will be as follows:
FoxitPDFReader20243_enu_Setup_Prom.exe /SP /SUPRESSMSGBOXES /VERYSILENT
After running this command, we can see that the installation was successful, unattended, and silent.
Now, let´s upload the installation file to NinjaOne. Follow the steps below to accomplish this:
- Navigate to Administration > Library > Automation.
- Click the +Add button on the right of the screen and select Installation from the drop down that appears, the Install Application dialog box appears. See the next screenshot for reference.
Let’s dive into each field and explain what they mean.
Name: A name to identify this installation package.
Description: A brief description of what this installation package does, this is optional.
Operating system: The operating system this installation package is intended for.
Architecture: Some installation package distributions are 32-bit or 64-bit specific, if this is the case, choose accordingly, if not, then choose “All”.
Installer: this is where the installation executable file is uploaded. Choose the installer file to be used, this can be from your computer or a URL.
Categories: This is the category given to this package, this is used to allow or deny technicians to see it and run it. Run script permissions are provided to technicians per category in NinjaOne.
Run as: The user account used to submit the installer. Normally, choose “System.”
Parameters: The command line switches or parameters required for the installation, we will type here exactly what will be appended to the executable file in the command line. For our example, it will be /SP /SUPRESSMSGBOXES /VERYSILENT /LANG=Español Latinoamericano
On the “Additional Settings” tab we have more options.
Helper files: Additional files that the installer may need to run.
Installer icon: An optional icon used to identify this installation package.
Pre-script: Some script that may be needed right before the installation.
Post-script: Some script that may be needed after the installation takes place. Note that this script will be skipped if the installation package fails to install.
Check the software documentation to see if any of the above options are required, for our example case, they are not.
Fill out the required fields and click the “submit” button. After entering the MFA method response, the new automation will be sent to the malware scanner for review, which may take a few minutes. After successful scanning, the new automation will be available in the Automation Library. The next screenshot shows the options used for our example.
How do I Submit The Installation Package on Demand to One or Multiple Endpoints?
Now, follow the steps below.
a) Go to the devices dashboard and start applying filters. Select Datacenter1 organization, then select Windows Laptop type. Then, go to Additional Filters and select Software Inventory. At the Software Inventory dialog box select “All time,” then “Does not contain,” then “Any,” and then add software “Foxit PDF Reader” (at this point, the Foxit PDF Reader installation package must be in the Automation Library). After applying the filters, the list will be narrowed down to only the devices meeting the criteria, which in this case is two.
b) Select the target device(s) by checking the boxes next to them.
c) Go to Run, then Run Automation, and finally Install Application. Find the desired installation package, which is the “Install Foxit Reader” package we created earlier.
d) Click on the application to install. A dialog box will pop up with the name, description, run as, and preset parameter, these last two allow us to make last minute changes to how the application is installed.
e) Make any last-minute changes desired and click on “Run.” Then, respond with “yes” or “no” to confirm your action.
And that’s it. Please note that if any endpoints are offline, the installation will be queued and then applied when the device(s) come back online.
How do I Submit The Installation Package to a Group of Endpoints Using a Scheduled Task?
In NinjaOne, filters can be used to select a set of endpoints that meet specific criteria—for example, Mac computers missing a particular software. This selection can then be saved as a group. A scheduled task can then be created to deploy the installation package to this group at specified intervals, automating software installation without human intervention.
Let us illustrate this with an example. First, create a computer group for Windows laptops in the Datacenter1 organization that do not have Foxit PDF Reader installed. Then, set up a scheduled task to run once a day to install Foxit PDF Reader on this group.
In our previous example, we used filters to narrow down the endpoint list. We will continue with that same filter in this section, applying it again to save it as a group named ‘Laptops with no Foxit installed.’ Click the ‘Save’ option (highlighted in red in the screenshot below), enter the group name, description, and sharing options, then click the blue ‘Save’ button.
The new group will appear along with its member devices. Note that this group, like all device groups, is dynamic. This means the group will automatically update if additional devices meet the criteria or if any existing members no longer meet the criteria.
Now that we have the group ready, let’s create the scheduled task that will be applied to this group. Follow the steps below to achieve this:
1. Navigate to Administration > Tasks > New Task.
2. Fill out the general task details per the example description to create the schedule. Make sure to check the “Allow Groups” option.
3. Click Add on the right to add automation, then search for “Install Foxit PDF Reader” and when this automation appears, click on it. A dialog box will show up, fill out the fields as in the previous section and click Apply.
4. Go to the Targets tab and click Add to create the target list. A dialog box will show up. Select Group in the first place, then search for our previously created group “Laptops with no Foxit installed” select it with a checkmark and click Apply.
5. Click Save, enter your MFA method answer and close.
An important thing to note here is that on offline endpoints, the installation will not be performed or queued. This is the limitation of this method. To avoid this be sure to set your schedule to a time that the target devices are likely to be online.
How do I submit The Installation Package using a policy?
With policies in NinjaOne, automations can be triggered when specific conditions are met. Using this method, we can target the devices lacking this software and send the installation only to them.
Let’s get back to our example of installing Foxit PDF reader on just laptops for Datacenter1 workstations. Since there are no policies affecting only Windows laptops, let´s create a new one inherited from “Windows Workstations” and apply it to the laptop group at the organization level. For that, follow the instructions below.
a) Navigate to Administration > Policies > Agent Policies and click on Create New Policy. The Create Policy dialog box appears, name this new policy “Windows Workstations with Foxit PDF installed,” add a description and select the device role “Windows Desktops and Laptops.” Under Parent Policy select “Windows Workstations.”
After saving, the screen changes to editing the new policy.
b) Click on Add a Condition, the Condition dialog box appears, click on Select a condition, a new dialog box appears. Click on Select a condition and from the drop-down menu select Software, on Presence, select Doesn´t exist, on name, type “*Foxit*” then hit the Enter key (The leading and trailing wildcard (*) means that the software name is anything containing Foxit. Another option is typing the software name exactly as Windows names it in the list of installed software, but using wildcards is a safer option), then click the Apply button.
This condition means that it will be met when a device does not have software installed with Foxit included in the name. See the screenshot below, showing how it looks after the condition was added.
c) Now let’s add an automation. Click Add on the top right of the screen, the Automation Library dialog box appears, from there, find the “Install Foxit PDF Reader” automation that we created previously and click on it. Confirm the Run As and Preset parameters as needed and click Apply.
The screen goes back to the condition dialog box, at this point click Add.
Then Click Save, enter your MFA method answer, and close.
d) Go to the Organization dashboard and select the Datacenter1 organization. Click on Edit at the right of the screen. Then select the policies tab, at the left of the screen. Select Agent Policies at the top of the screen. On the Windows Laptop policy, select the “Windows Workstations with Foxit PDF installed” from the drop-down menu, then save. From now on, all Windows laptops in this organization, existing or new, will have Foxit PDF reader installed.
When to Use Each of The Explained Methods?
- Submitting the installation package on demand to one or multiple endpoints is good when you need to eventually install software on one or a few devices.
- Use a policy when a broader group of devices needs the software, and the group can be linked to a policy, in other words, when the device group can be found in the organization editor, like Mac Desktop.
- Use the scheduled tasks method when a broad group of devices need the software, but this group cannot be linked to a policy.