updating win xp with linux server
 

Hi all,
Just a quick question. Is it possible to automatically serve winxp updates from a linux server? Eg., Linux server with winxp box connected, server downloads updates from windows website and passes them to winxp box (or something similar). I've tried searching Google and, so far, have no had any luck.

Griz.

u may prefer squid cache proxy server in linux gateway. so when xp clients want to get updates from micro$oft.com squid will store these files in its cache. when the other xp clients wants to get same update files, squid will send these files from its cache. so the updates files wont be downlaoded again and again.

Thanks Maxut. Sounds like a very good option but I was hoping for something a bit more automated to automatically update client boxes. Is this possible?

i think its a issue with winupdate. as i know winupdate can be configured to get updates and install automatically. just configure squid to allow client. u may prefer transparent proxy. so u wont have to configure browser of clients to use squid proxy. u use iptables NAT to allow clients to reach internet, right?

I tend to doubt this will work, because the microsoft.com website uses active scripting to determine which updates you need. The Windows Update client itself doesn't use HTTP, that I know of...

Microsoft sells a couple of different servers that do aggregate patch management (hmm, how helpful of them to sell you something to solve the problem they created) and I know there are several other commercial patch management products, although I don't know of those will server MS updates or not. I haven't seen any free or Open Source software to do that.

Thanks to all that answered. Looks like I'll have to go the proxy route to allow users to update themselves. BTW, it's great to know that there's plenty of help out there when it's needed.

Griz.

I have a way of doing it, but it's not as automated as I'd like, but it does work. Check out my answer to another guy's thread here: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ght=sus+server and I hope it helps you out!

Travis