remote controll xp machines via redhat 9.0

redlinux04 · 09-07-2004, 08:52 PM

Hi,
I googled and searched this board, but I didn't find an answer.

We have a redhat 9.0 server runing and a lot of xp machines with static ip's...
what we want is to run some apps on them every week so that we can keep adware and spyware away...

What tool do we need to install on the xp machines and on the server..
to be able to start windows apps on the xp's via a remote controll

I thaught maybe it is possible to use shl?

Thanks in adavance
PS: the best would be a tryprogramm on the windows machines so that it is not necessary to start a programm on every machine...

DrNeil · 09-07-2004, 08:55 PM

http://www.tightvnc.com/ or VNC http://www.realvnc.com/ I believe would do the trick. Never used it personally, but ppl recomended it.

DrNeil · 09-07-2004, 08:59 PM

Or http://www.netlib.org/pvm3/

PVM, I have used that before you can make a huge cluster and distribute batch jobs, OS can be windows XYZ or Linux. Quite nifty. Maybe look for newer versions. There was also a Condor called thing, that is used I thing in UK Grid computing.

littleking · 09-07-2004, 09:04 PM

excuse me.... but why not just use rdesktop? (the default linux terminal services client)

http://freshmeat.net/projects/rdesktop/

DrNeil · 09-07-2004, 09:24 PM

"rdesktop is an open source client for Windows NT Terminal Server and Windows 2000/2003 Terminal Services, capable of natively speaking Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) in order to present the user's NT desktop. Unlike Citrix ICA, no server extensions are required."

Does that work on XP ?

redlinux04 · 09-07-2004, 09:36 PM

hi thanks guys,
yeah batch jobs that's what I want.
It should run a scan everyweek on all clients of adaware...
if it could handle that by itself it would be great-

DrNeil · 09-07-2004, 09:44 PM

With PVM: the batch jobs are mostly terminal oriented. If that adware protection thingy needs clicki clacki I am pityfully at a miss how to do that, batchwise.

A lightweight http server might also be an answer. PVM works over rhosts so not the most secure.

DrNeil · 09-07-2004, 09:54 PM

Maybe pull the thing the other way:

XP scheduled task, a perl/python script that does the thing and reports the status to a redhat server? Then you know if it ran OK and were to go when it didn't and your security implications are reduced.

Grr my home broadband is really patchy tonite

redlinux04 · 09-07-2004, 10:36 PM

hi yeah adaware needs clicki clacki and that's what I am worried about...how to perform clicks and such things on 30 machines with xp home...
can a python script do that?

SOpsMattW · 09-08-2004, 01:53 PM

Adaware 6 SE allows command line syntax to schedule jobs etc.. here is the link.

http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/index...howtopic=40663

Rdesktop _does_ allow you to connect to any XP Pro or Home system, assuming that SP2 hasn't been installed with the firewall enabled. I do it all the time.. If you need to administer 20+ machines, avoid this method.. too time consuming.

PSExec from Sysinternals.com might be of interest to you. I believe it works on linux via wine. it allows you to run remote commands on windows-based machines.

<code>

#sample batch file with a usage of: batchfile somepassword
#never, never, NEVER put passwords in batch files!!!

psexec \\machinename1 -u administrator -p %1 adaware.exe /smart
psexec \\machinename2 -u administrator -p %1 adaware.exe /smart
psexec \\machinename3 -u administrator -p %1 adaware.exe /smart
psexec \\machinename4 -u administrator -p %1 adaware.exe /smart

</code>