Can it be done? Install apps based on laptop/desktop

[FlowLive]

I am using Groups as OU’s and snappins for apps I want to install.

We have 3 applications that we only install on laptops and the way this was originally done through MDT was a Task sequence variable set to IsLaptop = True

Anyone knows if this is also a possibility with Fog, I wouldn’t want to segment my groups more as those are mostly used for OU’s…

But still I’m listening, what are your suggestions?

[FlowLive]

Now I just come to realize something, when I look at a group and I added snappins for that group, It is written: Add Snapin to all hosts in:Groupname

I can also delete all snappins from the group. Now does this mean that if I added snappins at some point it will be pushed to all pc’s member of that group?

I am asking since I use the Groups as OU’s and those OU’s contains both desktops and laptops, I have apps I manually choose when inventoring and imaging a pc with snappins depending on wether those are desktops or laptops, typically laptops have 3 more snappins installed. Now does this mean that the desktops within that group will also receive those applications installed?

If the answer to this is yes then I guess I should separate my groups in 2…
If the answer is no then maybe there should be another way to word it…

Another thing is I see now that all 5 snappins I created are listed randomly during Full inventory as this : 5,4,1,3,2
Any way to have those in ascending order? The groups do not have this issue.

[Wayne Workman]

You can script this. Just write a batch file to detect if there is a “Wireless Network Connection 1” or not… There are other ways too, like detecting if there is a battery percentage or not, if there is a lid-close setting available or not. Once you have these checks in a script and working, you can just push your snapin to all systems.

[ch3i]

@Wayne-Workman said:

You can script this. Just write a batch file to detect if there is a “Wireless Network Connection 1” or not… There are other ways too, like detecting if there is a battery percentage or not, if there is a lid-close setting available or not. Once you have these checks in a script and working, you can just push your snapin to all systems.

@FlowLive Hi, you can use DMI information to get chassis type.

On a linux (in my case it’s a VM on an ESXi) :

# dmidecode --string chassis-type
Other

On a windows laptop using a script(in my case a HP Elitebook 820) :

Dim Wmi :Set Wmi = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\.\root\cimv2")
Dim Arg, Col, Obj

For Each Col In Wmi.ExecQuery("Select * from Win32_SystemEnclosure")
For Each Obj In Col.ChassisTypes
 Select Case Obj
  Case 1  :Arg = "Other"
  Case 2  :Arg = "Unknown"
  Case 3  :Arg = "Desktop"
  Case 4  :Arg = "Low Profile Desktop"
  Case 5  :Arg = "Pizza Box"
  Case 6  :Arg = "Mini Tower"
  Case 7  :Arg = "Tower"
  Case 8  :Arg = "Portable"
  Case 9  :Arg = "Laptop"
  Case 10 :Arg = "Notebook"
  Case 11 :Arg = "Handheld"
  Case 12 :Arg = "Docking Station"
  Case 13 :Arg = "All-in-One"
  Case 14 :Arg = "Sub-Notebook"
  Case 15 :Arg = "Space Saving"
  Case 16 :Arg = "Lunch Box"
  Case 17 :Arg = "Main System Chassis"
  Case 18 :Arg = "Expansion Chassis"
  Case 19 :Arg = "Sub-Chassis"
  Case 20 :Arg = "Bus Expansion Chassis"
  Case 21 :Arg = "Peripheral Chassis"
  Case 22 :Arg = "Storage Chassis"
  Case 23 :Arg = "Rack Mount Chassis"
  Case 24 :Arg = "Sealed-Case PC"
  Case Else 
   Arg = "Unknown"
End Select
Next
Next

WScript.Echo " Type = " & Arg

or via wmic :

c:\wmic systemenclosure get chassistypes
ChassisTypes
{10}

[ITSolutions]

@Wayne-Workman You want to be careful using wireless as a determination for laptops. All of our new desktops have wireless built in also. They are the micro PC’s from Dell, the 3020M’s.

[FlowLive]

@ITSolutions

Precisely yes because of tablets and Surface Pro for example…

I appreciate everyones help on the matter, anyone has answer to my other requests or could confirm the behavior of the groups snappins?

[ITSolutions]

@FlowLive I guess the only question I am seeing is that you are asking how to determine if the machine is a laptop or desktop. The easiest way to accomplish this is to use a script as the snap in that will check if it is a laptop and if so run the installer from a share some where. If it is a desktop then no installer is run.

Natively there is no way to have FOG determine if the machine is a laptop. But if you know what machines are laptops as you add them, you can have machines belong to multiple groups, add all laptops to a Laptop group and apply only those 3 snapins with no other setting in that particular group. Not automatic, but does work.

I quite often use scripts instead of actual files for snap ins, mostly due to old limitations of snapins back in the .32 days, so I guess it is just an old habit.