11.8 Manually Deploying the Agent on Linux

Instead of having a ZENworks Server deliver the ZENworks Agent to a device, you can manually download the ZENworks Agent deployment package from the server and install the agent.

  1. Make sure the device meets the necessary requirements. For details, see Managed Device Requirements in the ZENworks 2020 Update 2 System Requirements.

  2. On the target device, open a Web browser and access the following address:

    http://server:port/zenworks-setup

    Replace server with the DNS name or IP address of a ZENworks Server and replace the port only if the ZENworks Server is not using the default port (80 or 443).

    The Web browser displays a list of deployment packages. For each architecture (32-bit and 64-bit), there are two types of packages:

    Network (JRE required): The network (JRE required) package installs only the pre-agent on the target device; the pre-agent then downloads and installs the ZENworks Agent from the ZENworks Server. The network (JRE required) package requires that JRE 1.6 or later is installed on the device prior to the deployment of the agent on the device.

    NOTE:It is required to install only Sun’s Java Runtime Environment (JRE)on the Linux managed devices for the ZENworks Agent to work.

    Standalone: The standalone package installs the pre-agent and extracts all executable files required for ZENworks Agent installation, including the JRE installer on the target device. The pre-agent then installs the ZENworks Agent from the local device. The standalone package is useful when you need to install the ZENworks Agent on a device that is currently disconnected from the network. You can save the package to removable media (CD, USB flash drive, and so on) and have the standalone device run the package from the media. The ZENworks Agent is installed on the device, but no registration or management occurs until the device connects to the network.

    Custom: The package name, Default Agent, refers to predefined deployment packages. The custom deployment packages created through Deployment > Edit Deployment Package are shown with the name assigned during the creation of the package.

  3. At the command prompt, specify executable permissions to the downloaded.bin file by running the chmod +x <file_name> command.

    For more information on the options that you can use with the package, see Package Options for Windows, Linux, and Macintosh.

  4. Click the required deployment package you want to use, save the package to the local drive of the device, then assign executable permissions to the file by running the command chmod 755 filename.

    For information on the options that you can use with the package, see Package Options for Windows, Linux, and Macintosh.

  5. (Optional) On a RHEL device, run the following command:

    chcon -u system_u -t rpm_exec_t filename

  6. In the terminal window, go to the directory where you have downloaded the package, then launch the package on the device by running the command ./filename, where filename is the name of the package you downloaded in Step 4.

    NOTE:A root user has to run the agent installer.

  7. If ZENworks security configuration is enabled, then you will be prompted to enter the Authorization Key.

    From ZENworks 2020 Update 2 onwards, if ZENworks security configuration is enabled on the server to which the device will be registered, then ensure that you specify the authorization key during the agent installation.

    For more information, see Creating Authorization Key.

  8. (Conditional) If you want to view the ZENworks notify icon in the notification area after agent installation for the Linux device, log out of and log in to the device.

    In ZENworks Control Center, the device appears in the \Servers folder or \Workstation folder on the Devices page.

    NOTE:After deploying the ZENworks Agent on Linux device, /opt/novell/zenworks/bin is not added to the PATH variable and hence the commands in that directory cannot be used directly. Do any of the following on the Linux device to run the commands from /opt/novell/zenworks/bin:

    • Relogin to the device.

    • Specify the complete path to access the command.

    For example: /opt/novell/zenworks/bin/zac.