Installing and managing software over the network

Setting up a software server

Any networked machine (host) with custom-format software installed can be a server for post-ISL installations (defined at the beginning of this chapter). You cannot use the SCO OpenServer Desktop System as a remote installation server.
To load the remotely-installable software, run the Software Manager on the server. (See ``Installing and managing software components''.) Select Install New from the Software menu. Install New loads and configures the software on the server, and also makes it ready for remote installation.

You can also make software available to client machines by loading it onto the remote installation server, without actually installing or licensing it on the server machine.

To make the installation server accessible to clients, create an account for the user swadmin and assign it a password. (See ``Adding and modifying user accounts''.) Users need this password to install a client with software from this server.

NOTE: The shell for the swadmin account cannot be /bin/false.

If you create several installation servers, assigning a different password for swadmin on each server increases security, as does changing the passwords frequently.