How to Install Clients on Linux and UNIX Computers in Configuration Manager

Note
The information in this topic applies only to System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1.

Before you can manage a Linux or UNIX server with Configuration Manager, you must install the Configuration Manager client for Linux and UNIX on each Linux or UNIX computer. You can accomplish this manually or by use of a shell script that installs the client remotely. Configuration Manager does not support the use of client push installation for Linux or UNIX servers. Optionally you can configure a Runbook for System Center 2012 Orchestrator to automate the install of the client on the Linux or UNIX server.

The install script for the Configuration Manager client for Linux and UNIX supports command line properties. Some command line properties are required, while others are optional. For example, when you install the client, you must specify a management point from the site that is used by the Linux or UNIX server for its initial contact with the site. For the complete list of command line properties, see Command Line Properties for Installing the Client on Linux and UNIX Servers.

After you install the client, you specify Client Settings in the Configuration Manager console to configure the client agent in the same way you would windows-based clients. For more information, see the Client Settings for Linux and UNIX Servers section in the Operations for Linux and UNIX Servers for Configuration Manager topic.

Install the Client on Linux and UNIX Servers

To install the client for Linux and UNIX, you run a script on each Linux or UNIX computer. The script is named install and supports command line properties that modify the installation behavior and reference the client installation package. The install script and client installation package must be located on the client. The client installation package contains the Configuration Manager client files for a specific Linux or UNIX operating system:

The client installation package contains all the necessary files to complete the client installation and unlike Windows-based computers, does not download additional files from a management point or other source location.

After you install the Configuration Manager client for Linux and UNIX, you do not need to reboot the computer. As soon as the software installation is complete, the client is operational. If you reboot the computer, the Configuration Manager client restarts automatically.

Following is the command format: ./install -mp <computer> -sitecode <sitecode> <property #1> <property #2> <client installation package>

Command line	Actions
./install –mp smsmp.contoso.com sitecode S01 ccm-RHEL5x86.tar	install is the name of the script file that installs the client for Linux and UNIX. This file is provided with the client software. -mp smsmp.contoso.com specifies the initial management point that is used by the client. -sitecode S01 specifies the client is assigned to the site with the site code of S01. ccm-RHEL5x86.tar is the name of the client installation .tar package for this computer operating system, version, and CPU architecture.

Command line

Actions

./install –mp smsmp.contoso.com sitecode S01 ccm-RHEL5x86.tar

install is the name of the script file that installs the client for Linux and UNIX. This file is provided with the client software.
-mp smsmp.contoso.com specifies the initial management point that is used by the client.
-sitecode S01 specifies the client is assigned to the site with the site code of S01.
ccm-RHEL5x86.tar is the name of the client installation .tar package for this computer operating system, version, and CPU architecture.

You can insert additional command line properties before the command line property that specifies the client installation .tar file. The client installation .tar file must be specified last.

For a list of command line options, see Command Line Properties for Installing the Client on Linux and UNIX Servers.

Use the following procedure as an example of how to install the client for Linux and UNIX.

Note
The following example procedure installs the client for Linux and UNIX on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 (RHEL5) x86 computer. To adjust this procedure for the operating systems that you use, replace the client installation file (ccm-RHEL5x86.tar) with the appropriate file each operating system. Also plan to use additional command line properties to meet your requirements.

To install the Configuration Manager Client on Linux and UNIX servers

Command Line Properties for Installing the Client on Linux and UNIX Servers

When you install the client for Linux and UNIX on a Linux or UNIX computer, you run the install script with command-line properties that specify the following:

The client’s assigned site.
The management point with which the client initially communicates
The client installation .tar file for the computer’s operating system
Additional configurations you require

The properties described in the following table are available to modify the installation behavior.

Note
Use the property -h to display this list of supported properties.

Property

Required or optional

More information

-mp <server FQDN>

Required

Specifies by FQDN, the management point server that the client will use as an initial point of contact.

Important
This property does not specify the management point to which the client will become assigned after installation.

Note
When you use the -mp property to specify a management point that is configured to accept only HTTPS client connections, you must also use the -UsePKICert property.

Specify the management point by FQDN.

-sitecode <sitecode>

Required

Specifies the Configuration Manager primary site to assign the Configuration Manager client to.

Example: -sitecode S01

-dir <directory>

Optional

Specifies an alternate location to install the Configuration Manager client files.

By default, the client installs to the following location: /opt/microsoft.

-nostart

Optional

Prevents the automatic start of the Configuration Manager client service, ccmexec.bin, after the client installation completes.

After the client installs, you must start the client service manually.

By default, the client service starts after the client installation completes, and each time the computer restarts.

-clean

Optional

Specifies the removal of all client files and data from a previously installed client for Linux and UNIX, before the new installation starts. This removes the client’s database and certificate store.

-keepdb

Optional

Specifies that the local client database is retained, and reused when you reinstall a client. By default, when you reinstall a client this database is deleted.

-UsePKICert <parameter>

Optional

Specifies the full path and file name to a X.509 PKI certificate in the Public Key Certificate Standard (PKCS#12) format. This certificate is used for client authentication.

When you use -UsePKICert, you must also supply the password associated with the PKCS#12 file by use of the -certpw command line parameter.

If the certificate is not valid, or cannot be found, the client falls back to use HTTP and a self-signed certificate.

If you do not use this property to specify a PKI certificate, the client uses a self-signed certificate and all communications to site systems are over HTTP.

Note
You must specify this property when you install a client and use the -mp property to specify a management point that is configured to accept only HTTPS client connections.

Example: -UsePKICert <Full path and filename> -certpw <password>

-certpw <parameter>

Optional

Specifies the password associated with the PKCS#12 file that you specified by use of the -UsePKICert property.

Example: -UsePKICert <Full path and filename> -certpw <password>

-NoCRLCheck

Optional

Specifies that a client should not check the certificate revocation list (CRL) when it communicates over HTTPS by use of a PKI certificate. When this option is not specified, the client checks the CRL before establishing an HTTPS connection by use of PKI certificates. For more information about client CRL checking, see Planning for PKI Certificate Revocation.

Example: -UsePKICert <Full path and filename> -certpw <password> -NoCRLCheck

-rootkeypath <file location>

Optional

Specifies the full path and file name to the Configuration Manager trusted root key. This property applies to clients that use HTTP and HTTPS client communication. For more information, see Planning for the Trusted Root Key.

Example: -rootkeypath <Full path and filename>

-httpport

Optional

Specifies the port that is configured on management points that the client uses when communicating to management points over HTTP. If the port is not specified, the default value of 80 is used.

Example: -httpport 80

-httpsport

Optional

Specifies the port that is configured on management points that the client uses when communicating to management points over HTTPS. If the port is not specified, the default value of 443 is used.

Example: -UsePKICert <Full path and certificate name> -httpsport 443

-ignoreSHA256validation

Optional

Specifies that client installation skips SHA-256 validation. Use this option when installing the client on operating systems that did not release with a version of OpenSSL that supports SHA-256. For more information, see the About Linux and UNIX Operating Systems That do not Support SHA-256 section in the Planning for Client Deployment for Linux and UNIX Servers topic.

-signcertpath <file location>

Optional

Specifies the full path and .cer file name of the exported self-signed certificate on the site server. This certificate is stored in the SMS certificate store and has the Subject name Site Server and the friendly name Site Server Signing Certificate.

This certificate is used by the client for all HTTP and HTTPS communications with management points and distribution points.

Example: -signcertpath=<Full path and file name>

-rootcerts

Optional

If multiple root certificates exist in the Configuration Manager environment, you can specify additional root certificates that the client might need to validate site system servers.

Example: -rootcerts=<Full path and file name>,<Full path and file name>

Uninstalling the Client from Linux and UNIX Servers

Configure Request Ports for the Client for Linux and UNIX

Similar to Windows-based clients, the Configuration Manager client for Linux and UNIX uses HTTP and HTTPS to communicate with Configuration Manager site systems. The ports that the Configuration Manager client uses to communicate are referred to as a request ports.

When you install the Configuration Manager client for Linux and UNIX, you can change the clients default request ports by specifying the -httpport and -httpsport installation properties. When you do not specify the installation property and a custom value, the client uses the default values. The default values are 80 for HTTP traffic and 443 for HTTPS traffic.

After you install the client, you cannot change its request port configuration. Instead, to change the port configuration you must reinstall the client and specify the new port configuration. When you reinstall the client to change the request port numbers, run the install command similar to the new client install, but use the additional command line property of -keepdb. This switch instructs the installation to retain the client database and files including the clients GUID and certificate store.

For more information about client communication port numbers, see How to Configure Client Communication Port Numbers in Configuration Manager.

Configure the Client for Linux and UNIX to Locate Management Points

When you install the Configuration Manager client for Linux and UNIX, you must specify a management point to use as an initial point of contact.

The Configuration Manager client for Linux and UNIX contacts this management point at the time the client installs. If the client fails to contact the management point, the client software continues to retry until successful.

For more information about how clients locate management points, see the section Locating Management Points section in the How to Assign Clients to a Site in Configuration Manager topic.