Software deployment

This page covers how to deploy the Rimscout client using common software deployment tools.

General steps

The client can be deployed using any software deployment tool (see Intune as example). The software only has to execute the steps described below.

Info

Also Group Policies can be used to deploy Rimscout.

Important requirements

Clients need to be installed in the user context to work properly.
Ensure that all installation requirements are met.

Info

The client does not need admin rights to be installed.

Copy the RimScout.exe file to the user's device

You can download the current Rimscout client at

https://www.rimscout.com/download/

as a .zip file. It is recommended to put the unzipped RimScout.exe file at %localappdata%/Rimscout. Rimscout will copy itself to that location if the .exe file is started elsewhere.

Info

The Rimscout client will update itself automatically whenever there is a new version available.

Add Rimscout to autostart

To start the Rimscout client the first time, you should add the RimScout.exe to the autostart. Therefore, create the following registry entry:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] 
"Rimscout"="C:\\Users\\<username>\\AppData\\Local\\Rimscout\\RimScout.exe %autostart"

If the Rimscout is started manually it will add itself into the autostart.

Register the client

The client has to register to a Rimscout tenant to send the data to the Rimscout portal. If your user devices are domain joined you can create a domain SID token for automatic registration. Otherwise the clients can be registered using an autogenerated token which can be deployed to the registry.

At the first start of Rimscout a firewall notification pops up (see Firewall notification). To prevent this popup from being displayed to users, you need to add two firewall rules for Rimscout: An inbound UDP and an inbound TCP rule. Whether the rule is blocked or allowed does not affect the functionality of Rimscout.

Important: This rules needs to be set with admin rights.

Sofware distribution using the example of Intune

This example uses Intune as software deployment tool and covers only the first two steps described above.

Preparation

Download the necessary resources:

Current Rimscout client: https://www.rimscout.com/download/
Intune Content Prep Tool: https://github.com/Microsoft/Microsoft-Win32-Content-Prep-Tool

Then create two powershell scripts: One for the installation and one for the removal of the Rimscout client.

Installation script

This is an example installation script that copies the client and adds it into autostart.

## Create Rimscout Folder in Users Local Appdata & Copy RimScout.exe to the new Folder 
New-item -itemtype directory -force -path "$($env:localappdata)\Rimscout" 
Copy-item -path "$($psscriptroot)\RimScout.exe" -Destination "$($env:localappdata)\Rimscout" 

## Create Autostart Registry Key 
New-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run" -Name "Rimscout" -Value "$($env:localappdata)\Rimscout\RimScout.exe %autostart" -PropertyType String -Force

Uninstall script

## Stop the current Rimscout process
Stop-Process -name rimscout 

## Remove Rimscout from autorun by deleting the registry entry for Rimscout 
Remove-ItemProperty -path HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\ -name Rimscout  

## Remove the .exe by deleting the Rimscout folder in AppData %localappdata%\Rimscout. 
Remove-Item -Path "$($env:LOCALAPPDATA)\rimscout"-Force -Recurse 

## Delete all configuration files. Therefore delete the Rimscout folder in ProgramData %programdata%\Rimscout. 
Remove-Item -Path "$($env:ProgramData)\rimscout" -Force -Recurse 

## Optionally remove any Rimscout related registry entries at Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Rimscout. 
Remove-Item-path HKCU:\Software\Rimscout -Recurse

Create intunewin package

Put the powershell scripts and the RimScout.exe in one folder. Then package everything into an Intunewin-package using the Intune Content Prep Tool. Therefore, call intunewinapputil.exe with following parameters:

-c "<path to folder with scripts and RimScout.exe>"
-s "<name of powershell install script>"
-o "<output path for the created .intunewin package>"

Intune deployment

Create a Win32 App in Intune, upload the created intunewin package and provide the necessary information. Then click Next.

Use your uploaded install script for the Install command

powershell.exe - executionpolicy bypass -windowstyle hidden -file .\Rimscout-deploy.ps1

and the uploaded uninstall script for the Uninstall command: powershell.exe -executionpolicy bypass -windowstyle hidden -file .\Rimscout-remove.ps1

As install behaviour select User as the scripts should be executed in the user context.