Install and modify the OLRP Client for silent or mass installations

The OL Remote Print is installed on computers sending print jobs. These computers may be part of domains on which end users are not allowed to install, modify, or remove software.

By installing the OL Remote Print Client in a silent, preconfigured mode, it can be distributed to multiple end user machines without the need to visit these machines in person or via remote desktop. This topic explains how to do that.

Silent setup

To enable a mass deployment of OL Remote Print Client to client machines, or whenever a non-GUI installation is required, run the installer in silent mode.

For unattended deployment, two files are required side by side in a dedicated folder:

  • The Setup msi file (e.g. OLRP_Client_Certified_3.0_Setup)

  • An OLRPClient.ini file with the desired settings, as described below.

Note: Do not run the installer from the Windows TEMP folder.
As this folder is known as a location from which malicious applications might try to install themselves, it is under intense surveillance of the Windows' protection systems, including SmartScreen. This might prevent the installation.

The OLRP Client is secure and Microsoft Certified.

The deployment tool of your choice then only needs to run the Silent Setup tool and check its exit code.

The command to run the tool manually is:

msiexec.exe /i OLRP_Client_Certified_3.0_Setup /qn

Note: The user account used to run the Silent Setup tool needs to have administrator rights for the installation of a printer, a printer port, a printer driver etc. Otherwise the installation will fail silently, but the respective log entries will be created (see Resolve installation errors).

Configuration file content

The silent installation mode will only work with a valid configuration file. The name of the file must be OLRPClient.ini and it can be located in the same folder as the installer. The content of the file must follow the rules for standard Windows .ini files (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INI_file). If the .ini file is malformed, the installation will be terminated with an error.

Any omitted setting will be replaced by the respective built-in default value (see the table below), except for the printer name. Without a printer name setting, or if a printer with the same name exists, the installation will fail with an error.

Note: If the Submission URL, Interaction URL, or Printer Name fail to pass the validation checks, this does not stop the Port Monitor, Port, and Printer Client from being installed. The user will find that one (or more) of their printers are not setup on the machine, and the installation log will contain an entry stating why the printer(s) failed to install.

The OLRPClient.ini file can contain the following values:

Section

Description

Default
[Sections]

Used when installing multiple printers with one INI file. To be used in conjunction with the printer values set with the [printer N] tag. It must be the first entry in any multiple printer installation.
Tells the installer to expect multiple [printer N] sections.

For example:

[sections]
section=printer2, printer4, production, test

These are not the names of the printers — they are used only to identify multiple printers in the OLRPClient.ini file.

  

[Setup]

Start with this section identifier for single printer INI installations. It must be the first entry and it is mandatory for such installations.

Cannot be used in multiple printer installations.

 
[Remove]

Removes the named printer or printers.

For example:

[remove]
printer=OLCSPrinter444A, OLCSPrinter333A

The remove command is ignored if no printers are present.

You cannot list the same printer for installation or modification and removal.

 
[Section]

Sets the selection of printers to install. Used in conjunction with the [sections] selection.
For example:

[sections]

section=printer2, printer4, production, test

[printer2]...[printer4]...[production]...
[test]...

 

APIKey

The API key.

 

HostName

The address for print job submission.

localhost

HostNameInteraction

The address for browser interaction.

localhost

JobInteraction

Name of the HTTP action for the browser interaction process.

olrp-interaction

JobSubmission

Name of the HTTP action for the initial print job submission process.

remote-print/jobs/submit

LogLevel

Log level. Valid values are DEBUG, INFO, WARN and ERROR. For additional information about the logging, see View log files.

WARN

Port

The port number for print job submission.

9180

PortInteraction

The port number for browser interaction.

9180

PrinterName

Name for the printer to create and configure.
If a printer with the default name already exists, the installer will add an additional numbered printer with the default printer name, eg. " OL Remote Print Client #1"

Note: In a silent installation, if a printer with the default name already exists, the installation fails.

 
Interaction Sets whether the client driver will send data to the interaction URL. Values are 1 or 0. 1
AcceptAllCertificates When communicating over HTTPS using self signed certificates, this tells the client to accept certificates it cannot otherwise trust. Values are 1 or 0. 0
StartNotifier Tell Windows to automatically run the OLRP Client notifier application when the user logs in. Values are 1 or 0. 1

Reboot requirement

Depending on what applications are installed, a reboot may be required after the successful installation of the OLRP Client. In this case, the silent installer returns the exit value 3010 (= "Reboot required". See Windows installer error codes for example) and log a respective message in the log file.

The administrator needs to make sure that the respective machine is rebooted so that the OLRP Client can work as expected.

Resolve installation errors

When the installation fails, the error level value can be evaluated to check for success (errorlevel = 0) or failure (errorlevel <> 0). It is up to the installing person to react upon this error level.

To confirm that a silent installation was successful, it is also possible to check the installation log file. The log file contains information about the installation and all possible issues. For more information about log files, see View log files.

Use the setup MSI from command line

Install a single printer

  • INI contains only [Setup] action or a single [section].

  • Use command line:
    START "" /WAIT "msiexec.exe” /i OLRP_Client_Certified_3.0_Setup.msi" /qn CMDLINE="INI=C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\OLRPClient1.ini"

Install multiple printers

  • INI contains only [sections] action.

  • Use command line:
    START "" /WAIT "msiexec.exe” /i OLRP_Client_Certified_3.0_Setup.msi" /qn CMDLINE="INI=C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\OLRPClient2.ini"

Remove a printer

  • Only available in silent installation.

  • Cannot be used with the INI command.

  • User command line:
    START "" /WAIT "msiexec.exe” /i OLRP_Client_Certified_3.0_Setup.msi" /qn CMDLINE="REMOVE_PRINTER=printer2,test"