WPKG Silent Installers & Software Package Scripts

A curated collection of WPKG package definitions and helper scripts used for unattended software deployment in a professional production environment.

These packages were designed and used at scale, with a strong focus on reliability, bandwidth efficiency, and zero-impact deployments across mixed connectivity scenarios (on-site networks and remote-access VPN users).

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Purpose & design goals

This repository reflects real-world deployment challenges rather than lab-perfect scenarios.
Key design goals include:

• Unattended, repeatable software installations
• Optimized bandwidth usage for remote users
• Clear versioning and revision control
• Minimal disruption to production environments
• Explicit, readable logic over hidden or “magic” behavior

Several packages include conditional logic to differentiate on-site vs. off-site installations, ensuring the most efficient installation path is used in each case.

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Package structure & conventions

Packages are structured as one file per application, following consistent conventions:

• Variables are used wherever practical:
  • Versions
  • Installation switches
  • Uninstall strings
  • Download URLs and targets
• SOFTWARE variable is defined server-side (WPKG configuration)
• Client IP detection is performed early to distinguish VPN users from on-site machines
• Custom validators are used where a simple MSI check is insufficient

Some packages include:

• External batch or PowerShell scripts (included in the repo)
• One-time execution logic (e.g. BitLocker enablement, post-install actions)
• Custom install or validation logic explained directly in package comments

When something deviates from the "standard" flow, it should be documented.

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On-site vs off-site detection (important note)

⚠️ About IP address as a WPKG host attribute

Using the registry-based approach:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\

in combination with:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkCards\

often results in arrays of historical IP addresses, including inactive adapters. Because of this, registry-based IP detection is not reliable for determining current network location.

This approach was tested in production and discarded due to inconsistent results.

Recommended approach: PowerShell-based IP validation

The following PowerShell script detects whether a machine is currently connected to an internal network based on its active IPv4 address.

Example:

• Internal network: 10.10.0.0/16
• Exit code 500 → on-site
• Exit code 501 → off-site

$ips = (Get-NetIPConfiguration |
  Where-Object {
    $_.IPv4DefaultGateway -ne $null -and
    $_.NetAdapter.Status -ne "Disconnected"
  }).IPv4Address.IPAddress

$pattern = "^10\.10\.[0-9]{1,3}\.[0-9]+$"

if ($ips -match $pattern) {
  exit 500
} else {
  exit 501
}

Used as a condition in WPKG:

<!-- On-site installation -->
<install cmd="msiexec /i /switches %SOFTWARE%\app\app.msi">
  <condition>
    <check type="execute"
           path="powershell.exe -executionpolicy bypass -File \\path\ip_validator.ps1"
           condition="exitcodeequalto"
           value="500" />
  </condition>
</install>

<!-- Off-site installation -->
<install cmd="msiexec /i /switches %DL_TARGET%\app.msi">
  <condition>
    <check type="execute"
           path="powershell.exe -executionpolicy bypass -File \\path\ip_validator.ps1"
           condition="exitcodeequalto"
           value="501" />
  </condition>
</install>

Variables & configuration

Commonly used variables include:

• PKG_VERSION – application version
• SYS_VERSION – system / uninstall version (used as revision trigger)
  • Can extend PKG_VERSION if needed:

    <variable name="PKG_VERSION" value="6.4.6" />
    <variable name="SYS_VERSION" value="%PKG_VERSION%.2" />

• UNINSTALL_STRING – uninstall command (if applicable)
• DL_SOURCE_(1..9) – download URLs
• DL_TARGET_(1..9) – download targets
  • Stored in %TEMP% by default
  • Subfolders are supported (e.g. appname\installer.exe)
• INSTALL_ARGS – installer command-line switches
• PS_SCRIPT / *_SCRIPT – external PowerShell helper scripts
• IP_SITE_SUPERNET – internal network supernet (e.g. 10.10.0.0)

Revision handling

SYS_VERSION acts as the revision trigger.
Updating this value forces re-evaluation and reinstallation when appropriate.

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Package priorities

Recommended priority ranges:

• 90–100 – critical or prioritized software
• 50–90 – standard software
• 1–10 – installers that trigger reboots
• Default – 30

Reboot-requiring packages should generally have the lowest priority aiming for a reboot at the finish (no interuptions).

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Getting started

Clone the repository and copy required packages into your WPKG setup:

git clone https://github.com/dbilanoski/wpkg-packages.git

Adjust installation paths, variables, and scripts to match your environment.

Writing new packages

• Use templates from the Template directory as a starting point
• Follow existing variable naming and structural conventions
• Document any non-obvious or custom logic directly inside the package file

Debugging & troubleshooting

Always validate procedural execution using debug output:

\\path-to-wpkg.js\wpkg.js /synchronize /debug > C:\wpkg-log.txt

Redirecting output to a text file makes analysis significantly easier.

References

• WPKG Wiki page
• WPKG Silent Installers
• Good XML Validator
• About REGEX Syntax
• About REGEX Syntax 2

This repository reflects real operational patterns rather than generic examples. If you’re running WPKG in a mixed on-site / remote environment, you may find these patterns directly reusable.