The WAPT Server having been successfully installed, now we will install the WAPT Console.

1. How to install the management WAPT console

The WAPT Console is installed along side the WAPT Agent. Thus you first need to install the WAPT Agent on you management machine, please refer to WAPT Agent documentation On Windows and macOS it is installed by default with WAPT Agent (but not configured by default), on Linux it is installed through an extra package.

• Managing WAPT is done mainly via the WAPT Console installed on the Administrator’s workstation.

• It is recommended that the Administrator’s computer be joined to the Organization’s Active Directory.

• The host name of the Administrator’s workstation MUST NOT be longer than 15 characters. This is a limit of sAMAccountName attribute in Active Directory.

• The Administrator’s computer will become critical for WAPT administration and WAPT package testing.

• If DNS records are properly configured, you should be able to access the WAPT web interface by visiting https://srvwapt.mydomain.lan. This web page is now protected by a password, please use the admin account set during server installation.

• The WAPT Console is supported on Windows, Linux and macOS.

Some features, like WinPE pre-boot environement creation for WADS Windows deployment is not available on Linux and macOS. The Linux and macOS console support light and dark mode.

Warning

The WAPT Console MUST NOT be installed on the WAPT Server.

The WAPT Console MUST be installed on the admin workstation from which you manage your network.

1.1. Installing and starting WAPT Console

The WAPT Console is supported on Windows, Linux and macOS. Please choose your client OS.

WindowsDebian and derivativesRedhat and derivativesmacOS

The WAPT Console is included by default in the WAPT Agent installer.

Attention

If the WAPT Agent is not compiled and installed on your computer, you need to run de WAPT Agent installer to open and configure the WAPT Console.

• Start the executable installer as Local Administrator on the Administrator’s workstation.

• Choose the language for the WAPT installer.

• Click on OK to go on to the next step.

• Accept the licence terms and click on Next to go to next step.

• Choose additional configuration tasks (leave the default if not sure).

Choosing the WAPT Agent installer options

Available options of the WAPT Agent installer

Settings	Description	Default value
Install WAPT service checkbox	Enables the WAPT service on this computer.	Checked
Launch notification icon upon session opening checkbox	Launches the WAPT Agent in systray on host startup.	Not checked
Disable hiberboot, and increase shutdown GPO timeout (recommended) checkbox	Disables Windows fast startup for stability, it increases the timeout for the WAPT Exit utility.	Checked
Install the certificates provided by this installer checkbox	Installs Tranquil IT certificate on this computer.	Not checked
Use a random UUID to identify the computer instead of BIOS checkbox	For more information, check the documentation on BIOS UUID bugs	Not checked

• Set up the WAPT Server URL.

First installationUpgrade

• Choose Don’t change current setup. We configure the agent with initial configuration in WaptConsole.

• Click Next.

• Get a summary of the WAPT Console installation.

Summary of the WAPT installation abstract

• Click Install to launch the installation, wait for the installation to complete, then click on Finish (leave default options).

• Uncheck Show installation documentation.

Launch the WAPT Console:

• By looking for the binary.

  C:\Program Files (x86)\wapt\waptconsole.exe

• Or using the Start Menu.

Launching the WAPT Console from the Windows Start Menu.

Attention

Even if you are not using WAPT Agent for Windows, it is currently necessary to install tis-waptsetup-windows package on the server.

1.1.1. The WAPT management Console

1.1.1.1. Configuring the WAPT Console connection

• If it’s the first time your start WAPT Console, the Configuration window open it automaticaly.

  

  The WAPT Console configuration window

• Set the WAPTServer adress, then click on Check and Set. You must have an error.

  

  The WAPT Console configuration TLS error.

• Click on Get Server https Certificate. You must have a green check for URL to the main repository and WAPT Server URL. Also check the WAPT Server SSL certificate is correct before continue.

  

  The WAPT Server SSL Certificate

  

  The WAPT Console configuration SSL OK

• Then if all is OK, click on Save. Log into the WAPT Console with the SuperAdmin login and password.

  

  The WAPT Console authentication window

If you have any issue logging into the WAPT Console, please refer to the FAQ: Error message when opening the WAPT Console.

It is recommended to launch the WAPT Console with a Local Administrator account to enable local debugging of WAPT packages.

For Enterprise version, it is possible to authenticate with Active Directory.

1.2. Activating a WAPT licence

With WAPT, Discovery and Enterprise versions have different licences.

To activate the licence, use the licence.lic file provided by our sales department.

• If you are launching the WAPT Console for the first time, a wizard will ask you if you have a WAPT Enterprise licence.

• Or in the WAPT Console, click on the ? tab.

• Then choose Licences.

Window listing no activated WAPT licence in the WAPT Console

• Finally, select your licence.lic and click Open.

Window showing an activated licence in the WAPT Console

1.3. Certificate affectation

A message may appear indicating that no personal certificate is defined in the WAPT Console.

WAPT personal certificate not found in the WAPT Console

• Select Yes.

Window for the basic configuration of the WAPT Console

Attention

A common user error is to be tempted to create a new certificate at this step when one already exists.

If you have previously defined and deployed a certificate on your fleet of computers, then you MUST select the currently defined certificate. You MUST NOT create a new certificate.

• If this is your first time using WAPT, click on New private key and certicate and see create your certificate.

1.4. Generating the Administrator’s certificate for signing WAPT packages

• In the example, the name of the private key is wapt-private.pem.

• In the example, the name of the public certificate signed with the private key is wapt-private.crt.

1.4.1. Private key wapt-private.pem

Danger

The wapt-private.pem file is fundamental for security. It MUST be stored in a safe place and correctly protected. The wapt-private.pem file MUST NOT be stored on the WAPT Server.

The wapt-private.pem file is the private key, it is located by default in the C:\private folder of the Administrator workstation and is password protected.

This private key will be used along with the certificate to sign packages before uploading them onto the WAPT repository.

1.4.2. Public certificate wapt-private.crt

The wapt-private.crt file is the public certificate that is used along with the private key. It is by default created in the C:\private folder of the Administrator, copied and deployed in C:\Program Files (x86)\wapt\ssl on Windows desktops or in /opt/wapt/ssl on Linux and macOS devices.

This certificate is used to validate the signature of WAPT packages before they are installed.

Attention

• If the public certificate used on the WAPT Console is not derived from the private key used for generating the WAPT Agents, the WAPT Console will not see the WAPT Agents and you will not be able to perform any action on any WAPT Agent.

• Child certificates of private keys are also functional.

1.4.3. Generating a certificate to use with WAPT

In the WAPT Console go to Tools ‣ Build certificate.

Building a self-signed certificate

With WAPT Enterprise, you can create a Master key with a Certificate Authority flag that can both sign WAPT packages and sign new certificates to be used with WAPT.

In order to create new signed certificates for delegated users, please refer to creating a new certificate.

Creating a self-signed certificate for the WAPT Enterprise version

Certificate informations

Value	Description	Required	Enterprise
Target key directory	Defines the folder where the private key and the public certificate will be stored.
Key filename	Defines the name of the .pem private key.
Private key password	Defines the password for unlocking the key.
Confirm password	Confirms the password for unlocking the key.
Certificate name	Defines the name of the .crt certificate.
Tag as code signing	Defines whether the certificate/ key pair will be allowed to sign software packages.
Tag as CA certificate	Defines whether the certificate can be used to sign other certificates (main or intermediate Certificate Authority).
Common Name (CN)	Defines the Common Name to register in the certificate.
City	Defines the name of the certificate holder’s city to register in the certificate.
Country (2 chars. E.g: FR)	Defines the name of the certificate holder’s country (FR, EN, ES, DE …) to register in the certificate.
Service	Defines the name of certificate holder’s service or organizational department to register in the certificate.
Organization	Defines the name of the certificate holder’s Organization to register in the certificate.
E-mail address	Defines the email address of the certificate holder to register in the certificate.
Authority Signing Key	Defines the key (.pem) of the CA.
Authority Signing Certificate	Defines the certicate (.crt) of the CA.
Export PKCS12	Forces the creation of the *.p12 certicate in the Targets keys directory	(recommended)

Additional details are stored in the private key. This information will help with identifying the origin of the certificate and the origin of the WAPT package.

The password complexity MUST comply with your Organization’s security requirements (visit the ANSSI website for recommendations on passwords).

Danger

• The wapt-private.pem file MUST NOT be stored on the WAPT Server.

• Click on OK to go on to the next step.

  If everything has gone well the following message will appear.

Dialog box informing the certificate has been generated successfully

• Click on OK.

Dialog box requesting confirmation of the copy of the certificate in the ssl folder in the WAPT Console

• Click on Yes to copy the newly generated certificate in the folder C:\Program Files (x86)\wapt\ssl on Windows or /opt/wapt/ssl on Linux or macOS. This certificate will be picked up during the compilation of the WAPT Agent and deployed on the client computers.

You may go on to the next step and Building the WAPT Agent installer.

1.5. Packet prefix definition

A message may appear indicating that no package prefix has been defined.

Dialog box informing that no prefix has been set in the WAPT configuration

• Select Yes

• Set your packages prefix on WAPT packages prefix

Window for the basic configuration of the WAPT Console

Warning

The prefix is case sensitive, we recommand to use lower case.

1.6. WAPT Agent check

A message may appear indicating that your WAPT Agent version is obsolete or not yet present.

Dialog box informing that the WAPT Agent is not present on the WAPT Server

If the administrator’s certicate has not yet been generated, it is possible to generate a new WAPT Agent by clicking on Yes.

Also click on No and generate the administrator’s certicate.

1.6.1. Building the WAPT Agent installer

The waptagent binary is an InnoSetup installer.

Once the WAPT Console has been installed on the Administrator computer, we have all files required to build the WAPT Agent installer.

Before building the WAPT Agent, please verify that your certificates are ready. If you wish to deploy other public certificates on your Organization’s computers that are equipped with WAPT, you will have to copy them in a common folder then select it when generating the WAPT agent.

The former method for building the WAPT agent did not prevent copying the private key of any Administrator in C:\Program Files (x86)\wapt. It means that, by error, a private key could be deployed on every computer, becoming a serious security breach.

Before 2.3.0 version, this folder was used when building the WAPT Agent and the private keys would then be deployed on all the computers.

Now, the new method is far more secure.

It uses a waptsetup that is signed by Tranquil IT, the configuration being written into a json file that is attached to the signed waptsetup file. Alternatively, we can also create a WAPT configuration package that will be called when deploying the WAPT Agent. This method is called certificate stuffing.

On top of avoiding errors, like deploying a private certificate by error, the method has the advantage of no longer requiring to custom build a WAPT Agent. This method finally avoids Antivirus incorrectly flagging the waptsetup file as a false positive.

When the WAPT Agent will be silently installed, it will take the default configuration: it will build the WAPT Agent’s wapt-get.ini configuration file and extract certificates into wapt/ssl.

To secure this installation (for example with GPOs), waptsetup.exe and its integrated json configuration have the name and hash of the configuration name on the WAPT Server. When the installer will apply the json configuration, it checks beforehand with this hash that the json data has not been altered.

• In the WAPT Console, go to Tools ‣ Build WAPT Agent.

Generating the WAPT Agent from the WAPT Console

Before building the WAPT Agent, you need to choose how it will identify itself with the WAPT Server.

1.6.2. Choosing the mode to uniquely identify the WAPT Agents

In WAPT you can choose the unique identification mode of the WAPT Agents.

When a WAPT Agent registers the WAPT Server MUST know if it is a new host or if it is a host that has already been registered.

For this, the WAPT Server looks at the UUID in the inventory.

WAPT offers 3 modes to help you distinguish between hosts, it is up to you to choose the mode that best suits you.

Attention

After choosing a mode of operation, it is difficult to change it, think carefully!

BIOS UUID (serial number)host nameRandomly generated UUID

This mode of operation makes it possible to identify the hosts in the WAPT Console in a physical manner.

If you replace a computer and give the new computer the same name as the previous one, you will have two computers that will appear in the WAPT Console since you will have physically two different computers.

Note

Some vendors do inadequate work and assign the same BIOS UUIDs to entire batches of computers. In this case, WAPT will only see one computer!!!

1.6.3. Build

• In the WAPT Console, go to Tools ‣ Build WAPT Agent.

Generating the WAPT Agent from the WAPT Console

• Check in the informations that are necessary for the installer.

Filling in the informations on your Organization

WAPT Agent informations

Value	Description	Required	Enterprise
Authorized packages certificates	Defines all trusted certificates buildled with WAPT Agent installer and set in default configuration.
Main WAPT repository address	Defines the URL of the main WAPT repository.
WAPT Server address	Defines the URL of the WAPT Server.
Https server certificate checking	Defines whether the HTTPS certificate client authentication is activated on the WAPT Server.
Use Kerberos for initial registration	Defines whether Kerberos authentication of the WAPT Agents is to be used with the WAPT Server.

Danger

• The checkbox Use kerberos for the initial registration may be checked ONLY IF you have followed the documentation on Configuring the kerberos authentication.

If you click on Show advenced settings, you can configure more parameters for WAPT Agent.

Setting more parameters for WAPT Agent configuration

WAPT Agent informations

Value	Description	Required	Enterprise
Always install these “profile” packages	Defines whether to automatically install group packages upon WAPT Agent installation.
Enable automatic install of packages based on AD Groups	Enables the installation of profile packages. This feature can degrade the performance of WAPT.
Allow remote reboot	Defines whether to allow remote reboots from the WAPT Console.
Allow remote shutdown	Defines whether to allow remote shutdowns from the WAPT Console.
Include DMI infos in inventory	Get DMI infos in agent inventory
Include WMI infos in inventory (Windows only)	Get WMI infos in agent inventory
Use repository access rules	Defines whether repository access rules are to be used for replicating remote repositories.
Use computer FQDN for UUID	Defines whether FQDNs are to be used for identifying WAPT Agents.
Use random host UUID (for buggy BIOS)	Defines whether random UUIDs are to be used for identifying WAPT Agents.
Manage Windows updates with WAPT | Disable WAPT WUA | Don’t set anything	Enables or disables WAPT WUA.
Waptupgrade package maturity	Allows to choose the maturity of the waptupgrade package.

For more information to Windows update section, refer to this article on configuring WAPTWUA on the WAPT Agent.

• Provide the password for unlocking the private key.

Providing the password for unlocking the private key

Progression of WAPT Agent installer building

Once the WAPT Agent installer has finished building, a dialog pops up asking you if you want to configure the local WAPT Agent. Click on Yes.

Configure local WAPT Agent

1.7. Initial Configuration

It is possible to configure the WAPT Agent for standard and advanced options via a GUI. Very similar to creating a configuration package, we strongly recommand you to see the section beforehand. The initial configuration aims to configure important parameters in the WAPT Agent, whether it be Windows, Linux or macOS. The method is very useful for installing a WAPT Agent on Linux or macOS.

• In the WAPT Console, go to Tools -> Edit initial configurations.

Creating the initial configuration

After generating WAPT Agent for Windows, an inital configuration has been created automaticaly and named default.

• Fill in the informations that are necessary for the configuration.

Editing the initial configuration

Header

Value	Description
Advanced Editing	Displays the WAPT Agent configuration options as in wapt-get.ini.
Add certificate	Adds certificate with the configuration.
Load Json	Loads a previously created configuration.
Refresh Server Configuration	Refreshes the list of available configurations.
+	Creates a new configuration.
-	Deletes a configuration.

globalwaptwuarepo-sync

Value	Description	Required	Enterprise
Main WAPT Repository URL	Defines the URL of the main WAPT repository.
WAPT Server URL	Defines the URL of the WAPT Server.
Verify https server certificate	Defines whether the HTTPS certificate client authentication is activated on the WAPT Server.
Path to certificate authority for https servers	Defines the path to the certificates used for HTTPS verification.
Allow remote reboot	Defines whether to allow remote reboots from the WAPT Console.
Allow remote shutdown	Defines whether to allow remote shutdowns from the WAPT Console.
Wake On Lan Relay	Activates the WoL functionality on secondary repositories.
Use computer FQDN for UUID	Defines whether FQDNs are to be used for identifying WAPT Agents.
Always install these packages	Defines whether to automatically install group packages upon WAPT Agent installation.
Use repository rules	Defines whether repositories are replicated.
Use Kerberos	Defines whether Kerberos authentication of the WAPT Agents is to be used with the WAPT Server.
Enable automatic install of packages based on AD Groups	Enables the installation of profile packages. This feature can degrade the performance of WAPT.
Maturities	List of package maturities than can be viewed and installed by WAPT Agent. Default value is PROD. Only DEV, PREPROD and PROD values are used by Tranquil IT, however any value can be used to suit your internal processes.
Authentification type	Sets how the self service authentication works. Possible values are: system, waptserver-ldap or waptagent-ldap.
Packages Audit Period	Defines the frequency at which audits are triggered.

Column

Value	Description
Saved Properties	List of options with the configuration.
Certificate	List of certificate with the configuration.

Footer

Value	Description
Save on server	Saves the configuration on the WAPT server.
Export As Json File	Exports the configuration in JSON.
Close	Closes the window.

• After configuration it is possible to copy commands by right-clicking on the configuration.

Copy command

Copy options

Value	Description
Copy URL	Gives a download URL to retrieve the .json from the WAPT server.
Copy installation command	Gives a command to install the configuration for a WAPT Agent.

Note

It is possible to install a blank WAPT Agent and to give it the copied installation command to provide the configuration.