UpdateGuardian v0.5.0-alpha - Initial Release

Release Description

I am pleased to announce the initial pre-release of UpdateGuardian, a Windows update automation tool designed to update local networks with poor connectivity and numerous PCs. This alpha release, v0.5.0, provides a range of essential features that enable automated updates and deployment across a local network. While this version is functional, it is not yet heavily tested, and some core quality-of-life functionalities are still under development for a future v1.0.0 release.

Key Features

• Automatic Windows updates rollout
• Automatic deployment of the software on the local network
• Installer for each client PC (for ssh, for remote control, not the software itself)
• Automatic reboot to install updates after the process, then automatic shutdown
• Client logs of the update
• Cyclic updates: Updates a specified number of PCs simultaneously, preventing update errors in low-quality wired networks and speeding up the update process
• Server setup and server database of the current network
• Automatic refresh of ips
• Many possible errors and issues are printed and some are logged in a file
• Scheduler of updates in a hour and in a day in the week. Once given, this is saved in a json file and can be modified here

Limitations and Known Issues:

• Potential for crashes
• Limited security measures, with plans for improvement in future releases (e.g., encrypted SSH passwords or SSH keys, SecureON passwords for Wake-on-LAN, random or non-standard SSH ports)
• Compatible with Windows operating systems only
• Potential for undiscovered bugs, as modules have been heavily tested
• Error handling may be insufficient

Documentation:

Documentation is available in the project README, which covers JSON file usage and troubleshooting steps. Updates to the documentation are planned for future releases.

Roadmap and Future Improvements:

In the next month:

• Improved ease of use and security, including SSH keys, SecureON passwords for Wake-on-LAN, and DHCP discovery module
• Improved error handling
• Automatic software updates (of UpdateGuardian)
• Email notifications for update status and failure reasons
• Server installer
• Much better data structures and backend
• Documentation
• Branches and stable versions

Longer-term plans: Group Policy Object (GPO) features akin to a Windows server, without the associated costs. SSH enables to do nearly anything with command like interface, including installing software and modifying register keys. Which means, creating new users, changing their rules, adding a file to every pc, etc.

System Requirements:

• Windows systems in a local network
• Python on the server computer, with associated requirements
• Automated installation of prerequisites for client PCs
• Firewall rules set up correctly for ports 7, 9, 22 on local network. Connections accepted from server IP.

Use Cases:

UpdateGuardian is particularly effective and recommended for high-windows-PC-count local networks with low-speed connections. In such environments, PCs often remain un-updated due to constant use, or user inaction, resulting in significant security vulnerabilities. UpdateGuardian aims to address these issues and, in the future, may also enable centralized software installation across PCs.