With the Shell Apps feature available in Nerdio Manager, you can script the install and uninstall of applications that were previously unscriptable. QuickBooks is a common use case, particularly during tax season when you may need to install or update QuickBooks on a weekly or sometimes daily basis.
Note
Consider the following notes and limitations:
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Currently, only Enterprise, Premier, and PremierSub (subscription) editions of QuickBooks for the last three years (years 22, 23, 24) are supported.
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Once the app is installed, you need to manually sign in to the session hosts and select the industry-specific edition of QuickBooks.
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If you need to install multiple versions of QuickBooks (e.g., Enterprise 2024 and Premier 2023), you must create a separate shell app for each version with its own set of inherited variables. For details, see Prerequisites.
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Automatic updates are disabled by the install script by default. A separate scripted action is required to perform updates. Contact your Partner Success Manager for details, or see Update QuickBooks.
Before you install QuickBooks using Shell Apps, ensure you set up the following:
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Create a Shell Apps repository at the MSP level. For details, see Unified Application Management: Manage Shell Apps.
Note
Currently, you can link only one Shell Apps repository per tenant.
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The QuickBooks shell app requires four inherited variables. These must be created at the MSP level before the shell app can be imported. For details, see
Scripted Actions - MSP-Level Variables.
Note
If Inherited variables do not exist, you cannot import shell apps.
The following four variables are required. All four are mandatory — the install and detection scripts will fail if any are missing.
Variable Name
Format / Example
Description
qbversionname
Premier, PremierSub, or Enterprise
The QuickBooks edition to install. Must be one of the three accepted values exactly as shown (case-sensitive).
qbversionyear
22, 23, or 24
The two-digit year of the QuickBooks version to install.
qblicensekey
XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXX
The QuickBooks license key in the format shown. Must be exactly 4-4-4-3 digits separated by hyphens.
qbproductkey
XXX-XXX
The QuickBooks product key in the format shown. Must be exactly 3-3 digits separated by a hyphen.
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The default functionality requires the qblicensekey and qbproductkey Inherited variables with the following default values:
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qblicensekey = XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXX
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qbproductkey = XXX-XXX
The values can be a combination of different characters.
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If you need to update multiple versions of QuickBooks, create a separate Inherited variable for each version. You can then update the shell app with the corresponding variable when you import the app. For example:
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qblicensekeyent23
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qbproductkeyent23
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qblicensekeyprem22
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qbproductkeyprem22
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To add the QuickBooks shell app to your customer’s environment, complete the following steps:
First, import the QuickBooks app from the Nerdio library.
To import QuickBooks:
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At the MSP level, navigate to Applications > Shell Apps.
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From the Add action menu, select Add from Nerdio Library.
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In the new dialog box, from the Name drop-down menu, select Quickbooks.
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Select OK.
The Import QuickBooks dialog box opens.
If you need to install or uninstall multiple versions of QuickBooks, adjust the app name to reflect the version of QuickBooks this shell app should be used for.
To modify the shell app name:
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In the Import QuickBooks dialog box, go to the General area.
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In the Name field, edit the app name to reflect the version of QuickBooks.
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In the Description field, provide more details about the shell app.
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Turn the Public option On.
Next, you need to modify variables in the detection script to reflect the needed version of QuickBooks.
To modify the detection script:
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In the Import QuickBooks dialog box, go to the Detection area.
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Modify the qb_version_name variable to reflect the needed version of QuickBooks.
Note
Make sure you don't remove the double quotations marks.
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Modify the qb_version_year variable to reflect the two-digit year of the needed version of QuickBooks.
Note
Make sure you don't remove the double quotations marks.
Adjust the install script variables.
To modify the install script:
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In the Import QuickBooks dialog box, go to the Install area.
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If you have multiple versions of QuickBooks, adjust the qblicensekey and qbproductkey variables to match the variables you created in the Prerequisites section.
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Update the qb_version_name variable with the value you previously set in the Detection area.
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Update the qb_version_year variable with the value you previously set in the Detection area.
Tip
Right-click the value and select Change All Occurrences to update the value everywhere in the code. This option helps you prevent potential issues caused by missed updates. Alternatively, use Ctrl + H (Find and Replace) to update all instances of the value.
Adjust the uninstall script variables.
To modify the uninstall script:
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In the Import QuickBooks dialog box, go to the Unnstall area.
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If you have multiple versions of QuickBooks, adjust the qblicensekey and qbproductkey variables to match the variables you previously created in the Prerequisites section.
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Update the qb_version_name variable to match the value you previously set in the Detection area.
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Update the qb_version_year variable to match the value you previously set in the Detection area.
Tip
Right-click the value and select Change All Occurrences to update the value everywhere in the code. This option helps you prevent potential issues caused by missed updates. Alternatively, use Ctrl + H (Find and Replace) to update all instances of the value.
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Select Import.
Note
If the Import button is disabled, do the following:
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Ensure you have completed the necessary Prerequisites.
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Scan your install script to ensure you don't have a typo in any of your Inherited variables.
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After you have created the shell app, you’re ready to assign it to your account(s).
To assign the shell app to an account:
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Navigate to Unified Catalog, and then search for QuickBooks.
Tip
You can also filter apps by shell apps using the Repository dropdown.
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Locate the app, and then from the Properties drop-down menu, select Assign.
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Select Add Assignments, and then in the Select assignments field, select All or choose specific account(s) you want to assign the app to.
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Select Confirm > Apply and close.
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When prompted, select Confirm.
Once you have imported the QuickBooks shell app and assigned it to the account(s), you can set it up for the account(s).
The first step is to set at the Account level the actual Inherited variables values that you previously created at the MSP level. For details, see Scripted Actions - Account-Level Variables.
After the QuickBooks shell app is assigned to the account(s), and you’ve created the variables, you’re ready to schedule the deployment of that shell app. For more information about creating the deployment policies, see Unified Application Management: Manage Applications.
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