Installing GAM on multiple computers

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Reese

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Feb 5, 2018, 4:47:19 PM2/5/18
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Hello,

I have successfully setup GAM on one computer. I would like two other staff members to have access to GAM. Does anyone have experience to share on setting up GAM on multiple Windows computers? GAM was successfully setup on the first computer, but I can not find information on how to get it setup on additional computers without running the complete installer and create additional projects and OAUTH settings.

Thanks,
Reese

Ross Scroggs

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Feb 5, 2018, 4:56:48 PM2/5/18
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Reese,

Install GAM on the additional computers, bail out of any setup.
From the folder where Gam is located on the first computer, copy these files to the same location on the additional computers.

client_secrets.json, oauth2.txt, oauth2service.json


Update PATH information on the additional computers.


Ross


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Jay Lee

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Feb 5, 2018, 5:01:21 PM2/5/18
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I'd be cautious about oauth2service.json. Anyone who has that file has direct access to pretty much ALL your user data (Drive, Gmail, Calendar, etc).

Do all 3 of you really need that?

Jay

On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 4:56 PM, Ross Scroggs <ross.s...@gmail.com> wrote:
Reese,

Install GAM on the additional computers, bail out of any setup.
From the folder where Gam is located on the first computer, copy these files to the same location on the additional computers.

client_secrets.json, oauth2.txt, oauth2service.json


Update PATH information on the additional computers.


Ross

On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 1:31 PM, Reese <rfr...@stalbansschool.org> wrote:
Hello,

I have successfully setup GAM on one computer. I would like two other staff members to have access to GAM. Does anyone have experience to share on setting up GAM on multiple Windows computers? GAM was successfully setup on the first computer, but I can not find information on how to get it setup on additional computers without running the complete installer and create additional projects and OAUTH settings.

Thanks,
Reese

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+KimNilsson

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Feb 6, 2018, 5:59:26 AM2/6/18
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This is a very interesting topic.

What is really the best process for letting secondary users use GAM, but not with full access?
Maybe only to a number of APIs, or maybe read-access to everything, and write access to only a few.

Is there a guide for it?
How do you setup JSOns that you can give to non-superadmins, and know what they are able to do?

Ross Scroggs

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Feb 7, 2018, 7:42:54 AM2/7/18
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On each of the additional computers, you can do the following:
gam oauth delete
gam oauth create
Select a subset of the scopes or select read only scopes, then authorize with the same admin used on the original computer.
You could also authorize with an admin with a limited role.

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+KimNilsson

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Feb 8, 2018, 3:14:29 AM2/8/18
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And the same procedure can actually be done on the same/first computer, and then zip up the resulting files, right?

Sashank Jain

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Apr 23, 2021, 1:57:30 PM4/23/21
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As mentioned above by Ross
""On each of the additional computers, you can do the following:
gam oauth delete
gam oauth create
Select a subset of the scopes or select read only scopes, then authorize with the same admin used on the original computer.
You could also authorize with an admin with a limited role.""

Will these steps delete the oauth that was set on the original machine? If yes, then I believe it will be the issue.

Ross Scroggs

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Apr 23, 2021, 1:59:12 PM4/23/21
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Sashank,

No, the original computer is unaffected.

Ross

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Sashank Jain

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Apr 23, 2021, 2:00:58 PM4/23/21
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I was trying to use the same project on my different MacBook but I got the message that "Enable Failed: Service account xx-xxx-xxx-xxx already exists within project projects/xx-xx-xx-xx". What does this mean and how I can fix this?

Ross Scroggs

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Apr 23, 2021, 2:03:52 PM4/23/21
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Sashank,

What steps have you performed?

Ross


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Sashank Jain

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Apr 23, 2021, 2:08:27 PM4/23/21
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I just installed GAM on my other MacBook and another one already has GAM setup. I was following - https://github.com/taers232c/GAMADV-XTD3/wiki/Authorization#use-an-existing-project-for-gam-authorization and was getting that above and also that Screen Shot 2021-04-23 at 11.06.51 AM.png
I believe the easiest solution is to copy these files from my main MacBook to GAM folder and I would be fine without any issues?
What if I have to use the same OAuth Client ID and Service account set up on this other MacBook also?

Ross Scroggs

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Apr 23, 2021, 2:15:22 PM4/23/21
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Sashank,

Just copy the contents of the .gam folder.
You may have to edit gam.cfg to update any path information: cache_dir, config_dir, drive_dir

Ross

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Sashank Jain

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Apr 23, 2021, 2:17:44 PM4/23/21
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I will copy the mentioned files as I have all the other files when I installed GAM on MacBook 2. I will let you know if I have to edit any files or if this works fine. Do you all have any slack channel under any workspace where we can discuss these things?

Ross Scroggs

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Apr 23, 2021, 2:26:42 PM4/23/21
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Sashank,

You can send me a Meet/Zoom invitation at ross.s...@gmail.com

Ross

Sashank Jain

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Apr 23, 2021, 2:41:30 PM4/23/21
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Thanks. Also, do I need to run the whole steps like gam OAuth verify | create even after the files are copied in MacBook 2?

On Friday, April 23, 2021 at 11:26:42 AM UTC-7 Ross Scroggs wrote:
Sashank,

You can send me a Meet/Zoom invitation at ross.s...@gmail.com

Ross
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Ross Scroggs

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Apr 23, 2021, 2:46:44 PM4/23/21
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Sashank,

No; you're ready to go.

Ross

On Fri, Apr 23, 2021 at 11:41 AM 'Sashank Jain' via GAM for Google Workspace <google-ap...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
Thanks. Also, do I need to run the whole steps like gam OAuth verify | create even after the files are copied in MacBook 2?

On Friday, April 23, 2021 at 11:26:42 AM UTC-7 Ross Scroggs wrote:
Sashank,

You can send me a Meet/Zoom invitation at ross.s...@gmail.com

Ross



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Sashank Jain

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Apr 23, 2021, 3:27:20 PM4/23/21
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Thanks again Ross, I will keep you posted on how this goes once I have the files from macBook 1 transferred to the Macbook 2 "GAM" folder

Sashank Jain

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Apr 24, 2021, 3:29:48 PM4/24/21
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hey Ross

I am good to go now on my MacBook 2. Thanks for your guidance.

Ruddy Melendez

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Apr 30, 2021, 5:39:20 PM4/30/21
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Hi All,
Just bumped into this thread and can use some clarification. To setup GAM on another machine so that a different admin can use it (without having to create a new project as we already have one), is copying these files enough? client_secrets.json, oauth2.txt, oauth2service.json. I am happy to do that, but I want to make sure that in doing so, this admin won't now have access to the Google account of the admin who initially set this up. Thanks!

Message has been deleted

Sashank Jain

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Apr 30, 2021, 5:48:17 PM4/30/21
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Ross will be the best to comment on this but as per my knowledge, if you copy the files, it will copy the config of the main user who actually set this up on 1st machine and will eventually use the same OAuth which is not advisable when you want to add someone else under the same project and service account.
You should do 
gam oauth delete on the other machine and then 
gam oauth create to create and specify roles for the other user who is setting up gam on other machine under the same Project and service account.

Ross Scroggs

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Apr 30, 2021, 5:54:04 PM4/30/21
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Ruddy,

Sashank is correct; the two admin accounts are not related in any way.

Ross

On Fri, Apr 30, 2021 at 2:45 PM 'Sashank Jain' via GAM for Google Workspace <google-ap...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
Ross will be the best to comment on this but as per my knowledge, if you copy the files, it will copy the config of the main user who actually set this up on 1st machine and will eventually use the same OAuth which is not advisable when you want to add someone else under the same project and service account.
You should do 
gam oauth delete on the other machine and then 
gam oauth create to create and specify roles for the other user who is setting up gam on other machine under the same Project and service account.

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Ruddy Melendez

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Apr 30, 2021, 6:09:52 PM4/30/21
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I really appreciate the quick reply! So we followed those steps, and our other admin was prompted to select the scopes we'll need (so we felt like this time it'll work.) But then we we received ERROR: To use GAM you need to create an API project. Please run : gam create project. We already have a project created, along with a service account. How can we let gam know to refer to an existing project?

Ross Scroggs

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Apr 30, 2021, 6:20:21 PM4/30/21
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Ruddy,

Did you copy client_secrets.json and oauth2service.json to the new computer?

Ross

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Ruddy Melendez

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Apr 30, 2021, 6:24:42 PM4/30/21
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Hey Ross,
We copied the below over to the other machine (most files). Should we delete these all again and try from scratch with specific files?

client_secrets.json
oauth2.txt
oauth2.txt.lock
oauth2service.json


Ruddy Melendez

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1-855-695-2255

Policygenius.com






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Sashank Jain

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Apr 30, 2021, 7:55:46 PM4/30/21
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Are you setting up the new role for another user or just copying all the files and be done with it from another Project's service account which includes the oauth files?

Kim Nilsson

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May 1, 2021, 1:48:53 AM5/1/21
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Ruddy, like Ross said, you need to copy only the two files he lists. Put them in the GAM folder (or .gam if you are using GAMADV-XTD3). 

Then run a "gam oauth create" using the new user reference. 

/Kim 

Sashank Jain

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May 1, 2021, 12:18:28 PM5/1/21
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Wait, Kim and Ross Can we please step back? 
  1. As per my understanding, any GAM Project which has a service account associated with it which has "Client Secret" and "Client OAuth".JSON files connected to that service account and Project. Yes / No?
  2. If you want to use the same GAM Project and service account on a different machine (IF YOU SETTING UP ANOTHER USER SAME PROJECT AND SERVICE ACCOUNT), then you need to do the gam OAuth delete first so you can delete the Client Secret and Client OAuth connect to that Project and service account because as soon as you tell GAM to use the same project on a different machine, it understands and knows that the project ID mentioned has already a Client Secret and OAuth attached to it.
  3. To overcome this issue on point 2 as mentioned that since we are trying to set the same project and the same service account for another user now on a different machine, we will delete the OAuth and then do gam OAuth create on the different machine.
Please correct me on the above if I am wrong:

My Concerns:
  • Why are we copying the secret and OAuth .JSON files from the main computer since we will set that up on a different computer? 
  • As per my understanding when you do the gam OAuth delete, it deletes the above-mentioned .JSON files on that different computer behind the scenes on which we run this command?

Ross Scroggs

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May 1, 2021, 1:45:25 PM5/1/21
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Sashank,

A project is defined by client_secrets.json and oauth2service.json; they are user independent.
If you want to use that project on a machine, these files are required.

Client access is defined by oauth.txt which uses client_secrets.json to authenticate your selected user.

gam oauth delete deletes oauth2.txt, it does not delete client_secrets.json or oauth2service.json.

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Sashank Jain

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May 1, 2021, 2:12:31 PM5/1/21
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Thanks a lot for the clarification, Ross. Do we have a link where have all these breakdowns and information related to GAM and setup documented? 

Sashank Jain

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May 1, 2021, 2:15:32 PM5/1/21
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Also, since we allow the use of the same project and service account to another computer, shouldn't the files  client_secrets.json and oauth2service.json copy over when we install gam and tell gam to use the same project as these 2 files are not dependent on the user?

Ross Scroggs

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May 1, 2021, 2:26:55 PM5/1/21
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Sashank,

The Gam installer has no knowledge of the other computer, copying the files is your responsibility.

Ross Scroggs

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May 1, 2021, 2:28:20 PM5/1/21
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Driss Bourazzan

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Jul 22, 2024, 4:47:57 PM (5 days ago) Jul 22
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Ross, 

I'm in the same boat. I had both GAM and Advanced GAM on my workstation. Now I'm trying to install them on a new machine using the same API project. 

I copied the client_secrets.json, oauth2, oauth2service.json files from the old GAM folder to the new one. I'm getting this error when running a command: 

ERROR: ('invalid_grant: Bad Request', {'error': 'invalid_grant', 'error_description': 'Bad Request'})

Appreciate your help as always!

Ross Scroggs

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Jul 22, 2024, 5:04:30 PM (5 days ago) Jul 22
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Send me a Meet/Zoom invitation and I'll help.

Ross
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Driss Bourazzan

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Jul 22, 2024, 5:07:01 PM (5 days ago) Jul 22
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✉ Kevin Melillo

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Jul 23, 2024, 7:16:08 AM (4 days ago) Jul 23
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Not sure if you both had your meeting or not.  Make sure you didn't copy the oath2.txt file over... when you run a GAM command, it will then ask you to reauthenticate, which should resolve the issue.  

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