Re: [Unattended] Disk imaging a bad idea?!
Was there a question in there? Bryan Keadle wrote: It's nice that you have a new way to do RIS. I know some peers that are doing RIS and this looks like a promising solution. However, I take issue with your statement that disk imaging is a bad idea: /But it is usually a bad idea. Never mind that imaging provides poor support for non-uniform hardware; the big problem is that it creates a maintenance nightmare. / This is true for *ANY* shop that trys to maintain a clone for all their different hardware. Indeed, that would be a maintenance nightmare. However, when done correctly, and you build a works on anything standard load image, it can go down on dissimilar hardware, thus you're only maintaining a single image. /Imaging provides poor support for non-uniform hardware/ should instead read: /*by default, *imaging provides poor support for non-uniform hardware/. True, it takes some time and effort to correctly build your works-on-anything image, but so does figuring out one's RIS scripted installs. Upgrading your image (service packs, updates, software upgrades) need only be done once on your standard load image. Additionally, with an image, you can have your load already properly configured, with all your other secondary applications, utilities, and useability features and settings configured. Maintaining a standard load image is made even easier using virtual machine technology. You simply call one of your VMs your gold master, and it becomes the single source the image you deploy anywhere. I've had a works-on-anything standard load image since Windows NT4, and have succesfully deployed it on desktops and laptops from year to year since then - dissimilar hardware, of course. Also, imaging is apparently faster. I noticed you mention that you'll be done in an hour or two. Imaging my load takes about 15 minutes. At reboot, hardware is automatically discovered and configured (because the source image was *properly* created to account for it) and there is minimum configuration required, and all our corporate apps are already installed, configured and ready to go. For example, see the Universal Imaging Utility http://www.binaryresearch.net/UIU/About.htm. Though I don't use this product, the concept is the same...I've rolled my own. When you're done with the scripted install, now you still need to manually install and configure your other applications. I know with scripted imaging you are able to include scripted installs for other applications as part of the process, but now how many applications do you now need to figure out how to script? And what about the applications that aren't scriptable? The one place for scripted installs I suppose is where you're rolling out vanilla Windows, with minimal configuration tweaking and additional applications, such as OEM computer distributors. - Take Surveys. Earn Cash. Influence the Future of IT Join SourceForge.net's Techsay panel and you'll get the chance to share your opinions on IT business topics through brief surveys -- and earn cash http://www.techsay.com/default.php?page=join.phpp=sourceforgeCID=DEVDEV ___ unattended-info mailing list unattended-info@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/unattended-info - Take Surveys. Earn Cash. Influence the Future of IT Join SourceForge.net's Techsay panel and you'll get the chance to share your opinions on IT business topics through brief surveys -- and earn cash http://www.techsay.com/default.php?page=join.phpp=sourceforgeCID=DEVDEV ___ unattended-info mailing list unattended-info@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/unattended-info
Re: [Unattended] Issues with getting Unattended to work with Dell machines.
Hi Steve, I have used the unattended installation with Dell Machines (on about 10 optiplex gx620's -- but no laptops). However, we used a volume-licensed copy of WindowsXP for the installation, not the Dell/restore version of windows. Which 4 files are different between the two? Also, if you are doing the OEM install, you need to use the product key that shipped with that install media, not the keys off the side of the dell machine. Best, Ken D.Steven Bambling [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi All,I am trying to get unattended working I have everything installed and samba setup correctly. I then upload the I386 folder off of an OEM hologram cd ( Also a dell restore CD). When I use the Linux boot disk I fill in the correct areas, then the unattended process starts...or seems to. If I use an OEM I386 folder windows installs but it will not register windows with Microsoft. If I use the Dell restore CD ( only 4 files difference) then during the windows setup it can't find all the files needed to complete the install.Does anyone use Unattended will Dell Machines both Laptop and Desktop and the Windows Product Keys that are on the side of the cases. Any helpful hints or experiences that you have went through would be great!Thanks,STEVE---Using Tomcat but need to do more? Need to support web services, security?Get stuff done quickly with pre-integrated technology to make your job easierDownload IBM WebSphere Application Server v.1.0.1 based on Apache Geronimohttp://sel.as-us.falkag.net/sel?cmd=lnkkid=120709bid=263057dat=121642___unattended-info mailing listunattended-info@lists.sourceforge.nethttps://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/unattended-info
[Unattended] Files not copied during setup/install
Hello, I am trying to set up an unattended windows deployment system for my school. I get to the point where the windows installer begins to copy files from my samba network share to the local machine. During this process, it seems that some files are dropped and/or improperly copied. Which files are skipped seems random, because the machine will exhibit different behavior when it moves on to the install phase. Sometimes the install phase will not start, other times it will crash during loading or mid-way through, or most recently the installer completed, but on first boot complained about a missing msgina.dll and could not bring up the Logon interface. Basically, I am trying to figure out why some files not being copied by setup, and how to resolve this issue. Thanks, Ken
Re: Re: [Unattended] Files not copied during setup/install
Thanks for the reply! I am in the process of trying this now. For what its worth, I installed a CD drive on my test station and used the Linux boot CD. With this approach the install worked with no errors, but this is not an optimal solution for me. Matt, when you say the problem was with the format command, did you replace the format.exe in the /install/dosbin/ directory, or did you have format.com local to your boot disk? As for the [_meta] section, I will look into this more now. Further bulletins as events warrant, Ken [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: When I first tried setting up an unattended installation, I got the same problems. I think it was due to FreeDOS, and it's format command. I made my ow n DOS boot disk using windows 95 DOS and also used the win95 format command for formatting the Hard drive. You can substitute your own custom format command in the _meta section of the unattend.txt file. This seemed to solve all the strange file copy problems. You might try rebuilding your dos boot disk image based off a fresh win95 bootable DOS disk.- Forwarded by Matt Fries/cbca on 03/31/2006 01:15 PM - Ken Doyle [EMAIL PROTECTED] 03/31/2006 01:12 PM To: sp; [EMAIL PROTECTED] cc: Subject:Re: [Unattended] Files not copied during setup/install Hi Matt, I am using the DOS boot disk (FreeDOS w/ unattended-4.6) . As for error messages, I sometimes (only sometimes) get error messages during the setup file copy. Usually, on certain random files, the copy process slows to halt, but then moves on without error message. During the install process, I will usually get an error message stating that the file cannot be found (the file on which the copy process slowed). Thanks for the help quick response! Ken Doyle [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Ken, Are you using the Linux boot disk, or the DOS boot disk? Do you get any actual error messages during the copy?- Forwarded by Matt Fries/cbca on 03/31/2006 12:57 PM - Ken Doyle [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent by: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 03/31/2006 12:04 PM To:unattended-info@lists.sourceforge.net cc: Subject:[Unattended] Files not copied during setup/installHello, I am trying to set up an unattended windows deployment system for my school. I get to the point where the windows installer begins to copy files from my samba network share to the local machine. During this process, it seems that some files are dropped and/or improperly copied. Which files are skipped seems random, because the m achine will exhibit different behavior when it moves on to the install phase. Sometimes the install phase will not start, other times it will crash during loading or mid-way through, or most recently the installer completed, but on first boot complained about a missing msgina.dll and could not bring up the Logon interface. Basically, I am trying to figure out why some files not being copied by setup, and how to resolve this issue. Thanks, Ken NOTICE: The information contained in this email message, and any attachments accompanying this transmission, may be legally privileged and/or confidential and protected health information. This information is intended only for the use of the individual(s) and/or entity identified above. The authorized recipient of this information is prohibited from disclosing this information to any other party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to protect the information after its stated need has been fulfilled. If you are not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible to deliver it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, printing, copying, forwarding, or distributing of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately, by telephone or return email, to advise of wrongful receipt and confirm your understa nding of this Notice. Thank You. NOTICE: The information contained in this email message, and any attachments accompanying this transmission, may be legally privileged and/or confidential and protected health information. This information is intended only for the use of the individual(s) and/or entity identified above. The authorized recipient of this information is prohibited from disclosing this information to any other party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to protect the information after its stated need has been fulfilled. If you are not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible to deliver it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, printing, copying, forwarding, or distributing of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately, by telephone or return email, to advise of wrongful receipt and confirm your understa nding
Re: Re: [Unattended] Files not copied during setup/install
Thank you very much for the information. My last question is: Did you have to change anything in install.pl to get your unattended working? Thanks, Ken[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I didn't actually REPLACE the format command with the dos format, but I did ADD it to the dosbin directory. I gave it a different name like DFORMAT.COM, and also updated the _meta section. I don't think the dformat command that I use is actually on my dos boot disk image. The only thing the boot disk does is get you access to the network. Once there, you can run the format command from the network share.Yeah, the linux cd formats the drive in a completely different way (which I don't totally understand myself, but it works), so that makes sense that the copy would not fail that time. I boot my machines from the network via PXE, and have a nice little bootloader menu where I can select the unattended install from the linux boot, or from the Dos boot disk images. It's really slick when you don't even need a floppy! - Forwarded by Matt Fries/cbca on 03/31/2006 05:06 PM - Ken Doyle [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent by: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 03/31/2006 04:26 PM To: p; unattended-info@lists.sourceforge.net cc: Subject:Re: Re: [Unattended] Files not copied during setup/install Thanks for the reply! I am in the process of trying this now. For what its worth, I installed a CD drive on my test station and used the Linux boot CD. With this approach the install worked with no errors, but this is not an optimal solution for me. Matt, when you say the problem was with the format command, did you replace the format.exe in the /install/dosbin/ directory, or did you have format.com local to your boot disk? As for the [_meta] section, I will look into this more now. Further bulletins as events warrant, Ken [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: When I first tried setting up an unattended installation, I got the same problems. I think it was due to FreeDOS, and it's format command. I made my own DOS boot disk using windows 95 DOS and also used the win95 format command for formatting the Hard drive. You can substitute your own custom format command in the _meta section of the unattend.txt file. This seemed to solve all the strange file copy problems. You might try rebuilding your dos boot disk image based off a fresh win95 bootable DOS disk. - Forwarded by Matt Fries/cbca on 03/31/2006 01:15 PM - Ken Doyle [EMAIL PROTECTED] 03/31/2006 01:12 PM To:[EMAIL PROTECTED] cc: Subject:Re: [Unattended ] Files not copied during setup/installHi Matt, I am using the DOS boot disk (FreeDOS w/ unattended-4.6) . As for error messages, I sometimes (only sometimes) get error messages during the setup file copy. Usually, on certain random files, the copy process slows to halt, but then moves on without error message. During the install process, I will usually get an error message stating that the file cannot be found (the file on which the copy process slowed). Thanks for the help quick response! Ken Doyle [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Ken, Are you using the Linux boot disk, or the DOS boot disk? Do you get any actual error messages during the copy?- Forwarded by Matt Fries/cbca on 03/31/2006 12:57 PM - Ken Doyle [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent by: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 03/31/2006 12:04 PM To:unattended-info@lists.sourceforge.net cc: Subject:[Unattended] Files not copied during setup/install Hello, I am trying to set up an unattended windows deployment system for my school. I get to the point where the windows installer begins to copy files from my samba network share to the local machine. During this process, it seems that some files are dropped and/or improperly copied. Which files are skipped seems random, because the machine will exhibit different behavior when it moves on to the install phase. Sometimes the install phase will not start, other times it will crash during loading or mid-way through, or most recently the installer completed, but on first boot complained about a missing msgina.dll and coul d not bring up the Logon interface. Basically, I am trying to figure out why some files not being copied by setup, and how to resolve this issue. Thanks, Ken NOTICE: The information contained in this email message, and any attachments accompanying this transmission, may be legally privileged and/or confidential and protected health information. This information is intended only for the use of the individual(s) and/or entity identified above. The authorized recipient of this information is prohibited from disclosing this information to any other party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to protect the information after its stated need has been fulfilled. If you are not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible to deliver it to the intended recipient
