Advanced Topics on Provisioning Windows® with LinMin
The Install Instance Directory
Each Install Instance will have its own directory in
/home/tftpboot/pub/
For example, the directory for the Install Instance named w2k8_r2_x64_enterprise is located in
/home/tftpboot/pub/w2k8_r2_x64_enterprise/
Copy Folders and Files from the LinMin Server to C:\ of the Provisioned Windows Client
Place folders and files to be copied to C:\ of the client system in:
/home/tftpboot/pub/w2k8_r2_x64_enterprise/postinstall/addfiles/
Executing Post-Install Scripts on the Provisioned Windows Client
A special file has been created for you to place scripting code to be executed on the provisioned client system after Windows has been installed:
/home/tftpboot/pub/w2k8_r2_x64_enterprise/postinstall/w2k8_r2_x64_enterpriseuser.cmd
Use winDOSfileEdit.sh to edit this file and add scripts. A sample script that executes after provisioning has been placed by LinMin in this file as an example.
The Petri IT Knowledgebase contains instructions on configuring network and other settings that can be executed in post-installation scripts.
You can review the syntax of most commands by entering "/?" after it, for example, C:\> netsh /?
Editing the LinMin AutoUnattend XML File
/home/tftpboot/pub/w2k8_r2_x64_enterprise/w2k8_r2_x64_enterprise.xml
This file contains the answers to questions that you would normally enter on the client system during a manual, interactive installation. Exercise caution when editing this file with winDOSfileEdit.sh, as syntax errors are easily introduced and lead to unpredictable results on the client system during provisioning. A typical "non-destructive" way to use this file is to update the Product Key, should it have been entered incorrectly when creating the Install Instance.
Always Edit .xml, .cmd and .bat Files with winDOSfileEdit.sh
When editing .xml, .cmd, .bat, and some .txt files located in the Install Instance directory and that are copied to the client Windows system as outlined in the examples above, always use the editor winDOSfileEdit.sh. This editor is conveniently located in each directory where there are files you may decide to edit.
Using traditional text editors may introduce special invisible characters into the files you edit, causing them to fail on the Windows client system in ways difficult to diagnose.
