Ok, this isnt' really in the scope of G4L, just wondering if any of you out there know if this is possible.
So I use G4L to maintain images for a public library - the problem is, for example, that I have 4 different CPU models for my Public computer Image...because we replace some computers every year. My question is, is there anyway to do some sort of way to make a driverless image so that I could update one image for use on multiple CPU's? Would save a ton of time and make it easier to keep them all the same.
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Yes, I've read a bit a about sysprep...right now, I actually maintain 4 different models or so because the different hardware...its not really harder for my techs to image using 4 different images, but as far as keeping 4 different images fairly similar in configuration, it is tough...so thats what I'd like to do is make things easier on myself and take away the possibility of screwing stuff up...but if its a pain to do the sysprep thing every time I update something, it may not be worth it.
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Not sure how many updates or changes you have to do?
Once you create and image for each system, you wouldn't need to do the update for the drives again, but you then have to do the updates once for each system, which is more work.
I do recommend always reimaging a machine before doing updates. Especially in open systems, you never know what might have been done on the machine. Then do the windows updates, and other software updates. I like the filehippo updater that I found via the ccleaner program site. It lets you know about a lot of software updates.
The front end script could be created with all 4 options, and techs would just have to boot up, and run fg4l or efg4l plus the ipaddress of the server that has the script. Other scripts allow putting the scripts in other than public ftp site.
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Questions?
What OS are we talking about?
How different are the systems?
Most OS will automatically handles some changes in the hardware.
I recently had a co-workers motherboard go out, and we just moved the hard disk to a spare machine, and it recognized the different hardware. You do have to make sure the drivers are on the image.
I have another lab that 18 machines with nvidia video cards and 2 with ATI. Have no ideal why the difference, but the ATI boot with the nvidia image, and then reset the window on the next boot.
One issue that I recently had with that same lab, is an infection of flash based virus that gets past the big N antivirus program we have. So, I reduced the size of the XP partition on the machines, and created an ext2 partition on it. Created an image of a good clean XP onto the ext2 partition, and can no boot the machines from a g4l cd, and reimage in about 6 minutes. I created a script on the server, so the other instructor just type in fg4l ipaddressofserver, and it downloads the script to do the local image.
Additionally, if the machines are two different, you could create a front-end script that would provide the user with a menu of which images are available.
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Well, they are XP machines, and generally XP is fairly tolerant of different hardware..the thing is, I try to make it where after imaging, things to be done to each machine are minimal. So...I don't know if it woudl be possible to pre-load drivers and such, because they computers certainly have different network cards, CPU's, etc.
I also have read that you probably couldn't do this successfully between an older CPU and a more current multi-core...
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First, try it with the extreme machine.
Make an image, and then restore it to the oldest machine?
If windows works, it is OK.
If not, take the latest machine, and go into the system, and manually remove all the hardware and then make an image of that. I think there is some program that can do this? perhaps sysprep or something like that. Try that.
If not, you might have to make two or more images, and use a front-end g4l script to give the user a selection of images to use. It would probable be possible with a little more work to create a script that could check what the system was an automatically use the correct image. Probable would have to boot the machines with the g4l cd, and check the /sys directory for something that identifies the machines, and then uses the correct image.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Ok, this isnt' really in the scope of G4L, just wondering if any of you out there know if this is possible.
So I use G4L to maintain images for a public library - the problem is, for example, that I have 4 different CPU models for my Public computer Image...because we replace some computers every year. My question is, is there anyway to do some sort of way to make a driverless image so that I could update one image for use on multiple CPU's? Would save a ton of time and make it easier to keep them all the same.
Yes, I've read a bit a about sysprep...right now, I actually maintain 4 different models or so because the different hardware...its not really harder for my techs to image using 4 different images, but as far as keeping 4 different images fairly similar in configuration, it is tough...so thats what I'd like to do is make things easier on myself and take away the possibility of screwing stuff up...but if its a pain to do the sysprep thing every time I update something, it may not be worth it.
Not sure how many updates or changes you have to do?
Once you create and image for each system, you wouldn't need to do the update for the drives again, but you then have to do the updates once for each system, which is more work.
I do recommend always reimaging a machine before doing updates. Especially in open systems, you never know what might have been done on the machine. Then do the windows updates, and other software updates. I like the filehippo updater that I found via the ccleaner program site. It lets you know about a lot of software updates.
The front end script could be created with all 4 options, and techs would just have to boot up, and run fg4l or efg4l plus the ipaddress of the server that has the script. Other scripts allow putting the scripts in other than public ftp site.
Questions?
What OS are we talking about?
How different are the systems?
Most OS will automatically handles some changes in the hardware.
I recently had a co-workers motherboard go out, and we just moved the hard disk to a spare machine, and it recognized the different hardware. You do have to make sure the drivers are on the image.
I have another lab that 18 machines with nvidia video cards and 2 with ATI. Have no ideal why the difference, but the ATI boot with the nvidia image, and then reset the window on the next boot.
One issue that I recently had with that same lab, is an infection of flash based virus that gets past the big N antivirus program we have. So, I reduced the size of the XP partition on the machines, and created an ext2 partition on it. Created an image of a good clean XP onto the ext2 partition, and can no boot the machines from a g4l cd, and reimage in about 6 minutes. I created a script on the server, so the other instructor just type in fg4l ipaddressofserver, and it downloads the script to do the local image.
Additionally, if the machines are two different, you could create a front-end script that would provide the user with a menu of which images are available.
Well, they are XP machines, and generally XP is fairly tolerant of different hardware..the thing is, I try to make it where after imaging, things to be done to each machine are minimal. So...I don't know if it woudl be possible to pre-load drivers and such, because they computers certainly have different network cards, CPU's, etc.
I also have read that you probably couldn't do this successfully between an older CPU and a more current multi-core...
A couple of options you might try?
First, try it with the extreme machine.
Make an image, and then restore it to the oldest machine?
If windows works, it is OK.
If not, take the latest machine, and go into the system, and manually remove all the hardware and then make an image of that. I think there is some program that can do this? perhaps sysprep or something like that. Try that.
If not, you might have to make two or more images, and use a front-end g4l script to give the user a selection of images to use. It would probable be possible with a little more work to create a script that could check what the system was an automatically use the correct image. Probable would have to boot the machines with the g4l cd, and check the /sys directory for something that identifies the machines, and then uses the correct image.