RIS sif question - prompt for hostname during setup?

[Kenneth Belferman]

Greetings:

I would like to have RIS prompt for a hostname during the install process.
According to the W2K Guide to Unattended Setup, if the ComputerName field
under [UserData] is empty or missing, the user is prompted to enter a
computer name. However, if I edit the ristndrd.sif file in this way, RIS
doesn't like it - it generates an error at the beginning of setup ("the line
in sif file ComputerName is missing or corrupt") and the whole process ends
there.

So, does anyone know if there is a way to have RIS prompt for a hostname
during setup?

Thanks.


Ken B.

 

[Patrick J. LoPresti]

If you are willing to consider alternatives to RIS, our system already
does this. See <http://unattended.sourceforge.net/>.

That said, if you set:

[Unattended]
UnattendMode=DefaultHide

....it should allow a missing ComputerName field and stop to prompt
you. At least, that is how it works for unattended installation; I
have never used RIS, which may work differently.

- Pat

 

[Bill Curtis [MSFT]]

You'll want to read method 2 of the following KB article and adapt it for
use with your computername issue. Basically, you'll want to have this
question asked during the Client Installation Wizard and not during actual
installation.

257948 How to Set the Administrator Password During RIS Installation
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=257948

More info
========
268325 Description of Client Installation Wizard Screens for Remote
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=268325

Pages 1400 - 1412 Windows 2000 Server Distributed Systems Guide (Part of
the Win2k Server Resource Kit)

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/prodtechn
ol/windows2000serv/reskit/distsys/part4/dsgch24.asp (This should have all
the information that you need)

- Bill Curtis [MSFT]
“This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.”

 

[Johan Arwidmark]

You can customize existing screens or create new screens for the CIW
using OSCML tags. For new and existing screens, you can use OSC
variables to capture user input.

For new and existing screens, you can use OSC variables to capture
user input.

For more information about OSCML tags, see ACIRIS_13.doc on the
Windows Server 2003 Deployment Kit companion CD or at the web:
Appendix G - OSCML and Client Installation Wizard Variables
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tr...dows2000serv/reskit/distsys/part5/dsgappg.asp

This article mgiht also be helpful

Description of Client Installation Wizard Screens for Remote
Installation Services
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=268325


Johan Arwidmark

Windows User Group - Nordic
http://wug.lutteman.se

 

[Kenneth Belferman]

Many thanks for all the suggestions. I'll look thru all this as soon as I
get a chance.

Meanwhile we've just had 2, 2-year-old ASUS motherboards die on us within a
week! :^(