i guess i need some help. the issue/scenario is this : Windows server 2012/R2 OS Environment in Linux KVM and/or Xen #1. integrate service packs + updates + hot fixes -> base windows install wim file #2. integrate office suite 2013 (office/visio/project) + service packs + updates + hot fixes -> to the #1 + updated install wim file #3. install addition softwares like visual studio + sql server -> to the #1 + #2 + updated install wim file #4. integrate a nice Antivirus + Windows Live + Mozilla Suite (Firefox 32/64, Thunderbird 32/64, SeaMonkey 32/64) + Java + Team Viewer + Adobe Suite (minus CS suite) + winrar + 7z + SUA/Cygwin + Mathematica 9.x + openvpn -> #1 + #2 + #3 + updates install wim file i am not looking for activation and activation related stuffs now. my main motive/focus is on learning. I am planning to use this to run and learn windows inside the virtual environment, since i cannot afford to waste huge resources for M$ windows install. i can do all these with the FOSS softwares in linux and i am well skilled in linux and my M$ skill set is close to 0. i do all these on a day to day basis with FOSS stuffs but not with M$ stuffs. So what should be my approach. its not nice to be left out in the IT industry without necessary M$ admin and development (which is why Visual Studio). i remember doing soft of all these things using n-lite way back. Since then i said adios to M$ world and i am preparing a comeback to M$ world too. Consider i need a baby sitting WRT to M$ realm. Network is vivid with DebWRT as mips router OS and Debian GNU/Linux With kvm and or xen with grsec and pax and a hardened environment. Yes you can call it kindergarten steps for me with respect to M$ realm. How to proceed? What to download? What are the Do's and Do Not's for consideration here? Its more or less a hobby and learning than something serious. Because i am stuck with FOSS with Debian/BSD's which i am not changing. xD! thanks in advance! thanks! -paul
It really depends what you need to do with your target system. Servers typically have high background task performance, but not as highly optimized foreground app performance. Plus, most servers that are left on for a long time, don't really require any input, and thus, usually go without GUI or any apps installed. You definitely can set-up installs using a sysprep/capture method, but as for whether or not to use Server as the OS of choice, I'm not entirely sure you should... If you are new to sysprep/capture, I'd suggest making a VHD in diskmgmt.msc and using it as your main hard disk in a VM. Then when you are satisfied with your setup, you can run sysprep with the generalize option and shutdown the system. The basic procedure for Server sysprepping is just to install everything on the admin account and then dism capture the vhd's windows partition. If you get stuck, you can check the integration thread. Most of the info there applies to server as well.
precisely thats the whole point. I am more or less an automation guy. i like to automate the process. and why i wish to automate? when too many friends ask me for install image for bare metal install i can have a /etc/skel kind of setup. Where i can have everything i need for a M$ client OS controlled by a M$ server machine. resource utilization is minimal and also i can have a sort of air-gap scenario. thus i know less security hassle. plus a few of my friends like windows server class OS more than client, since its more fine granular and crisp. like i said before, i will say again. 90% friends use windows client OS and 10% like server OS and using server i get more fine granular control. what i mean by that is? typical DFD : laptop/desktop -> LAN/WLAN device -> sharing mode -> community end user the end user using windows client OS need not worry about which OS was used. the power user/admin creates the images and pushes it to the community. like any FOSS project where the admin/developers push the final code via any mode and users got read only access and pull and use the final resource. i hope i was able to express properly. if not the process DFD ... once more: final image for bare metal (in virtual env) -> sharing point -> users fetch -> users install in bare metal system *spot on* with the guess, yes i will use virtualization for sure. some systems these days are UEFI and a few are left over with old school BIOS. thus i intend to use tianocore for UEFI simulation and seabios for old school BIOS world. and why? lets say i wish to automate this entire process. like how in openwrt/coreboot we have an automatic build process and the process either results in SUCCESS/FAILURE. thus if i can also replicate the same model here will be a worthwhile experiment. because i can run some scripts be it using powershell or vbscript or something else and automate and the log server shows me just 2 options "Successful" or "Failed". If successful then move to next build, if fail then inspect the point of failure fix and retry till its "Successful" and for this i guess i need the admin rights and also for sure windows server class OS. and for the automation part? i lost my skills. i wasted 6 days in creating bare metal images for 4 client class OS and 2 server class OS bare metal installation. i mean i literally wasted 6 days for nothing. if i could automate this process using various built-in tools and registry and GPO without me fiddling around with the OS installation and setup process will be a dream come true and saving time and the mundane repeating process which is boring. and if i knew the inside out of the OS (client/server) then using the programming/scripting skills? i could automate this entire process. because in debian i install the OS via debootstrap and then via a .deb package i apply all the desired settings and install the desired packages. i wish to do the same with M$ (client/server) modules. thus avoid the mundane repeatation. and .patch files to do/undo whatever additional features is/are needed or not needed, simply. yes for sure i will check out all the data available. thanks folks, you and tito for the heads up support. and if i am successful in achieving this? i will make it as a package and push it in the forum so others can also make use of this feature and "be extremely lazy" thanks! -paul