Posts made by HaRD

Thank you, I will look over them; now I need to get some more work done, or my boss will chew me out for chatting

Best regards,
M. M.

@george1421

I already thought about it, but it seems too early for our school environment, since we’re mostly running on W7; so for now I am too lazy about it. In the future, I might get sick of USB sticks, so I might do it, though installing one PC once in while, sysprep it and then make usable image for deployment won’t kill me.

Btw, got a question about this tutorial.

In part 1, to create somewhere on server/workstation/etc. network share, which will hold installation DVD contents. Does it have to be on this network share? Can’t we move this folder onto FOG server somewhere between other ISOs? Or this kind of setup has issues?

@george1421

Hi,
I just used this tutorial and I must say it was very usefull - managed to install W7 on Toshiba Portege Z30 only via FOG W7 installation from this tutorial. So in regard of taking the time to even create such an usefull tutorial, you have my “Thank you very much!” .

However I found an error; in part 4, configuration in FOG you have this:

Parameters:
initrd initrd http://<ip_addr_fog_server>/fog/iso/winpe_amd64.iso
chain memdisk iso raw

Using these parameters will end up in error “Memdisk: bootstrap too large to load”

I have edited parameters like this:

initrd http://<ip_addr_fog_server>/fog/iso/winpe_amd64.iso
chain memdisk iso raw

And now everything works flawlessly!

Maybe this will help to someone else as well.

Best regards,
Michal Milsimr

Organization Name: The Institute of Technology and Business in České Budějovice
Web: www.vstecb.cz
Location: České Budějovice, Czech Republic
Approximate Number of systems: ~400 and growing
How long: Implemented in May 2017
Can be listed on the Wiki.
FOG servers: 1 dedicated server
Additional Storage Nodes: None
Previous Imaging Solution Used: Ghost Solution Suite 2.0
Uses FOG Client: YES

• Uses Auto Log Out: No
• Uses Client Updater: No
• Uses Directory Cleaner: Yes
• Uses Hostname Changer: Yes
• Uses Host Registration: Yes
• Uses Printer Management: No
• Uses Snapin Client: In near future
• Uses Task Reboot: Yes
• Uses User Cleanup: Yes
• Uses User Tracker: No

Got only Czech logo, hope you don’t mind.

Oh, btw, I’ve read this https://wiki.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=Windows_Storage_Node - just wondering, if there is workaround, which would not require to install FTP server at target machine (vserver5) and so on.

Server

• FOG Version: 1.3.4
• OS: CentOS 7

Client

• Service Version:
• OS: Windows 7 Pro x64 SP1

Description

Good day everyone,
recently I was looking for a ways to hook up FOG image repository into Windows server shared folder.

I’ve managed to mount //vserver5/install/IMAGEs to /mnt/images (by editing /etc/fstab) and in FOG Storage Node settings I’ve managed (somehow) to add new Storage Node. The web GUI shows correct information about new storage node (disk usage), but that seems to be all - when I try to capture new image using new Storage Node, I am getting error “Permission denied” (unable to mount /mnt/images/dev).

Is there easy workaround? Or do I have to set permissions for //vserver5/install/IMAGEs on Windows Server 2012 R2 to Everyone / Anonymous? Or am I to take completely different approach to this problem?

Thank you for advice.

@Wayne-Workman Thank you, that’s exactly what I needed! Problem solved.

Server

• FOG Version: 1.3.4
• OS: CentOS 7

Client

• Service Version:
• OS: Windows 7 Pro SP1 x64

Description

Good day,
I’ve come to you with probably the last problem I have till succesful FOG deployment a integration in our university network.

Everything seems to run just fine, will need to only increase the size of /images repository from current 70 GB to 1 TB. But my boss requested, if it is possible, to password protect entry into FOG menu and it’s utilities, so that we - IT, with proper password knowledge - can use FOG to our hearts content, but to keep everyone else outside, so that especially smart-ass students won’t be able to do any kind of unwanted damage (like erasing whole drive through GParted). Sure, I’ve read something, but I am not really sure how to approach this.

Also I would like it so that automated / scheduled operations won’t be affected by this password protection, and - if possible - I would like some easy way to this off.

Any ideas where / how to start?

Have found quite similiar topic here: https://forums.fogproject.org/topic/8780/want-to-skip-booting-press-escape-to-access-the-menu/20 but it is not exactly what I want…

Idea is; iPXE boot => login / password request => FOG Menu.

Thank you!

Good day,
issue is solved; line 060 was being used by WDS server, which is inactive for some time and we do not use it anyway. It was agreed to disable this line and so FOG server is already running smoothly - 40 GB test image deployed on testing PC within 3 minutes. AWESOME! Plus I’ve managed to integrate few utilities such as Clonezilla, Clonezilla Server Edition (or DRBL live), System Rescue CD, PMagic, GParted and AVG Rescue CD.

Will come back with other questions; thanks so far!

@george1421 Thank you. I will get to it a little bit later, once the usually heavy “morning traffic” calms down. Before that however, I have one - probably little bit silly - question; path for the saved output log of tcpdump will be shown in console, or is there a specific path to it? And in case of the latter option, where would I find it?

Thank you.

@Wayne-Workman If option 060 is enabled just only for WDS server, then I guess it would not hurt to have it removed - currently, WDS does not even work since there are some network issues and there is still some server migration underway. So if only WDS is in the way, then there is - probably - no problem. But, if zero clients are at fault … well, that is entirely different issue. Thank you for provided threads, I will look them over.

@george1421 Well, I am willing to cooperate - tomorrow is Sunday, so there should not be any classes; which means that I can fiddle with network little bit, so if you have specific instructions, fire away and I’ll give you feedback.

As far as refreshing your memory; you’re right, FOG server does not run DHCP server nor dnsmasq. FOG, DHCP and PXE test-booting machine should be on the same subnet (I suppose it would not work otherwise with option 060 disabled) and they are assigned in the same VLAN (except with DHCP server; if I understand it well enough, it provides DHCP services for all our VLANs).

And DHCP server is running on Windows Server 2012 R2.

Server

• FOG Version: 1.3.4
• OS: CentOS 7

Client

• Service Version:
• OS: Windows 7 Professional x64 SP1

Description

Good day guys,
first, thank you for your previous help with my previous topic.

Now, to the new issue.
As you know, now my FOG service is running properly, FOG server is properly configured (though I didn’t managed to configure VNC server yet; but that’s OT). So what’s left to do is to configure DHCP server.

In my case, FOG server is not handling the job of DHCP server; that one runs on Active Directory Domain Controller - Windows Server 2012 R2. I’ve succesfully configured lines 66 and 67 as per wiki guide, but for FOG to work properly, I have to disable line 60 (PXEClient), or test computer just won’t boot over PXE. The question is; is there a possible workaround for FOG to work properly even with line 60 enabled? Seems like I can’t just disable this line, either because of zero clients (we have two schoolrooms with these) or WDS server; one of these two does require this setting to be enabled.

Any ideas?

Thank you.

Thank you guys, it seems like you kicked me in to the right direction. I remade whole server to be sure, reinstalled FOG using wiki guide and as far as the startup script go, I just needed to write this:

#!/bin/bash
sleep 30
touch /var/lock/subsys/local
systemctl start mysql
exit 0

I was just dumb enough to not realize, that you need to write this script only in case, when something does not work. Well, sorry about that

Now everything seems to run fine - I don’t need to do a damn thing even after a reboot. Nice!

As to why I needed to do these timing stuff in the first place - since you all claim that CentOS is otherwise rockstable - I seriously don’t know myself. If you want to look into it, I don’t mind to cooperate with you guys.

Thank you guys!

@Wayne-Workman Thank you for your reply; I just got to work and tried your advice as first step - an seems like you were right. After typing command for MySQL restart, web GUI works.

Which means that I’ve done something wrong with that startup delay script you mentioned (I’ve said in the first post, that I’ve followed wiki instructions - including Post Config).

I tried to follow those instructions again, doing this:

I log in, open terminal, and then type this:

sudo su
<type in root pwd>

Then I copy/paste from wiki these commands:

systemctl disable FOG{MulticastManager,Scheduler,SnapinReplicator,ImageReplicator}
systemctl disable nfs-server
systemctl disable rpcbind

I already have created script, which is mentioned in wiki, so I don’t bother with re-creating it anew and then I just put in:

chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.local

Then I close the terminal and reboot the system. And now system is stuck at booting with this (seems like script wasn’t running at all previously):

So, what went wrong this time?

@george1421 We’ll see. If it won’t work, then we can try something else. In any case, I will give a feedback; and either my problem will be succesfully solved, or not - and in that case I will humbly ask for another solution.

@george1421 Ohh, that is nice. Sorry for the lame-ish question I will give it a try and then report back - hopefully with my problem solved.

Thank you and good night!

@george1421 Exactly - if I reinstall FOG, then the web GUI starts working fine, until another system reboot.
Question (since I am already at home and I do not have working VPN setted up to try this) - if I do understand well enough, these commands are needed to enter after every reboot? Under assumption that this WILL work; can I just write these as part of startup script, which was mentioned in wiki ( https://wiki.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=CentOS_7 - bottom of the page)?

Thank you.

Server

• FOG Version: 1.3.4
• OS: CentOS 7 (1611)

Client

• Service Version:
• OS: Windows 7 Pro x64

Description

Good day,
I’ve learned recently about FOG project and found it very promising - so much, that it would be nice, if it could solve our obsolete and tiring image deployment process at our university, which is in sore need of upgrade (we currently have obsolete version of Symantec Ghost Solution Suite - which does not support PXE, so running around whole campus with flash drive, setting up cloning client at each computer manually before new start of semester, then manually renaming the machines, … you get the idea).

I’ve decided to go with CentOS 7 server - had already downloaded latest installation img file, so I didn’t bothered with another distro.

I’ve also followed installation guide on wiki to the letter (please note; I do not have any experience with Linux systems whatsoever, though I would like to think, that I am not an complete idiot with Linux terminal) from start to end and after installation everything seems to run fine (though I did not try booting up another computer via PXE yet). But the problem start, when I reboot virtual machine - when OS boots up, web management does not work anymore and I get the “Your database connection appears to be invalid” message; installing whole thing to just start it up does not seem to be good solution - there must be an easier way to start FOG services (and web management) after reboot.

So - any ideas where I’ve might gone wrong, or what can I do with this?

Also - don’t get me wrong, I’ve already tried older threads with this problem - didn’t helped though (and let us hope that I - and my inexperience with Linux systems - am not the sole reason why FOG does not run properly after reboot).

Thank you in advance.