162 replies to this topic

[coder]

I agree, I think you cannot call your software "All in one"

so far I cannot see the difference between this software and Tftpd32+BINL

 

Time ago I started using Serva (I think recommended by Wonko) when there

was a guy trying to "sell" as "easier" the same idea of mixing Tftpd + BINL + etc etc...

Since then Serva is loaded on my PC with the OSs I need to net install and it is just a

matter of running the app and selecting the OS I want from the booting menu.

I'm having a hard time imagining anything easier...

[erwan.l]

Hi Coder,

 

I am not trying to sell anything here (litteraly or not litteraly speaking).

All in one Pxe Server is indeed just a name (I had to find one...).

 

"All In One" seemed a good idea as it does HTTP server which TFTP does not do (this and a few other things).

Not to mention I did not manage to run TFTPD32+BINL but I blame my environement (i have another dhcp box, etc), not TFTPD32.

 

Serva is a good product but to get the most out of it, you need to pay which is not what I am looking for.

 

Dont get mistaken there : my goal is not to compete or compare with others.

I only want to share my experience and tools with this community.

 

Now to come back about the name, Billy Bob is already taken, so I am stuck with AIO Pxe Server

 

Regards,

Erwan

[erwan.l]

Allow me to disagree.
The whole point of having free (and possibly additionally open source) tools is to be not forced to (example) get Server 2008 or 2012 to have WDS to deploy a set of images.

More than that you would need to name your tool All (but BINL and WDS) In One Pxe Server, ABBAWIO Pxe Server.
Of course, you could as well call it Winbuilder or Billy-Bob , what's in a name?


Wonko

 

I always aggree to disaggree

If I feel there is a demand to a BINL/WDS then I may implement it.

 

About the name, Billy-Bob being already taken is the big drame of my life

 

/Erwan

[Wonko the Sane]

I agree, I think you cannot call your software "All in one"

so far I cannot see the difference between this software and Tftpd32+BINL

 

Time ago I started using Serva (I think recommended by Wonko) when there

was a guy trying to "sell" as "easier" the same idea of mixing Tftpd + BINL + etc etc...

Since then Serva is loaded on my PC with the OSs I need to net install and it is just a

matter of running the app and selecting the OS I want from the booting menu.

I'm having a hard time imagining anything easier...

Well, the bad news  are that Serva's Author  seemingly wants money now to provide a "fully featured" Serva (including the BINL/WDS server).

http://www.vercot.co...a/download.html

 

@erwan

JFYI (if you are not sexist) Billie-Bob is still available....

 

Wonko

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[coder]

@erwan.l 
please do not get me wrong, I'm not attacking you I just cannot see the "All in one" thing but I might be wrong, sorry.

 

 

@wonko

I've been Serva installing from Windows XP to Windows 8, plus several of the supported Linux distribution, and even net booting the Trinity Rescue Kit completelly for free using the last available free version

AFAIK you need to pay if you want to use it commercially or if you need some super-duper functionality.

Anyway to be honest, I think Serva's paid version is really cheap.

[erwan.l]

Hi Coder,

 

I get your point.

"All In One" is discussable : this was just a name or a way to reflect my goal.

I'll try to find of another name, even if, after all, this is just a name

 

About serva, the free version does not support PXE/BINL WInpe booting.

This only is enough for me to look for another solution.

 

But I am not here to discuss other products but rather get feedback on my software so that I can eventually improve it, debug it.

 

So far xxx PXE Server does dhcp, tftp, http, works along with BINL server and could in the future implement its own partial or full BINL service.

 

Regards,

Erwan

[coder]

@Erwan

if you want to code a PXE server probably "it is" a good idea knowing about other tools that already do similar things.

If not you migh end up calling your software The Ultimate PXE Server   when yesterday you didn't know what BINL was used for

Edited by coder, 03 May 2013 - 09:26 PM.

[erwan.l]

@Erwan

If not you migh be end up calling your software The Ultimate PXE Server   when yesterday you didn't know what BINL was used for

 

"touché"

indeed, i would mind to be seen as arrogant or pretentious.

In order to stay humble, I have renamed my software to "Tiny Pxe Server". 

Hopefully this name will also be "wonko" compliant

 

No confusion anymore and we can now go back to technical matters

 

/Erwan

[Brito]

Serva has been reviewed here:

http://reboot.pro/topic/16873-serva/

and here:

http://reboot.pro/to...iolation-proof/

 

In both times the result is not good. The author of Serva disregards the Intellectual Property Rights of open source code that is incorporated on his tool. I'm sorry, Serva is not kosher, doesn't pass the "smell" test.

 

Now, back on topic (my apologies for the intervention).

[coder]

@erwan.l 

 

@Nuno Brito
I'm not really a license expert but it seems you are.

Anyway, sorry if I've mentioned what you consider an offending software.

[erwan.l]

Tiny PXE Server now supports BINL/WDS.

 

In Tiny PXE Server, choose a proxy dhcp boot filename and indicate your BCD file in option 252.

See attached screenshot.

Tiny PXE Server will then start a proxy dhcp server (port 4011) next to the dhcp server (port 67).

 

 

1-I created a WDS folder with a sources sub folder containing boot.wim and a boot sub folder containing bcd and boot.sdi.

2-I put the following file on my root WDS folder : wdsnbp.com, pxeboot.com, bootmgr.exe.

3-I launched my pxe server choosing wdsnbp.com as the bootstrap loader.

 

wdsnbp.com with load pxeboot.com which will load bootmgr.exe which will read my bcd ...

 

For the record, when you dont have a BINL/WDS aka proxy dhcp server, this what you would get on your client :

 

Downloaded WDSNBP...

Architecture: x64

WDSNBP started using DHCP Referral.

Contacting Server: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (Gateway: xxx.xxx.xxx.1)...

No response from Windows Deployment Services server.

Launching pxeboot.com...

 

wsdnbp.com then, by default, use pxeboot.com and boot\bcd.

 

With Tiny PXE Server, you can now specify which boot strap loader and which BCD you want to use.

No need to call an extra software like a BINL server.

 

You should then get this on your client:

 

Contacting Server (xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx) 
Architecture: x64 
TFTP download pxeboot.com

 

Regards,

Erwan

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[Wonko the Sane]

@wonko
I've been Serva installing from Windows XP to Windows 8, plus several of the supported Linux distribution, and even net booting the Trinity Rescue Kit completelly for free using the last available free version
AFAIK you need to pay if you want to use it commercially or if you need some super-duper functionality.
Anyway to be honest, I think Serva's paid version is really cheap.

I don't know what you can do with Serva (I don't use it) in it's two versions, I am saying what is written on it's site, and to make sure there wasn't any misunderstanding I posted a screenshot of the relevant part.
 
It was free (BOTH as in free beer AND free as in freedom, i.e. Open Source), more specifically licensed under the GNU GPL license, up to version 1.5:
 
 
 

Serva 32/64 is a free package copyrighted 2010 by Patrick Masotta [Removed] released under the GNU GPL v2 and compatible Licenses

 
now it has two versions, one free (as in free beer BUT NOT as in freedom, i.e. became closed source) with limited capabilities, one Commercial.
 
Nothing more nothing less.
 
Now this (version 1.5):
 
 
 

 
Serva 32/64 was coded by Patrick Masotta [REMOVED]

It's released under the GPL v2 (+ compatible licenses) and it's a work partially based on the following projects:
CHTTPServer 05/25/2001 by
Souren M. Abeghyan

CFtpServer v4.3 by
Julien Poumailloux

TFTPD32 v3.35 by
Philippe Jounin

HFS HTTP Server v2.2f by
Massimo Melina

UriParser v0.7.5 by
Weijia Song & Sebastian Pipping

FindFile 12/27/2003 by
Louka Dlagnekov

Wildcard string compare By
Jack Handy

MD5 routines from
RSA Data Security

IP checksum computation by
Mike Muss

DHCP lease persistence by
Nick Wagner

DHCP header file from
The Internet Software Consortium

 
vs. :
 
 
 

 
Serva is developed by Patrick Masotta [REMOVED]

Serva.exe includes code and/or ideas from the following projects:

CHTTPServer 05/25/2001 by
Souren M. Abeghyan

CFtpServer v4.3 by
Julien Poumailloux

TFTPD32 v3.35 by
Philippe Jounin

MAC vendor routine by
Laurent Deniel

HFS HTTP Server v2.2f by
Massimo Melina

UriParser v0.7.5 by
Weijia Song & Sebastian Pipping

FindFile 12/27/2003 by
Louka Dlagnekov

CBaseWindow class by
Jason Henderson, Oluseyi Sonaiya

BINL net protocol initially reversed by
Gianluigi Tiesi

PXELINUX by
Peter Anvin

Hivex by
Richard W.M. Jones

WIM extraction/edition
Carl Thijssen

WIM extraction
Igor Pavlov

XML v.0x164 by
Michael Chourdakis

Regular Expressions 6/2010
Sswater Dhi

MD5 routines from
RSA Data Security

IP checksum computation by
Mike Muss

DHCP lease persistence by
Nick Wagner

DHCP header file from
The Internet Software Consortium

ServaPENet.exe includes code and/or ideas from the following projects:

CBaseWindow class by
Jason Henderson, Oluseyi Sonaiya

The credit goes to all of these guys...

 
Makes me additionally presume that this happens in blatant violation of the GNU GPL under which most of the mentioned tool are released, but it's not my business anyway.

I also believe that the source code for the GNU GPL version was never published, but again that is none of my business.


Wonko

[erwan.l]

1.0.0.7 beta in progress : RIS implementation

 

I can now handle NCQ requests ok (udp:4011). Sending back NCQ answers is rather easy.

 

left to do : on the fly INF folder parsing (to eliminate the manual infparser step).

 

Once done, installing XP thru network via BINL/RIS should be possible with Tiny PXE Server only.

 

Regards,

Erwan

[coder]

@erwan.l  good job

 

@wonko

With all due respect; licensing stuff is complex, you and Nuno might be right or wrong, I really cannot say. 

One of the quoted links (I haven't read them completelly) seems to have some issues mixing GPL and LGPL, but not sure.

I still remember other licenses issues here like the one with the guy that made Easybcd
http://reboot.pro/to...cation-via-bcd/

or

the one with Hiren's etc,

and at the end of the day I think it's really difficult having an educated not passionate opinion.  

OK I think we already hijacked this thread enough, let's erwan.l to continue with he's tool.

Edited by coder, 04 May 2013 - 08:11 PM.

[erwan.l]

Added BINL/RIS support in version 1.0.0.7, on top of BINL/WDS supported in 1.0.0.6.

How to install XP over the network with Tiny PXE Server "only" (aka no need to launch an extra BINL server) :


1-I created a folder x:\PXEBOOT (windows shared, nullsessions enabled) containing a subfolder XP (installation cd files).
2-I extracted all inf files from lan driverpacks to x:\PXEBOOT\INF folder.
3-I extracted all sys files from lan driverpacks to x:\PXEBOOT\XP\I386 folder.
4-I put the following files in x:\PXEBOOT : startrom.0, ntldr, ntdetect.com, and winnt.sif (see post #14 for winnt.sif syntax).
5-I launched Tiny PXE Server choosing startrom.0 as the bootstrap loader and checking BINL.

Note that Tiny PXE Server will parse "on the fly" all *.inf files in \INF folder whenever XP installer will query a driver file name from a VID\PID\Subsys ID.
No need to parse these inf files manually and upfront anymore.

Feedback welcome.

In a future version I plan to move the INF folder to the XP folder, and retrieve that path dynamically from the XP RIS request. Would make more sense.
Too bad startrom cannot take winnt.sif as a parameter : would make the whole thing much more flexible.

Regards,
Erwan

[Centaur]

you might want to do something with the lay out, on a 1024x768 screen when you click the button "Other" [->] (option 17) the interface goes right off the bottom of screen

[reboot12]

Yes, please fix this:

 

1. Default window position to fit in 1024x768 screens

2. After click Other button additional window extend to right instead down

3. Make store settings e.g. in .ini file - in WinXP SP2 tool not store settings :-(

 

As an example, let it be TFTPD32 by Ph. Jounin. The main window will fit even on a smaller screen 800x600.

Edited by reboot12, 07 May 2013 - 06:56 AM.

[erwan.l]

new version 1.0.0.8 out

 

 

• window max heigth set to 768
• bug in dhcp server fixed (unicast vs broadcast) prevent gpxe iso to get a dhcp lease
• some more debug logged

[erwan.l]

new version 1.0.0.9 out

 

 

fixed : random timeouts on tftp. oack packet return moved to thread.execute (later) rather than thread.create (sooner)

[erwan.l]

new version 1.0.0.10 out

 

added : will use datas from config.ini, if any (see sample)

added : auto start of services possible

added : about box

added : forms will remember last top/left position

fixed : working/current directory

[cia53414]

Wonko my friend, I understand you might hate Serva but I think that is not reason enough for publishing here Serva's coder e-mail address in plain text, exposing it to all sort of imaginable spam. That address is not a secret; it's found within Serva software and it also published at Serva's website. Then I think it would be nice if you erase them from this public forum. BTW what do you use as PXE server?

[erwan.l]

Hi Cia53414,

 

Can we not start again a discussion about serva?

If a discussion is needed, let it be in a dedicated thread please.

 

Being the author of this thread and the developper of Tiny Pxe Server, I would rather have this thread be about feedback/comments on my software.

 

Regards,

Erwan

[cia53414]

erwan Sorry for any inconvenience but my last post is not really a discussion about Serva; It is just a humble request to Wonko to remove the plain text e-mail addresses he inadvertently publishes on this thread. about feedback I can give you some when you say: >For the record, when you dont have a BINL/WDS aka proxy dhcp server... well that makes not much sense; BINL/WDS concepts and proxyDHCP concepts are not the same thing. Keep the good work.

[Wonko the Sane]

Wonko my friend, I understand you might hate Serva but I think that is not reason enough for publishing here Serva's coder e-mail address in plain text, exposing it to all sort of imaginable spam. That address is not a secret; it's found within Serva software and it also published at Serva's website. Then I think it would be nice if you erase them from this public forum. BTW what do you use as PXE server?

Well, there is some form of misunderstanding, I don't "hate" Serva, nor his Author.

 

I don't use that software, and I don' t like the blatant way the Author is infringing the GPL License, and I say so, nothing more, nothing less.

 

JFYI, there was some time ago some "nasty business" on the board relating to him, and JFYI, not only I defended his right to explain his ideas (wrong as they might be)

http://reboot.pro/topic/16873-serva/

http://reboot.pro/to...iolation-proof/

but I also self-suspended myself as a sign of protest for the way this thread has been managed:

http://reboot.pro/to...ect-winbuilder/

 

Didn't thought that copying and pasting the contents of the help file could be a vector for spamming, removing the e-mail address, thanks for noticing.

 

I am not (much) into PxE, but TFTP32 (+BINL) has always worked for me.

 

Wonko

[cia53414]

Wonko, thanks for your understanding, but you forgot one of the addresses. About licensing I think you are just using big words against a software as you did several times before against other applications in this forum. When I use to read this forum I always enjoyed your technical postings; but your non-technical ramblings were always a pain ;-) thanks