LinPE : WinPE 3 + Linux used simultaneously.

Hello to everybody,

The last days I enjoyed myself by mixing Win PE 3 and Linux.
I wanted to use these o/s simultaneously,so this is the result.




-------------------------------

1) Get the ISO image file of WInPE 3.0 and open it
2) On the root of the ISO image put these file and folders :

a) Colinux

a1) Colinux-0.7.8 from here :

http://downloads.sou...e_mirror=puzzle

a2) Compressed Linux filesystem from here :

http://sourceforge.n...1gb.7z/download

Unzip the the Ubuntu-9.04-1gb.tz file to C:\coLinux. This will take a while (unpacked it will be 1G). Unzipped, the file will have the name Ubuntu-9.04.ext3.1gb.fs.
The images that coLinux provides may not be big enough for our needs, especially if we plan to install Gnome or KDE. Here's a nifty little program we can use to increase the size of the image file: toporesize.zip. Toporesize can be found on Colinux Image Tools.

a3) Edit the colinux.conf file like this :

kernel=vmlinux

initrd=initrd.gz

cobd0=Ubuntu-9.04.ext3.1gb.fs

root=/dev/cobd0

mem=512

eth0=pcap-bridge,"LAN"

eth1=tuntap

b) tools

b1) 7z files from here :

http://www.7-zip.org/download.html

b2) NXclient client / server for Windows / Linux files from here :

http://www.nomachine.com/download.php

b3) Wincap-nmap-4.11.exe file

c) script.bat

edited script.bat like this and put it on the root of the ISO image

@echo off

set tagsource=\colinux

for %%i in (c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z) do if exist "%%i:%tagsource%" set cddrive=%%i:

set tagdest=\"autoexec.bat"

for %%i in (c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z) do if exist "%%i:%tagdest%" set drivedest=%%i:

echo %cddrive%

echo %drivedest%

%cddrive%

cd \tools

winpcap-nmap-4.11.exe /s

%drivedest%

cd \

if exist %drivedest%\colinux echo You already have an old installaion of Colinux,starting...

if exist %drivedest%\colinux goto start_colinux

mkdir colinux

%cddrive%

cd \colinux

xcopy *.* %drivedest%\colinux /S

cd \tools\7z

copy 7z*.* %drivedest%\colinux

%drivedest%

cd \colinux

7z e Ubuntu-9.04-1gb.tz

:start_colinux

%drivedest%

cd \colinux

colinux-daemon.exe --remove-driver

colinux-daemon.exe --install-driver

start /MIN colinux-daemon @colinux.conf

%cddrive%

cd \tools\nxclient

start nxclient

that's all. I attached a screenshot to show how works WinPE and Linux together,some time ago enemies,now friends :)


--- original message below ---


Hello to everybody,

The last days I enjoyed myself by mixing Win PE 3 and Linux.
I wanted to use these o/s simultaneously,so this is the result.

PM if someone wants improve this kind of project,because file sharing may not be tolerated here.

Thank for your sharing but sharing iso file directly is a little bit problem in this forum.
You can just share your idea/methods or instructions here, might be better than that.



ah

I could agree with you,but what about this ?

http://www.boot-land...showtopic=12660

is it allowed there ? Anyway I built the ISO using free tools,so there could be no copyright problems. The idea is to use Windows PE 3 and Ubuntu 9 linked through coLinux. All the Colinux files and tools are not saved inside the boot.wim file,they are outside,so that I haven't modified Windows PE 3 internally. Inside the ISO image there is the Ubuntu compressed .fs file,it is decompressed into the first partition of the disk and a batch script load everything. The communications between WIn PE and coLinux are established through the NX client/server.

Sharing files within developers is very important to improve their goal and destination.
But I don't know how many developers are here and how many are leechers who sent to sharing-file-sites for their advantages (some LiveXP, VistaPE, Win7PE are selling in the stree-markets).
I like sharing within developers.
Just an advice to develpers, if you want to share your files, you may say "PM if you want bla bla bla" in the post. And then, they will PM you if they want.



ah

Hi,

We won't allow Boot Land to turn into a warez distribution point. As mentioned before, there are rare cases when a developer has serious communication problems like we can see on " Produce their own PE3" and requires this method so that other developers can document and create a way of reproducing the same results in a legal manner.

Instead of adopting an aggressive reaction, we do allow a reasonable time so that people can test and replicate the results onto a way that can be automated and distributed in a legal manner.

In other words, we can allow to temporarily use it as a model to create a building project between developers in a testing environment but we cannot endorse this type of sharing on the public since it is not allowed by Microsoft.

---

On the case of this project, we would very much prefer to see instructions that teach others how to achieve the same results rather than sharing the end result without any clear detail on its construction.

Point n. 1) I read that Windows PE 3.0 can be re-distribuited if it is not changed into a full version of Windows 7

Point n. 2) For my project I have used only free tools.

Point n. 3) To explain everything takes much more time than the time you will spend to understand it when you make the hands over it.

Point n. 4) I have not injected anything inside the boot.wim file,so that I have not changed internally a product that could be not legal to redistribuite,I have provided it as is.

For these raisons,I had assumed that it was legal to post the ISO image directly in this forum.

Point n. 1) I read that Windows PE 3.0 can be re-distribuited if it is not changed into a full version of Windows 7

Point n. 2) For my project I have used only free tools.

Point n. 3) To explain everything takes much more time than the time you will spend to understand it when you make the hands over it.

Point n. 4) I have not injected anything inside the boot.wim file,so that I have not changed internally a product that could be not legal to redistribuite,I have provided it as is.

For these raisons,I had assumed that it was legal to post the ISO image directly in this forum.

I really don't get it.

If a file is NOT redistributable, it means that it is NOT redistributable.

Mind you this is DIFFERENT from a file for which redistribution IS allowed in an UNMODIFIED form.

If you "provide" a NON redistributable file, you are re-distributing it.

PMing a download link to a NON redistributable file means REDISTRIBUTING it ILLEGALLY in PRIVATE as opposed to REDISTRIBUTING it ILLEGALLY in PUBLIC.

A NON redistributable file is NON redistributable, there is NO "time limit" such as "redistributable for 24 hours" or "redistributable for three days" or "redistributable for one week", the "we do allow a reasonable time so that people can test and replicate the results onto a way that can be automated and distributed in a legal manner" is pure nonsense from a legal standpoint.

Obviously Nuno is perfectly free to choose and allow on boot-land such (as well as any other that may cross his mind) method of redistribution of NON REDISTRIBUTABLE files he likes, but this won't change the basic Copyright infringement such an action constitutes.

Please do check the But ... then, why?


Wonko

1) Get the ISO image file of WInPE 3.0 and open it
2) On the root of the ISO image put these file and folders :

a) Colinux

a1) Colinux-0.7.8 from here :

http://downloads.sou...e_mirror=puzzle

a2) Compressed Linux filesystem from here :

http://sourceforge.n...1gb.7z/download

Unzip the the Ubuntu-9.04-1gb.tz file to C:\coLinux. This will take a while (unpacked it will be 1G). Unzipped, the file will have the name Ubuntu-9.04.ext3.1gb.fs.
The images that coLinux provides may not be big enough for our needs, especially if we plan to install Gnome or KDE. Here's a nifty little program we can use to increase the size of the image file: toporesize.zip. Toporesize can be found on Colinux Image Tools.

a3) Edit the colinux.conf file like this :

kernel=vmlinux

initrd=initrd.gz

cobd0=Ubuntu-9.04.ext3.1gb.fs

root=/dev/cobd0

mem=512

eth0=pcap-bridge,"LAN"

eth1=tuntap

b) tools

b1) 7z files from here :

http://www.7-zip.org/download.html

b2) NXclient client / server for Windows / Linux files from here :

http://www.nomachine.com/download.php

b3) Wincap-nmap-4.11.exe file

c) script.bat

edited script.bat like this and put it on the root of the ISO image

@echo off

set tagsource=\colinux

for %%i in (c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z) do if exist "%%i:%tagsource%" set cddrive=%%i:

set tagdest=\"autoexec.bat"

for %%i in (c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z) do if exist "%%i:%tagdest%" set drivedest=%%i:

echo %cddrive%

echo %drivedest%

%cddrive%

cd \tools

winpcap-nmap-4.11.exe /s

%drivedest%

cd \

if exist %drivedest%\colinux echo You already have an old installaion of Colinux,starting...

if exist %drivedest%\colinux goto start_colinux

mkdir colinux

%cddrive%

cd \colinux

xcopy *.* %drivedest%\colinux /S

cd \tools\7z

copy 7z*.* %drivedest%\colinux

%drivedest%

cd \colinux

7z e Ubuntu-9.04-1gb.tz

:start_colinux

%drivedest%

cd \colinux

colinux-daemon.exe --remove-driver

colinux-daemon.exe --install-driver

start /MIN colinux-daemon @colinux.conf

%cddrive%

cd \tools\nxclient

start nxclient

that's all. I attached a screenshot to show how works WinPE and Linux together,some time ago enemies,now friends :)

Hi Marietto,

Thank you for the instructions, would you update the first topic on this discussion with them?

I've formatted the text a little bit to make it more readable (hope you don't mind).

Also, can you take a cool looking screenshot of your project running to let readers see what they can expect as end result? (if it's not too much to ask of course.. )


I would like to mention your topic on our weekly newsletter. Very good work.

Hey,

This is a heaven world in this forum.
Developer accepted the idea/advice for the peace of clock.
Admins are providing a very reasonable way to walk for users.
I hate firing against each other in this forum.

I love



ah

I think that this project can be improved further,so please can you move it from the section Downloads to the section Projects or Tutorials please ? Thanks.

Nice work Marietto2009!
Can you tell us how this project is useful?
Where can it be used?What are its advantages over the other PE based projects?

What prompted you to create this project?

Italian :

Può essere usato in tutte quelle situazioni in cui c'è bisogno di lavorare sia in ambiente Windows che in ambiente Linux,per avere a disposizione tutti gli strumenti per riparare e mantenere funzionante una installazione di Windows in modalità offline,infatti sia Windows PE 3 che Linux possono essere configurati per condividere gli strumenti di sviluppo e riparazione. Gli altri progetti basati su PE non prendevano in considerazione Linux,allora ho pensato che andava fatto. L'ho ideato perchè penso che ci sia bisogno di avere a disposizione il meglio che il mondo del software chiuso e quello del software aperto abbiano da offrire.

Tale progetto va migliorato ulteriormente,per esempio aggiungendo queste funzioni :

a) impedire di cliccare per sbaglio sulla X della finestra principale di Win PE,altrimenti il PC si riavvia

b) attivare la condivisione SAMBA share all'interno dell'ambiente Linux per condividere i files con WinPE

c) esplorare gli altri modi di configurare la rete all'interno dell'ambiente Linux,al fine di migliorare la velocità della rete

d) esplorare molti altri desktop grafici da usare in Linux

English :

It can be used in every situations where you need to work in both Windows and on Linux, so that you can have all the tools to repair and maintain a working Windows installation offline, in fact, Windows PE 3 and Linux can be configured to share the repair / developments tools. The Others projects based on PE did not take into account Linux, so I thought you we have to do.
I created it because I think that we need to have the best tools that the open/closed software world can offer to us.

This project should be further improved, for example, by adding these features:

a) prevent you from accidentally click the X in the main window of Win PE, otherwise the PC will restart

b) enable sharing SAMBA share in the Linux environment to share files with WinPE

c) to explore other ways to configure the network within the Linux environment, to improve network speed

d) explore many other graphics desktop manager to use with Linux or better,don't use a DM at all,because Linux can run entirely within the WinPE console.

I've moved this topic to the "Project forge" section and updated the first topic with the instructions and your screenshot.

Really want to try this out but sorry - maybe I'm having a bad day or I'm just too dumb. Is there anyway you can show what exactly the COLINUX folder should look like? I assume I need to extract or install "Colinux-0.7.8" to that COLINUX folder, or do just leave the executable in tact in there?

Thanks for this awesome idea!

Like the idea, though can't really see the point. As Linux is running in coLinux state, it will not have access to the real hardware. Although if there was a SAMBA server in it, you could create SSHFS-CIFS bridge. As on my net i only have SSH and no CIFS share.

Hey Guys,

It's been a while but I wanted to give my .02. This project could potentially be extremely useful from not only a functionality standpoint but also a security standpoint. How would, for example, a desktop deployment from a PE program (Acronis for example) via SSH sound? Or, more simply, a all-in-one tool for us dual-booters that hose their entire system by trying to upgrade their Ubuntu dual boot from 10.04-10.10... . This also has OSx/OSx86 implications. Needless to say, how the heck can it hurt to add another layer of functionality on top of Windows? Not to mention that a ton of companies have a ton of enterprise servers running RHEL. Linux is a way better server in my mind. While I don't want to start a discussion on why, look at it this way: this PE could house a portable LAMP build on top of a fairly functional Windows PE desktop. That is just 1 of many great examples.

This idea is not new and it may also be worth looking into other Linux variants. Portable Ubuntu would be a start. I doubt Cygwin would be hard to integrate into a PE. Either way, I haven't built a PE in a while so I actually will try to see what I can get going wtih the above options. Now that it's getting colder I may just have enough time on my hands to try this out.

WinPE has a 72hr automatic reset though - so maybe not that suitable as a server...

Could be very interesting (at least for me) to *understand* how the 72hr automatic reset works.

Win+Linux=This is my dream.
But where one can get WinPe3?

With respect,

L.A.G.

@gutnik : Get Windows AIK for Windows 7.

I doubt Cygwin would be hard to integrate into a PE.

If i remember it right, all you need to do is copy you cygwin dir to the WinPE mount, and rebuild the PE image. I did have an entire CYGWIN running from an USB.

There is no need to put Cygwin inside the boot.wim file. For this project I keep everything outside,because it easier to manage,it's annoying each time to mount and dismount the boot.wim file.

True, i usually boot WinPE from USB, so the entire CYGWIN was there...
You could have an net drive mounted for PXE'd PE.

But where one can get WinPe3?

Ohh, comeon.

READ:
http://en.wikipedia....ion_Environment
http://en.wikipedia....nstallation_Kit

You get it from the Windows 7 WAIK:
http://www.microsoft...;displaylang=en
and you can also build your PE 3.x following either the Microsoft "official" way or any of the several guides you can find on boot-land for customized PE 3.x's.


Wonko