[script] hostNIC

There has been a trial of Amalux, to use myNic.exe inside a PE here. That's really senceless.
Introduced by Amalux's trial, there has been a 'crazy idea' of MedEvil, to 'steel' drivers from the host here
Introduced by both, there has been a developer (me) to finish the team's work:

The result is a new hostNIC.Script.
You can download it from the nativeEx server.

To test:

• Remove all NIC (including emulator) drivers from your project
• Make your PE drive writable (BootSDI or FBWF)
• Build the project, hostNIC.Script included
• Burn a CD (cannot be tested in emulator because of missing host HDDs)
• Start the CD
• It will give an error message by PENetwork, that there is no network card
• Start Programs > nativeEx > hostNIC
• If necessary, change the default WinDir to your host's conditions
  (If you see your driver's description in the topmost scroll box, do not change anything)
• Click 'Install'
• Run PENetwork
  It will find your host's NIC and you have network connection!

I think that the same or similar procederes can be used for different (SATA, USB, ...) drivers.
I'll work on this.

As a result, like Nuno already posted, it may be possible, that with a minimum preinstalled drivers, you can access 'every host'.

Thanks to Amalux and MedEvil

Peter

Great!
What do you think Peter, is it absolutly neccessary to have a writable WinDIr or could we adopt the whole thing to work with ramdisk as well?

I think that the same or similar procederes can be used for different (SATA, USB, ...) drivers.

For mass storage controllers, likely this will have to be very early in the boot process or the typical bsod.

Or else the driver(s) and service(s) require injecting into the PE prior to build.

Regards,
Galapo.

Great!
What do you think Peter, is it absolutly neccessary to have a writable WinDIr or could we adopt the whole thing to work with ramdisk as well?

Maybe there are some users here with different suggestions.

But in my opinion the driver files must be stored to %SystemRoot%\inf, %SystemRoot%\system32 or SystemRoot%\system32\driver resp.

Peter

For mass storage controllers, likely this will have to be very early in the boot process or the typical bsod.

Or else the driver(s) and service(s) require injecting into the PE prior to build.

Regards,
Galapo.

(Unfortunalelly ...) I know.
But that can be the 'Developers Quest' ...

Peter

Maybe there are some users here with different suggestions.

But in my opinion the driver files must be stored to %SystemRoot%\inf, %SystemRoot%\system32 or SystemRoot%\system32\driver resp.

What if an alternative location was specified in HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DevicePath? Or would the files still reqire copying across to the respective directories on %Systemdrive%?

Galapo.

What if an alternative location was specified in HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DevicePath? Or would the files still reqire copying across to the respective directories on %Systemdrive%?

This alternity is currently unknown for me.

Do you have some good likns to get more info about this?

Thanks.

Peter

I learnt about it when I began to use 'SysPrep Driver Scanner' for specifying additional drivers directorys for OfflineSysPrep to configure for pnp of mini-setup.

There's some info there:

http://www.vernalex....tools/spdrvscn/

But like I said, I am unsure whether file require copying or not.

Regards,
Galapo.

I think there is a difference between currently known apps and hostNIC.

(I hope, I understand sysprep correctly)

Go with your PE-CD or -stick (with a limited number of drivers inside) to an unknown PC.

This PC has a NIC driver which is not included in your PE's collection.
And the PC has a rather strange system directory 'F:\SP2' (I work with exchangable HDD frames and have some systems placed on F:)

I'm sure that the NIC driver of this PC can only be catched by hostNIC.

Peter

There has been a trial of Amalux, to use myNic.exe inside a PE here. That's really senceless.
Introduced by Amalux's trial, there has been a 'crazy idea' of MedEvil, to 'steel' drivers from the host here
Introduced by both, there has been a developer (me) to finish the team's work:

The result is a new hostNIC.Script.
You can download it from the nativeEx server.

To test:

• Remove all NIC (including emulator) drivers from your project
• Make your PE drive writable (BootSDI or FBWF)
• Build the project, hostNIC.Script included
• Burn a CD (cannot be tested in emulator because of missing host HDDs)
• Start the CD
• It will give an error message by PENetwork, that there is no network card
• Start Programs > nativeEx > hostNIC
• If necessary, change the default WinDir to your host's conditions
• Click 'Install'
• Run PENetwork
  It will find your host's NIC and you have network connection!

I think that the same or similar procederes can be used for different (SATA, USB, ...) drivers.
I'll work on this.

As a result, like Nuno already posted, it may be possible, that with a minimum preinstalled drivers, you can access 'every host'.

Thanks to Amalux and MedEvil

Peter

Hi Peter!

It's been awhile since I had to mess with FBWF - What do these mean again?

What do these mean again?

It means that you're doing something weird. This bug was fixed several months ago.

It means that you're doing something weird. This bug was fixed several months ago.

Can you be more specific?

OK, I admit I don't use FBWF and don't know anything about it. Now, here's some details that might help illustrate what I'm doing wrong...

XPP SP2 Source; Fresh, Minimum LiveXP build with the following changes:



(of course, all NIC driver scripts removed and hostNIC.Script included)

Can you be more specific?

From your pics i can't tell what version of FBWF you use.
The general thing is this. Only one very old and rather buggy version of FBWF worked ever staright out of the box.
Since you have this bug, i guess you use a different version. Most, maybe all, other version react very allergic to bat files being used, prior to the desktop being fully loaded.
This comes from tons of missing registry keys, that are only upon start of explorer written.
I wrote a post about this some time ago, when i first discovered it.

Solutions are:
- not using bat files
- writing the registry keys at build time

But as i said, weird that you have this problem since, bat files were thrown out and plugins to write the registry keys at build time are available too.

OK, I admit I don't use FBWF and don't know anything about it. Now, here's some details that might help illustrate what I'm doing wrong...

But your log tells us that inside 'CreateISO' FBWF is checked ...

Therefore: primarily it is really not an issue of hostNIC!

Peter

From your pics i can't tell what version of FBWF you use.
The general thing is this. Only one very old and rather buggy version of FBWF worked ever staright out of the box.
Since you have this bug, i guess you use a different version. Most, maybe all, other version react very allergic to bat files being used, prior to the desktop being fully loaded.
This comes from tons of missing registry keys, that are only upon start of explorer written.
I wrote a post about this some time ago, when i first discovered it.

Solutions are:
- not using bat files
- writing the registry keys at build time

But as i said, weird that you have this problem since, bat files were thrown out and plugins to write the registry keys at build time are available too.

(hold on, let me go make a sandwich while this page loads... )

OK, these are the versions I've tried (hence, the three BSOD's) is there another I need to try?


So, the BAT files are gone (not the problem) but what do you mean by "plugins to write the registry keys at build time are available too"? What do you suggest?

(BTW, thanks for trying to help with this )

But your log tells us that inside 'CreateISO' FBWF is checked ...

Therefore: primarily it is really not an issue of hostNIC!

Peter

Hi Peter!

I ass-u-me-d that is what you meant by your instruction to "Make your PE drive writable (BootSDI or FBWF)" because when I tried without this option I got...


So, what did you mean by make the PE drive writable? I already have IMDisk which works fine. Like I said, I don't use FBWF for anything and only enabled it thinking it necessary for hostNIC.

OK, these are the versions I've tried (hence, the three BSOD's) is there another I need to try?

Sorry, i really don't know which one the 'original' one was. Try searching the forum for posts regarding FBWF by eighter thunn or myself, we're the only ones who ever liked that beast enough to play with it!

So, the BAT files are gone (not the problem) but what do you mean by "plugins to write the registry keys at build time are available too"? What do you suggest?

If there are really no bat/cmd files in your build, you shouldn't have this error. Cause not running a bat file at bootup fixes the problem just as well as, having the correct keys in the registry!

The two scripts which write the keys at build time are Peters OLESupport script and my ExplorerSpeedup script. Both do the same on a default install. Peters script is just way more flexible.



PS: You need to each fbwf.sys the correct fbwflib.dll or it won't work!

More info... (cont'd from post #6)

Thought problem might be hostNIC couldn't 'see' inf (normally hidden folder) It should but...


so I unhid the folder and made sure the file was present and read/write...


Tried again, fresh Minimum LiveXP with NO FBWF (so no bsod!) and just hostNIC (no NIC drivers)


Stiil got same error...


but could see/browse to inf folder/file manually which gave new error...


What am I doing wrong

@MedEvil

It seems, based on Peters last comment, FBWF is NOT required! That's good because the 'beast' is EVIL! - Thanks anyway for the tips!

OK, I admit I don't use FBWF and don't know anything about it. Now, here's some details that might help illustrate what I'm doing wrong...

It seems, based on Peters last comment, FBWF is NOT required! That's good because the 'beast' is EVIL!

The FBWF files should be from 'Microsoft ® Windows ® XP Embedded' and have the version '2.00.0965.0'.

The size of your files differ remarkably from the files of my files. I think that this cannot be a language difference. I assume that you have different files.


Which comments do you mean?. I still think that a writable PE FBWF or BootSDI is necessary!

You should try nativeEx_barebone with BootSDI!

Peter

Thought problem might be hostNIC couldn't 'see' inf (normally hidden folder) It should but...

If you see your driver's name in the top line, it is found and you can 'Install'

Only if this line is empty, you have to tell hostNIC, where the 'standard' windows directory can be found.
But NOT the windows\inf!

BTW: Just an explanation to 'writable': The driver files are copied into the PE. Therefore it MUST be writable!

Peter

If you see your driver's name in the top line, it is found and you can 'Install'

Only if this line is empty, you have to tell hostNIC, where the 'standard' windows directory can be found.
But NOT the windows\inf!

BTW: Just an explanation to 'writable': The driver files are copied into the PE. Therefore it MUST be writable!

Peter

Sorry, thought it could look it up from the inf like MyNIC does

This game is fun! 'Find the Driver' - I looked up the host NIC driver from MyNIC's log and its found in "C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\el90xbc5.sys" but when I browse to that location in hostNIC the following occurs...

This game is fun! 'Find the Driver' - I looked up the host NIC driver from MyNIC's log and its found in "C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\el90xbc5.sys" but when I browse to that location in hostNIC the following occurs...

There is not a game 'Find the driver'!

There is only a 'Tell me the Windows directory, if it is not C:\Windows'
If you and other users preferre to define the Inf directory or a file rather the Windows directory -inspite they already see the correct directory in the GUI-, I should think about making hostNIC fool-proof and catch all of the possible user's faults

Please, try this:

If you see your driver's description in the upper line (as to be seen from your screen shoots, you do so), just click 'Install'! Nothing else!

Peter

There is not a game 'Find the driver'!

Peter

OK, sorry

BTW: Just an explanation to 'writable': The driver files are copied into the PE. Therefore it MUST be writable!

So, IMDisk is OK for this purpose?

If you see your driver's description in the upper line (as to be seen from your screen shoots, you do so), just click 'Install'! Nothing else!

hostNIC defaults to "C:\WINDOWS" (clicking install doesn't work) I've tried browsing to the location of the driver for this NIC (found in the inf) "C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers" (clicking install doesn't work) I've checked the driver location and properties and all looks well...


(Interesting that MyNIC has no problem finding and creating a script for this driver)

LOG:

Is there anything else I can try here?

Thanks for your help Peter as always!

So, IMDisk is OK for this purpose?

NO!
As I wrote in the first post, it must be (currently) FBWF or BootSDI

The drivers are copied from (any HDD like) C:\Windows into your PE's windows directory X:\I386\...
And they can be copied only, if this directory is writable.

ImDisk brings you a writable B: or R:, but there is no actual Windows directory inside!

hostNIC defaults to "C:\WINDOWS" (clicking install doesn't work) I've tried browsing to the location of the driver for this NIC (found in the inf) "C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers" (clicking install doesn't work) I've checked the driver location and properties and all looks well...

If you fullfill condition #1 (writable) it will work!

Sorry, that I explain a bit forced now:
You have your head not only to wear a hat. Your head should also be able to think.
You have your eyes not only to look into beautiful eyes of somebody else. Your eyes should also be able to read.

Look into my first post again!
Go through it step by step!

And do not change a step because you think 'This could be ... ???'

And if you have troubles to make your PE writable, that is not an issue of hostNIC. That is an issue of the setup and the delivered files of your project.

Peter

@amalux
@all

My last post has been rather aggressive.
I do not ask for 'excuse' now, the agression has been intended and still exists.
It is not a personal agression, but introduced by certain posts.

Let me explain:

I spend a lot of time helping newbies and experienced forum's users.
And I assume that my 'topic partners' follow the board rules.
If they do not, I try to explain one or twice, but anywhen my brain makes a 'BOING'.

Usually that situation should not happen, but to avoid it is not my issue. It is an issue of the users I'm corresponding with.

Peter