51 replies to this topic

[cdd]

I just build a LiveXP and test it in qemu, everything work ok, including network access. Then I burned it on a CD and reboot the computer with the CD. An error message "No network card detected" appears while it is trying to start the network. I tried the same CD on a different computer, it detect the ntwk card ok of the second computer. I never have any ntwk card detection problem on any of my PCs when using CDs built with Bart's Pebuilder.

Any idea what could be wrong? Thanks

[pscEx]

I just build a LiveXP and test it in qemu, everything work ok, including network access. Then I burned it on a CD and reboot the computer with the CD. An error message "No network card detected" appears while it is trying to start the network. I tried the same CD on a different computer, it detect the ntwk card ok of the second computer. I never have any ntwk card detection problem on any of my PCs when using CDs built with Bart's Pebuilder.

Any idea what could be wrong? Thanks

The answer is easy:
In qEmu you have installed (by project script) the network driver for qEmu.

But did you install the different network driver for your local host to be included into the ISO when using the burned ISO?
I think you did not.

The simplest way to do so, is the myNic script. It installs the NIC driver which is used on your local PC, into the PE
(If you burn a CD to be used on different PCs, this is an issue to be solved later)

Peter

[cdd]

The answer is easy:
In qEmu you have installed (by project script) the network driver for qEmu.

But did you install the different network driver for your local host to be included into the ISO when using the burned ISO?
I think you did not.

The simplest way to do so, is the myNic script. It installs the NIC driver which is used on your local PC, into the PE
(If you burn a CD to be used on different PCs, this is an issue to be solved later)

Peter

I am a little bit confused. There are 6 items list under "Drivers\Network\"; it looks like 5 of them are emulation related (judging by their names), one for a real PC. Is my observation correct?
If it is correct, how should I use them. I beleive I checked "HostNic" and the 2 "qEMUxxx" drivers. I also checked "Create ISO" and "Run ISO in qEMU". After emulation, I use Nero to burn the ISO on my CD.

Question:

- Looking at what I did above, would there be 3 sets of drivers ( 1 for HostNIC, 2 for qEMU) included in my CD?

- Would the qEMU drivers on the CD interfere with the network card detection and cause my problem?

- Why would it detected ntwk card on one PC but not on the other PC, intereference from qEMU ntwk drivers?

- What is the normal "proper" procedures (work flow) for build testing?

[pscEx]

I am a little bit confused. There are 6 items list under "Drivers\Network\"; it looks like 5 of them are emulation related (judging by their names), one for a real PC. Is my observation correct?
If it is correct, how should I use them. I beleive I checked "HostNic" and the 2 "qEMUxxx" drivers. I also checked "Create ISO" and "Run ISO in qEMU". After emulation, I use Nero to burn the ISO on my CD.

Question:

- Looking at what I did above, would there be 3 sets of drivers ( 1 for HostNIC, 2 for qEMU) included in my CD?

- Would the qEMU drivers on the CD interfere with the network card detection and cause my problem?

- Why would it detected ntwk card on one PC but not on the other PC, intereference from qEMU ntwk drivers?

- What is the normal "proper" procedures (work flow) for build testing?

Let me first answer your last question:

Using the standard project (LiveXP or nativeEx_barebone or ...) there is no usual way to include your NIC driver into the burned CD.
You have to include it by yourself: You have to

• decide the needed driver
• include a script (or write the script if it does not exist yet )

There is the help to use 'myNIC'. It includes the NIC driver of your local PC into the PE ISO. If you boot the burned CD in your local PC, everything will be ok (?)

BTW: myNic is not a script included in a project. It is a tool you have to download and execute. It generates a (drivers) script to be included into your project

Peter

[cdd]

Let me first answer your last question:

Using the standard project (LiveXP or nativeEx_barebone or ...) there is no usual way to include your NIC driver into the burned CD.
You have to include it by yourself: You have to

• decide the needed driver
• include a script (or write the script if it does not exist yet )

There is the help to use 'myNIC'. It includes the NIC driver of your local PC into the PE ISO. If you boot the burned CD in your local PC, everything will be ok (?)

BTW: myNic is not a script included in a project. It is a tool you have to download and execute. It generates a (drivers) script to be included into your project

Peter

I want to use the CD not just for one, but many computers. In Bart's Pebuilder all I have to do is to put all the drivers in a folder "Drivers\net" and Pebuilder will take care of it. This folder contains hundreds of NIC drivers for different makes and models. These drivers are freely availabled. I have not run into a pc that I cannot detect a nic card yet.

-How can I use these drivers? Where do I put them in the project?

-"myNIC" is not really for this type of use, is it?

-What is "HostNIC" script for? Installing a very limited collection of ntwk drivers?

[pscEx]

-"myNIC" is not really for this type of use, is it?

-What is "HostNIC" script for? Installing a very limited collection of ntwk drivers?

Your opinion is right.
If you want to use the PE on many different computers, HostNic would be a good option to include.

When starting on any PC, HostNIC looks for the host's NIC driver and installs it (hopefully correct) into the PE.

So, at least due to network, you should have no issues on a 'strange' host.

BTW: It is NIC, no WLAN adapter! I do not know whether it works with wireless.

Tell us your experience! Mine is only very theoretical with my own adapter.

Peter

[Galapo]

hostNic places a start menu icon which will start a program which will install the driver to a running PE from the offline (host) system.

myNic will create a script to include the network driver(s) from the currently running system for inclusion in the PE build.

Regards,
Galapo.

[Brito]

Would you re-post your message on the tutorial forum?

Guess that many other users don't know how this feature can be used.

[pscEx]

hostNic places a start menu icon which will start a program which will install the driver to a running PE from the offline (host) system.

myNic will create a script to include the network driver(s) from the currently running system for inclusion in the PE build.

Regards,
Galapo.

galapo: We should merge our posts. That could become a good tutorial.

@Ispy: Why do you not try to merge?

Peter

[pscEx]

Would you re-post your message on the tutorial forum?

Guess that many other users don't know how this feature can be used.

Answer cross !

Peter

[ispy]

Hi all ,

Looks to me that a generic Networking/Nic Tutorial would be very beneficial, it keeps "cropping up". If memory serves me I was also having problems getting my Network card detected in a previous post (LiveXP) that you gentlemen kindly helped me out with it. Also other beginners in this area seem to have had problems within other postings also.

@Ispy: Why do you not try to merge?

Do you mean use the info to build a tutorial or is it required that this post belongs in the Learn & Teach section or indeed both maybe?

How does one go about moving posts anyway, sorry for the ignorance!

Regards,

ispy

[pscEx]

Do you mean use the info to build a tutorial or is it required that this post belongs in the Learn & Teach section or indeed both maybe?

As you know, I'm rather sad and do not want to do something besides develpment. Especially writing tutorioals is a horror trip for me .

Therefore: Please write a turorial (as well or better I could do). I'm ready to give you answers on any question or correct something, if necessary.

Peter

[Galapo]

I'm with Peter -- please write the tutorial for us!

I think I may have helped you at one time by saying the DriverPacks NIC drivers can be included in the build by extracting them somewhere and then pointing the penetwork script there. This is another way to get network drivers recognised in the build, though it does increase the size.

Regards,
Galapo.

[ispy]

@ Peter ,

Will get right on it, I have also a further tutorial in the making relating to feed back from "Rehtorix" in respect of Paragon Drive Management software but that is another story.

The problem that I was experiencing was in relation to Live XP & NIC driver detection but If I put something together, could you guys correct the mistakes that will inevitably occur. Would it be possible to compile it so that it will cover other projects including LiveXP or will specific details to each project need to be included?

Its a shame that that a list of the most popular Manufacturers Networking cards could not be compiled using MyNic so that they could be stored in a repository location some where to be available for download for those who would prefer the NIC script already compiled (e.g. Beginners), or does myNic only build the Nic driver script specific to the users PC system?

Regards,

ispy

[cdd]

sorry post in wrong topic

[cdd]

PSC, Galapo:

If I understand you correctly, "hostNIC" takes the installed NIC driver on the PC and use it for itself (WinPE). It is a good idea; at least in theory!

It did not work for me. I did an experiment: First I check all the NIC scripts and create a CD, then I check only the "hostNIC" and create another CD, both CDs fail to detect my NIC card!
Without being able to count on the bootable CD to detect most of the NIC's (if not all), it is useless to me.

Besides the NIC detection problem, I got some video issue too. This happens when LiveXP CD is runing on a computer. Some program will not display correctly; the screen looks like a puzzle with a piece missing at a corner. This happens to more than one computer.

My general impression so far with Winbuilder's approach (vs Barts PeBuilder) is:

It is more flexible and open to change, but it is definitely more fragile, less reliable than Bart's Pebuilder. Unfortunately I don't think there is much development going on with PEBuilder now. I like Winbuilder/LiveXP for its explorer shell, usb pnp, fast booting features etc, but I think it needs further development to be at the same level of reliability & usability of PeBuilder products. That is just my personal opinion, I apologize if I offended someone here.

[Galapo]

If I understand you correctly, "hostNIC" takes the installed NIC driver on the PC and use it for itself (WinPE). It is a good idea; at least in theory!

But did you run hostNIC app inside the running PE? My tests of hostNic have all been successful, as have Peter's and others, so the issue is likely to do with your particular hardware. Peter will likely be interested in that.

My general impression so far with Winbuilder's approach (vs Barts PeBuilder) is:

It is more flexible and open to change, but it is definitely more fragile, less reliable than Bart's Pebuilder. Unfortunately I don't think there is much development going on with PEBuilder now. I like Winbuilder/LiveXP for its explorer shell, usb pnp, fast booting features etc, but I think it needs further development to be at the same level of reliability & usability of PeBuilder products. That is just my personal opinion, I apologize if I offended someone here.

Of course, that is your opinion.

But then here is mine. I have used both pebuilder and WinBuilder extensively and in my opinion WB is not in any way more fragile or less reliable than pebuilder. With WB you can develop customisable and solid PEs. Were WB may be more "fragile" is in its customisability as people can check and uncheck things they really shouldn't.

Regards,
Galapo.

[MedEvil]

@cdd
HostNic will NOT, i repeat NOT, include any drivers in your PE!
It will include a program in your PE, that you need to run, in order to rip and use the driver of a XP/Win2k3 that already exists on that machine and might be damaged.

[cdd]

I ran the "HostNic" in the PE, error message came up: "File Access Denied" Now what can I do.

Let me see what is happening here:

- CD boots, "PENetwork" starts automatically but fail to detect a NIC because there is no NIC driver installed in the building process, except for those associated with emu.

- I have to run "HostNic", so that it can copy the driver from the PC hard disk & install it in PE. (This failed in my case)

- Then I have to run "PENetwork" for the second time to start the network.


If "HostNic" works, it will take 3 steps to start network. Am I right with the above observation? If the answer is yes, then it is certainly not convenient.
If I am wrong, please explain what do people normally do to start their network.

Is there anyway to get "PENetwork" to search the list of NIC drivers I provide in a folder and have it choose the correct one to install and start the network?

[cdd]

I found that "PENetwork" has an option to get driver files, just like the way I wanted.
Now the CD can detect the NIC card by using the list of drivers.

[pscEx]

I ran the "HostNic" in the PE, error message came up: "File Access Denied" Now what can I do.

When hostNIC tries to install the driver, it copies files from the host into the PE's i386 . Therfore it needs a writable i386 directory. That means that the PE must be built with either BootSDI or FBWF.

Peter

[cdd]

When hostNIC tries to install the driver, it copies files from the host into the PE's i386 . Therfore it needs a writable i386 directory. That means that the PE must be built with either BootSDI or FBWF.

Peter

I rebuilt a CD with BootSDI and tried the hostNIC again. This time it can copy file in one computer and a second computer still give error "File access denied"

At the bottom edge of the hostNIC window there is a message: !!! File "24,Prog~1\SYSLan\uninst.exe" does not exist"

It looks like hostNIC is trying to copy an non existing uninstall file? Maybe the "File access denied" message is caused by this?

[pscEx]

I rebuilt a CD with BootSDI and tried the hostNIC again. This time it can copy file in one computer and a second computer still give error "File access denied"

At the bottom edge of the hostNIC window there is a message: !!! File "24,Prog~1\SYSLan\uninst.exe" does not exist"

It looks like hostNIC is trying to copy an non existing uninstall file? Maybe the "File access denied" message is caused by this?

Thanks for your research!
Here seems to be an until now unknown issue. I do not remember any 'uninstall' in the tests before.
Can you post that complete driver or if it is downloadable, the link to it?

Thanks

Peter

BTW: Does your post mean that it works on a PC with a different NIC?

[cdd]

Can you post that complete driver or if it is downloadable, the link to it?

Do you mean the NIC driver file (files) of the PC having problem? What files should I look for and where?

BTW: Does your post mean that it works on a PC with a different NIC?

I tried it on 3 PCs, they all have different NICs, 2 work ok, one did not.

[pscEx]

Do you mean the NIC driver file (files) of the PC having problem? What files should I look for and where?

I tried it on 3 PCs, they all have different NICs, 2 work ok, one did not.

I like to hear that hostNic works on two systems.

To improve the app, I need the NIC driver files from that PC where hostNic has the troubles.
Maybe the .inf is suficient. Post this first.
Maybe I later need more ...

Peter