63 replies to this topic

[sanbarrow]

Yesterday I "released" MOA 2.4
It now comes with a developement VM so that it is much easier for newbees to add their own stuff.

http://sanbarrow.com...wforum.php?f=58

A boot into the developement VM will give you this desktop.



Adding additional applications is done by installing them on the fly while monitoring changes will installrite.

Usage of plugins is no longer required in most cases.

Once you are happy with the results - copy them to a USB-disk or truecrypt-container and use it along with a ramloading CD

Guide to use the developement VM:
http://sanbarrow.com...opic.php?t=1314

[sanbarrow]

Next build includes esx-bandit-wizard
which prepares the files for
dotnet2, viclient, converter, vitoolkit, powershell, virtual disk developement kit in one run. Takes about 15 minutes ... inside a VM

You only have to run "create MOA-core" once - then run "create developement VM" - add the install-files inside an ISO - boot into the VM and run esx-bandit-wizard.cmd

See a boring Video - you just have to interact a few times

http://sanbarrow.com...dit-wizard.html


another wizard prepares Workstation 6.0.4
http://sanbarrow.com...604-wizard.html

In case you wonder how I can install a 500 Mb application inside PE
... no problem - in the developement VM you have about 260 Mb of free space in X: and about 12 Gb of free space in R:

[sanbarrow]

Just released a wizard that enables you to easily create a package to load dotnet2 and VMware Viclient and Powershell and related apps on demand.
see http://sanbarrow.com...opic.php?p=4729

[sanbarrow]

experimental moa24-010.exe supports newly released Workstation 6.5

[sanbarrow]

Implementation of Workstation 6.5 is working better and better - still USB-support is missing

Video shows a 685 Mb CD with an ESXi VM on CD - including latest esx-tools (dotnet2 and viclient ...)
http://sanbarrow.com/latest-video.html

[TheHive]

I see youre getting better at youre Movie caps.

That looks good. To bad no USB at the moment.

You should add some of youre links to youre Signature.

[sanbarrow]

To bad no USB at the moment.

First things first - there has changed a lot in WS 6.5 and getting support for the core-functions was first on my list.
Also as WS 6.5 packs into 23 MB and WS 6.0.5 packs into 20 Mb it is no problem to have both versions on CD. If you need USB for VMs you then select WS 6.0.5 at boot-time - if you need WS 6.5 functionality you select WS 6.5

Its interesting to see the capabilty of WS 6.5 to overcommit RAM for VMs once you set a page file.
I was able to run VMs with together about 6 Gb nominal RAM on a 3.6 Gb host.

[TheHive]

Very impressive.

[sanbarrow]

USB is fixed now - had a stupid typo in the loader

[TheHive]

haha! lol!
Its nice to hear that.

[sanbarrow]

another nice stunt

http://sanbarrow.com...o-esxi-exe.html

I guess only ESX-users may understand what it is good for ....
Only works on latest hardware - the VM alone needs at least 1 Gb of RAM.

You can also read it as a an example for a procedure to access any filesystem ...
If you need to read Solaris - just boot a Solaris-VM then ...

[TheHive]

Cant you do something similar using Workstation.

[sanbarrow]

Cant you do something similar using Workstation.

? - i am using Workstation - the ESX-VM I start then could also be a NT 4 VM, FreeBSD , Solaris or whatever ...

Using the ESX as a VM is just interesting because there is no driver for the VMFS-filesystem available that would run on Linux or Windows ...
So this is a workaround to access VMFS filesystems

[sanbarrow]

I just uploaded new moa.exe version 2.4.025 - it now supports VMware Workstation 6.5.1

Both 6.5.0 and 6.5.1 versions are buggy - I don't recommend to use them unless you must run ESX 3.5.* inside a VM.

(the bugs are in the VMware release itself - MOA port is ok)

[sanbarrow]

nothing new - just more consequent then ever:

MOA-kiosk mode
see http://sanbarrow.com...kiosk-mode.html

boots from USB-disk - the piggy-packed VM starts to boot after maybe 2 minutes.

The user can NOT interact with the LiveCD - only with the Kiosk-VM.
Once the Kiosk-VM shutsdown - the LiveCD shuts down as well.

[TheHive]

Not bad.

[sanbarrow]

almost there ....

http://sanbarrow.com...iosk/kiosk.html

more explanations here

[TheHive]

NT, mmm! looks old. Very good demo. Window98, me anyone?

[Christian]

Just wondering if VirtualBox will make it in the next build? This is a great tool and still learning... looking to make this into somewhat of a portable pc. (hopefully if all goes well.). When we use boot this in RAM is there a way to save your settings back to your usb device instead of c:\ ? Also, any issues running this from a flash device as far as a ton of writes back to the flash drive? Again, still learning this great piece of software.

Also, I'm getting this error when trying to "Create Development VM" under Test

===================================
Line 0 (File "C:\moa\moa24-setup.exe"):

if FileExists(&playerpath & 'vmplayer.exe') then run("moa24-dev-vm\moa24-dev.vmx")

Error: Unable to execute the external program.
===================================

[sanbarrow]

Virtual BOX is no problem - there is a LODR-pack for it - see http://sanbarrow.com...opic.php?t=1461

So the idea is - install Virtual BOX once and keep the files - next boot load it with the virtualbox-lodr.exe.

You can run Virtual BOX at the same time as VMware Workstation - just make sure you DO not start a virtual box VM with VT-support as this will crash all VMware VMs

Ulli

About saving your settings ...
read the MOA-roadpack post here http://sanbarrow.com...opic.php?t=1250

a setup like that allows to keep most settings - only the system-core itself will be untouched and clean at every boot

[Christian]

Thanks Sanbarrow

Can't seem to log into your website forum just yet to download. Can you activate my account? Also, any ideas on the errors above?

[sanbarrow]

Christian - send a PM with the account name.

That error is harmless - bad coding on my site - it just means that you probably do not have VMplayer installed so that you can run a test VM.
Ignore this - preferably simply use a blank USB-disk or stick - put a tag-file "moa-is-at-home.tag" in the root of the disk/stick - boot MOA-bandit from CD with the disk plugged in and see what happens

Next download and install VirtualBOX once on the fly to R:\vm\virtualbox.
Then you can reboot and next time launch it with the virtualbox-lodr.exe.

[Christian]

It's Sunray73

Actually I had both VMPlayer and Workstation installed. I did run the moa24-dev.vmx by double clicking and it did launch in Workstation but again hiccuped about the ISO file. I redirected it to the right location and it started up so I got it up and running. I forgot I have VirtualBox as a portable app on my USB along with most every app I'll be needing(SOOO nice to be able to run PortableApps!!!) so I guess the only thing I would like to do is to make sure this(meaning drivers) would work on as many systems as possible. Can DPsBase Drivers be implemented with MOA2.4? I couldn't get sound or wifi to work on a laptop I've tried this with.

[sanbarrow]

Hi Christian

sunray73 is active

Drivers - yep - I tried last driverpackages but then went back to a slightly older version as it worked better here.
On my notebook I have both wireless and sound ... only the ATI video does not work here.

As always with BartPE - finding the best compromise with boot-time and compatibilty takes some time.

Ulli

[Christian]

Hi Christian

sunray73 is active

Drivers - yep - I tried last driverpackages but then went back to a slightly older version as it worked better here.
On my notebook I have both wireless and sound ... only the ATI video does not work here.

As always with BartPE - finding the best compromise with boot-time and compatibilty takes some time.

Ulli

That makes sense... Is there away to install the drivers after booting up to the image?

Also, would it be possible to create a version that didn't pop anything up (i.e. questions where VM is etc...) on bootup? I like MOA as is without the need to add VM workstation or applications as all of that I have as a portable app. It would be cool just to have one that just gets you directly into windows with the ram window minimized(or disappear completely) and maybe the normal windows icons only on the Desktop(i.e. My Computer, My Network Places, Recycle Bin, I.E.) Again, great job on MOA2.4!!!!!