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Message started by aha_tom on Aug 9th, 2006 at 10:50pm

Title: Use Ghost 2003 to create Network Boot CD
Post by aha_tom on Aug 9th, 2006 at 10:50pm
It is no problem for creating a network boot floppy disc by Ghost 2003. But I have difficulty to find any information about how to create network boot CD using Ghost 2003.  I've tried to just burn the bootable floppy into a CD. But the CD doesn't work.

It's not a problem for creating just a bootable CD. The main issue here is how to install the network card driver during the boot procedure. Could anyone give some help?

Thanks.

Title: Re: Use Ghost 2003 to create Network Boot CD
Post by NightOwl on Aug 10th, 2006 at 12:49am
aha_tom


Quote:
It is no problem for creating a network boot floppy disc by Ghost 2003.

Does it work?!  I've been trying to get a functional DOS Network boot disk to actually load and then *see* the NIC and read its MAC so the computers can communicate with each other--but it shows the IRQ as *FF* and the MAC address as all *FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF*--but that's my problem  ;) !

Your problem is that when you try to use a boot CD, the network boot process is trying to *write* an initiation file to the *virtual* A:\ drive that gets created by the boot CD process--but the system can not *write* to that drive!  So the network is not properly mounted and initialized.

I've seen some references to creating a boot CD that creates a *RAM-drive*, and all files are written to it, and the network load commands are then initiated from the RAM-drive, and the proper initialization files can be written to that RAM-drive.

But, here's an outline where the initialization files are *preconfigured* and saved with the other boot files so they can be read during the boot:  How to Create a Ghost 8.0 Network Boot CD

It says it's for Ghost 8.x, but Ghost 2003 should work the same.

Here's a reference that talks about using a RAM-drive;

bootable cd ghost 7.5



Title: Re: Use Ghost 2003 to create Network Boot CD
Post by aha_tom on Aug 10th, 2006 at 3:38am
Thanks NightOwl,

Just notice your name. I am reading your another article- "Guide to creating bootable CD/DVD's without a:\ floppy drive". It helps me a lot.

"How to Create a Ghost 8.0 Network Boot CD" introduce EZ CD Creator. But that's not a freeware. I will try use Winimage to create ima file, and then use Nero to burn CD. Hope it will work. ::)

Title: Re: Use Ghost 2003 to create Network Boot CD
Post by NightOwl on Aug 10th, 2006 at 9:24am
aha_tom

EZ CD Creator is just Roxio's CD burning program--competitor of Nero--just have to do *equivalent* steps with the Nero program.

Title: Re: Use Ghost 2003 to create Network Boot CD
Post by aha_tom on Aug 18th, 2006 at 9:09am
Here comes the weekend!
I've been googling for a whole week. Finally assemable all the information and made this CD. Now the CD supports multi-NIC drivers.

Here is the story How I did it.
Scenario:
We have purchased large amount of new Dell computers without floppy driver. I have to create bootable CDs that basically provide NIC drivers and map the network drive.

Solution:
First I use Ghost2003 to create a PC-DOS Network Bootable Floppy Disk.
Copy XMSDSK.EXE, B57.DOS to the FDD.
Modify config.sys as following:
==================================
[MENU]
menuitem=intel100ve
menuitem=broadcom57
[common]
Device=...

[intel100ve]
Device=\net\PROTMAN.DOS /I:\NET\INTEL
Device=e100b.dos
...
[broadcom57]
Device=\net\Protman.dos /I:\net\broadcom57
Device=b57.dos
...
[Common]
Devicehigh=....
...
=================================
The important point here are: Network driver should be load into low mem by using "Device=".
Since different NICs will have different DRIVERNAME in PROTOCOL.INI, you have to create seperate PROTOCOL.INI for them. PROTMAN  will load PROTOCOL.INI from a folder assigned afer /I: parameter. Therefore, I walk around this problem by putting PROTOCOL.INI in different sub folders.

Modify Autoexec.bat
=========================
REM use xmsdsk to create RAM Drive R:
xmsdsk 3000 R: /y
SET...
SET...
R:
md net
copy A:\net\*.* R:\NET

REM NEXT You have to change the protocol.ini according to NIC you chosen
REM goto the menuitem you selected
goto %config%
:intel100ve
REM DO NOTHING

:broadcom57
copy proto2.ini protocol.ini /y

:END
....
============================

After all I used NERO to Burn the CD.
Goto Nero Express-->Data-->Bootable CD
Click Next--->Next--->Burn

This is just a brief description of what I have done. If you need more details just reply. I will update this thread shortly.

Title: Re: Use Ghost 2003 to create Network Boot CD
Post by ben_mott on Aug 21st, 2006 at 4:02pm
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=14127&st=20#entry104967

the above is the ready made peer to peer Cd without the ghost.exe
regards Ben

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