Radified Community Forums - DHCP and Static IP addresses with Ghost

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DHCP and Static IP addresses with Ghost
Mar 13^th, 2010 at 6:40pm

Hi guys,

Just found this website last night and have read the guide on creating a bootable ghost CD. Really cool stuff, and thank you for all the great information.

Here's my question: If I wanted to create one Boot CD that uses DHCP, and another one that uses static IP address, how would I do that? It seems like the only way to do this is to go through the Network Boot Wizard but the guide doesn't mention this...

Sorry if this is a newbie question. Thanks for any help.

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Re: DHCP and Static IP addresses with Ghost
Reply #1 - Mar 14^th, 2010 at 11:16am

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loss

Welcome to Radified Forums!

Which version of Ghost are you using--the specific details may change--but, probably not.....?

From Ghost 2003's User Guide, page 80, regarding creating boot disks using the Ghost Boot Wizard with Network Support:

Quote:

9 Do one of the following:

■ Click DHCP will assign the IP settings if your network contains a
DHCP server.

■ Click The IP settings will be statically defined and complete the fields
below this option if your network does not contain a DHCP server.
If you create more than one boot disk, then the static IP address
incrementally increases as each boot disk is created.

Quote:

If I wanted to create one Boot CD that uses DHCP, and another one that uses static IP address, how would I do that?

So, the Boot Wizard will create the necessary DOS command lines. When you get to the end, you will get a summary of the [autoexec.bat] and [config.sys] files that it is going to create--you can use that information to substitute for the ones in the Bootable CD/DVD Guide. And, the Boot Wizard will probably want to create a two floppy disk boot set because all the data will not fit on a single 1.44 MB floppy. You don't actually have to have a floppy drive or create the floppy boot disks--just read and record the necessary command lines for the boot file entries. (However, having a floppy drive and creating the floppy disks can make copying files and command lines much simpler!)

So, you run into another problem with the bootable CD--adding any additional files to what's outlined in the Guide, will exceed the 1.44 MB file size limit of the hidden optical disc boot sector. It is possible to create a larger optical disc boot sector (WinImage will do this without any problem, but your optical burning software may not create anything other than the standard 1.44 MB hidden boot sector--that's usually the limitation--you have to find a burning program that will work with boot sectors other than 1.44 MB), or you can put the *ghost.exe* program into the data portion of the optical disc rather than the boot sector--that then leaves plenty of space on the 1.44 MB boot sector for additional boot files.

Then, you have to translate the command lines that assume they are for a floppy boot disc to reflect that you are actually booting from the optical disc--all the boot files in the hidden boot sector will still be referenced as A:/, but the booting of the *ghost.exe* will have to point to the data portion of the optical disc--the Guide will assign the optical drive drive letter X:/, unless you have changed that command line for some reason. If you follow the instructions, then simply placing the load command for Ghost (i.e. *ghost.exe*) at the end of the [autoexec.bat] file will find *ghost.exe* on the X: optical drive because the *path* statement includes telling DOS to look at the X: drive for any files referenced in the boot files--if the path is not otherwise specified!

Here's another guide that talks about creating a network boot disc for Ghost 8: How to Create a Ghost 8.0 Network Boot CD .

And here's a discussion of adding additional boot files for USB and Firewire support--and having to put the *ghost.exe* on the data portion of the optical boot disc: Adding USB (and Firewire) to Ghost Boot CD.

Hope this helps!

Questions?

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Re: DHCP and Static IP addresses with Ghost
Reply #2 - Mar 16^th, 2010 at 2:26pm

Quote:

or you can put the *ghost.exe* program into the data portion of the optical disc rather than the boot sector--that then leaves plenty of space on the 1.44 MB boot sector for additional boot files.

Hi Nightowl. Thank you very much for all your help. As you mentioned, I ran into a problem with the size of floppy. Even 2.88MB isn't enough for the disk I'm trying to build. If l I had a program that could work with floppy images over 1.44MB how could I put ghost.exe on the data portion instead of the boot portion. I'm sorry for the newbie questions.

Thanks a lot.

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Re: DHCP and Static IP addresses with Ghost
Reply #3 - Mar 17^th, 2010 at 12:04am

Sorry, looks like I figured it out

Well on the older laptops, at least. When I tried the newest laptop we have, Dell Latitude E6400, it won't work. Looks like it was a DVD-ROM driver issue, but I was tired to continue for today

I'm going to try gcdrom.sys tomorrow and see of that helps.

Anyway, now that I have my DHCP disk setup, is it possible to change something so that it becomes a boot cd with a static IP address. We have several laptops that can't be registered with DHCP and the only way to image them is to boot from a disk with a static IP address. Hopefully someone here can help!

Thank you!

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Re: DHCP and Static IP addresses with Ghost
Reply #4 - Mar 17^th, 2010 at 9:40am

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Quote:

is it possible to change something so that it becomes a boot cd with a static IP address

Above links show you the step for creating a *static* IP address boot floppy. Best way is to do the Ghost Wizard on a system with a floppy drive--even an external USB floppy drive will work--once you have the network config file for the static address--put that file in place of the DHCP config file before burning your boot disc.

Quote:

When I tried the newest laptop we have, Dell Latitude E6400, it won't work. Looks like it was a DVD-ROM driver issue, but I was tired to continue for today I'm going to try gcdrom.sys tomorrow and see of that helps.

Yup--could be a SATA optical drive.

I'm out of town for the next week--if you're still having issues, I'll be back and can help troubleshoot then!

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Re: DHCP and Static IP addresses with Ghost
Reply #5 - Mar 22^nd, 2010 at 3:20pm

Hi Nightowl. Thank you for helping me.

Well, I got the CD to work with all of my models...well, kind of

...For Dell Optiplex 745, 755, and 760 I need to switch SATA mode from AHCI to ATA or Legacy for my CD to work. For older models, though, there's no problem and I don't have to switch anything. Would you know what could be happening?

As to regards to static IP thing, I was hoping for something like shown in the pictures below, especially the second one:

http://www.geektorium.com/images/boot_menu_1.jpg
http://www.geektorium.com/images/boot_menu_network.jpg

I wish I could create something like this but don't know where to start.

Thanks again!

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Re: DHCP and Static IP addresses with Ghost
Reply #6 - Mar 25^th, 2010 at 11:59am

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Those are interesting *.jpg* links--I was going to ask you where/how you found them, but discovered they where from here: Geektorium.com

And, one of the *Tabs* on the top links is: Bootable Ghost CDROM and USB Drives

He outlines all his boot files in that link above--but a couple of the links to programs that he uses are *dead*!

Note--he does not load any optical drive drivers for DOS in his boot files--so he is depending on Ghost's *built-in* optical drive drivers if he is accessing any data on optical discs.

Creating a *boot menu* in DOS is easy--but getting that *setting dialog box* for selecting *DHCP* or *Static IP* during boot is quite interesting!

Quote:

For Dell Optiplex 745, 755, and 760 I need to switch SATA mode from AHCI to ATA or Legacy for my CD to work.

Are your optical drives on those Dells SATA or PATA? Are you having to change the SATA mode to *ATA or Legacy* for the optical drives--or for the HDDs?

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	Re: DHCP and Static IP addresses with Ghost Reply #7 - Mar 25^th, 2010 at 3:22pm Yea, it looks like he uses WBAT program to create the box. It's the second link at the bottom of the page. I wish I could figure out how to use it, though For our newer models, I have to change the HDD in BIOS from AHCI to ATA for it to work... Thank you for your help!
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