Background

One of these days hopefully I'll fill this in with more info and links so it will all be clearer. It's mainly a skeletal structure now so I don't forget how I got to here!

Oh, by the way, you may want to implement this in stages, to test everything. That's what I did when researching it all. Get a simple unintended install working, then start slowly adding lines to Cmdlines.txt as each portion is proven to work.

How to

• Copy NT's i386 directory tree from NTW 4.0 CD to a share on a server
• Create an Office 97 install share on the server
• Copy office 97 to that share with setup /a command
• Obtain and run Network Installation Wizard (NIW) from Off 97 resource kit
• Configure SAMBA to use encrypted passwords, use NT server for password server, [homes] section
• Create some UNIX and NT test accounts, ensuring ID and passwords are same on each. Creation of accounts should later be synced with UNIX
• Decide on a drive letter for samba home dirs to be mounted at. (We use F:)
• Set test accounts to have home dir at F: and \\sambaserv\homes

(NT user manage will complain that it can't create it, ignore it)
• Set profiles to be stored at \\sambaserv\homes\winnt

(This directory gets created automatically during first login)
• Get, read, and understand "Deployment Guide, Automating Windows NT Setup" from Microsoft's web site.
• Make "unattend" directory and "unattend\station" directory under NT distribution share
• Make unattended text file (dtcc.txt) and park in unattend directory.
• Copy dtcc.txt and name it dtcc32.txt. Modify it and remove the "convertntfs" line and set NTUpgrade and Win31Upgrade to yes. This file is used for reinstalls if run from an NT cmd window.
• Make separate udf files for each station under station directory. See the samples there for more info.
• Make an install.bat file to run the winnt install program with correct args...
• Obtain ZAK from Microsoft's web site. Install it just so you can access nifty scripts and documents from it. However, do not actually use it. It's better to fully understand what is going on.
• Create ntconfig.pol file in \\ntserv\netlogon directory. Be sure to add and configure office 97 .adm file gleemed from ZAK under "\zakadmin\policy templates\" directory
• Unarchive latest service pack into subdir under $oem$ (example: sp3)

Use the /x switch to unarchive it
• Create $OEM$ directory under NT distribution share. See sections below for additional stuff to park in there.
• Grab the acls.cmd and hide.cmd files as a template from ZAK in directory "\ZAKAppDist\netsys\i386\$oem$\$$\zak\scripts\ directory.

Files in $OEM$ directory

• net.exe
• Cmdlines.txt (see below)
• $$ directory (see below)
• C directory (see below)
• i directory (removed after install, files needed during install)
• i\apps.cmd file (see below)
• i\acls.cmd file (see below)
• boot.ini (has timeout set to zero)
• i\maint.cmd (deletes \dos, copies some files, etc)

$OEM$\Cmdlines.txt items

[Commands]
".\net user administrator whatever"
"cmd /c %Systemroot%\i\preboot.cmd"

$OEM$\i\apps.cmd

Be sure to configure the custom\custom.lst file with NIW in office resource kit before letting below run.

./net use x: \\hopi\off97 /user:uinstall whatever
x:
setup /L custom\custom.lst /B2 /Q1N
c:
./net use x: /del

$OEM$\i\acls.cmd

• Add: copy Yesfile %Systemroot%\

before the pushd statement
• Replace all: %SystemRoot%\zak\scripts\yesfile

with: %Systemroot%\Yesfile
• Rem out protections for zak files (not installed)

Files parked in $oem$\C structure

Files parked in $oem$\$$ structure

• .\sysdiff.exe and .\sysdiff.inf from support directory on NT40W CD-ROM.
• postboot.cmd, based on ZAK, runs i\worker.cmd, then kills i directory, runs shutdown
• system32\timeserv.exe, system32\timeserv.dll
• system32\secadd.exe (from resource kit)
• system32\sleep.exe (from resource kit)
• system32\kix32.exe
• timeserv.ini --  with config set to:
• Type=ntp
• Period=12
• ntpserver=138.123.84.240 (or closest ntp server)
• system32\drivers\etc\lmhosts

Needed with names/ip addresses of hopi, zuni, apache, PDC, BDC, etc...
Be sure to include "#PRE #DOM:domain" to identify domain controller