How it works

Warning

All software presented is distributed as is, and is intended primarily for advanced PC administrators. You use it at your own risk. The author is not liable for direct or indirect damage caused by this software. Attention: When installing the software, all data on the computer is deleted.

Installing

To install professional restorer you need a boot flash. You can download precompiled files to make boot flash, or compile it from sources.

How to make boot flash from precompiled files

  • 0. Prepare flash: remove all partitions, and make 1 primary partition (Ex. with fdisk). Format it into fat32 filesystem.
  • 1. Download bootflash.tar.gz
  • 2. Extract it to flash
  • 3. On windows run bat file make_boot_flash.bat DISK: (where DISK: - your flash letter)

Compile flash from sources

  • 0. Compile prorst project to get linux kernel and init file
  • 1. Clone repo dimonbat/bootflash
  • 2. Put kernel (rename it to "linux") into ...
  • 3. Put inst.cpio.gz into /boot directory on flash, with name inst-usb.gz

Installation process

  • 0. Prepare your computer. Make sure you have clean disk /dev/sda. ATTENTION!!! all files from disk /dev/sda will be lost!!!
  • 1. Boot from flash
  • 2. Select "install"
  • 3. Set parameters (see installation parameters)
  • 4. Reboot. Replace boot source to Windows CD (or Windows flash). Boot from Windows installation source.
  • 5. Install Windows to partition, that was created for it on installation procecdure (3)
  • 6. Boot from professional restorer bootflash, and make "fixboot" - to restore grub on disk

Installation parameters

You need to set some parameters when installing prorst.
  • 0. WorkPartition: is a partition to install Windows
  • 1. InternalStorageSize: Size for internal storage for work parition images. If you do not set this paramters, will not be created internal storage for windows images.
  • 2. Login, Wid: Parameters for identification this device on FTP and CIFS servers.
  • 3. FtpServer: ip or dns name of FTP server - with jobs and updates of prorst. If you set this parameter, will be asked next 2 paramters.
  • 3.1 FtpUsername: username for login on FTP server
  • 3.2 FtpPassword: password for FtpUsername to login on FTP server
  • 4. CIFSServer: ip or dns name lf ICFS server - will be used for jobs and update of prorst, and it can be used for storing work parition images. If you set this parameter, will be asked next 3 parameters
  • 4.1 CIFSshare: share on CIFS server.
  • 4.2 CIFSUSername: username to login on CIFS server
  • 4.3 CIFSPassword: Password to login on CIFS server
  • 5. HTTPServer: ip or dns name of HTTP server - will be used for jobs for this device. If you set this parameter - next 3 parameters will be ask.
  • 5.1 HTTPUsername: login (email) for HTTP server to send commands (see HTTP services). It not will be stored on device, need only for register this device on HTTP server
  • 5.2 HTTPPassword: password for HTTPUsername on HTTP server. It not will be stored on device, need to register device on HTTP server only.
  • 5.3 HTTPDeviceName: This device name. It must be unique for you. If you will register next device, you need another name, or delete device with such name on HTTP server.
  • 6. Network parameters (ip, netmask, gateway, dnsserver) is ask, but not use yet. All settings get via dhcp now

Work

Complete installed prorst is boots before work Operation System and can be used for make settings, full backup and restore work Operation system. Boot process:
  • 0. Power on device
  • 1. Boot prorst
  • 2. Check for updates on FTP server. Update if it exist
  • 3. Check for updates on CIFS server. Update if it exist
  • 4. Check for jobs for this device on FTP server. Run it if there is
  • 5. Check for jobs for this device on CIFS server. Run it if there is
  • 6. Check for jobs for this device on HTTP server. Run it if there is
  • 7. Change boot priority - make Windows partition boot first
  • 8. Reboot
  • 9. Change boot priority to prorst, and boot windows.

Jobs

There is 3 ways to run job on device
  • 0. FTP job. It is a file with name LOGIN_WID in directory jobs on FTP server with linux script. If prorst find it on boot, this will be ranamed to LOGIN_WID.ip_address of this machine, and script will be running. After script works it will be renamed to LOGIN_WID.done
  • 1. CIFS job. It is a file with name LOGIN_WID in directory jobs on CIFS server with linux script. If prorst find it on boot, this will be ranamed to LOGIN_WID.ip_address of this machine, and script will be running. After script works it will be renamed to LOGIN_WID.done
  • 2. HTTP job. It is a job, that assigned and activated to this device on HTTP server. It will be running, and change status to process, and then to done on HTTP server.
Job is linux script, that can be used for all linux binaries, that there is in prorst:
  • dropbear - SSH server
  • partclone - Use for backup an restore disk images
  • lftp - Use to work with ftp server
  • reged - Use to Windows Registry edit
  • ...

Update

For update there is directory update on CIFS or FTP server. It consist 5 files:
  • kernel - Linux kernel image
  • kernel.md5sum - Linux kernel image control sum for checking correct download
  • init.cpio.gz - Init ramfs image with prorst filesystem
  • init.md5sum - Init ramfs image control sum for checking correct download
  • version.txt - Text file with current version information
To update prorst on device you need change files: kernel & kernel.md5sum or init.cpio.gz $ init.md5sum, then edit version.txt, and reboot prorst.

Compile

To compile all products, you need a linux from scratch 6.7. Compiling on another versions of linux has not be test. There is some additional software need to install on lfs before compile prorst. You can install it with repository dimonbat/lfs_add. Clone it, and run soft.sh.

Downloads