Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Installing Windows XP on multiple pcs through Ubuntu?

Jan 28, 2011 10:45AM PST

I am wondering what kind of hardware/software I may need for this task to be completed with some bit of haste; I have about **240** boxes that need to be wiped and installed with XP SP3. I am not positive as to how to conquer this large number other than taking them on one by one. I am not opposed to having to do that, but I would like to finish this task as quickly as I can!

I am currently offering my services through my own residence. Minor things mostly: virus removal, reformatting and installing, physical repair, physical mods-but I have never attempted to run a simultaneous, mass install and I want to try it. I am not yet sure if these machines will all be "hardware-ically" similar, otherwise I would just run a clone.

Is this something I would be able to do with the software included in the default Ubuntu 10.10 installation? Would I need the server edition to do so? If so, would it be something I could figure out rather simply?

As I said I am not familiar with running servers, etc. I have a large 24-port Netgear switch here at my disposal.

The only reason I ask if this is possible with Ubuntu is because I don't have any funds available at the moment to buy software :\

ANY help with learning how to do this would be EXTREMELY appreciated! Grin

THANKS FOR READING!

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Can't be done. Here's why.
Jan 29, 2011 10:48AM PST

Since you would need to build an install for possibly 240 variations of hardware and 240 license keys the effort needed for such an install would swamp your average one person IT staffer.

Since you have your 240 XP Licenses, just start the install on a batch of machines and then go back to the first machine, click ok or what it needs then move to the next. As each one gets done you shut it down, bag, tag, and move it to the done pile.
Bob

- Collapse -
bah doply modern system
Jan 30, 2011 4:36AM PST

You do not need XP when you have Ubuntu Happy

In can you need mass deploy Ubuntu you need to use PXE. I successfully used it to install Ubuntu on 15 machines simultaneously.

- Collapse -
If Microsoft didn't have a chokehold on the market....
Jan 30, 2011 6:54AM PST

Trust me I would LOVE it if the masses weren't controlled by Microsoft. I love being able to teach people the simplicity of using a Linux machine. I wish I could install of the machines with Ubuntu and make everyone learn lol.


Okay well than my question: if I were to move one-by-one would I be able to link a group of a few boxes with a KVM switch or something similar to make it slightly easier for me to move one-by-one?