Installing Proxmox Virtual Environment from a USB Flash Drive


Purpose

This document delineates the steps necessary to perform a clean installation of Proxmox Virtual Environment on a host device using a USB drive as the installation media.

Assumptions

This document assumes the device POSTs successfully with no errors and that the device meets the minimum requirements for Proxmox VE.

Step 1 – Creating Installation Media Using Etcher

To create the installation media, we will be assuming the USB drive will be flashed from a Microsoft Windows workstation or a Linux workstation with a distribution based on Debian/Ubuntu.

Download and install Balena Etcher from this link.

Download the desired version of the Proxmox VE installation ISO from this link.

Connect the USB drive to your workstation.

Open Etcher.

Select the USB drive from the drive list, then select the ISO to flash to the device.

Browse to and select the Proxmox VE installation ISO.

Click Flash! When done, you are ready to plug the USB drive into your intended host.

Step 2 – Booting to the USB Drive

Connect the USB drive to your intended host while it is powered off.

Immediately after power on and POST, we will need to boot from the USB drive. Every equipment manufacturer does this differnetly. For most Dell desktop systems, F12 will be the key to strike. For most HP desktop systems, F8 will be the key to strike. For most Lenovo desktop systems, Esc is the key to strike. Server hardware will vary from vendor to vendor as well.

Power on your intended host and use the appropriate keystroke to bring up the one-time boot menu, then select the USB drive.

Step 3 – Installation of Proxmox VE

Once the Proxmox GRUB installer loads, select Installation (Debug) and strike Enter on the keyboard. A black console screen will appear and the installer will check for attached installation media.

When the console gives the option to exit or strike Ctrl+D to continue installation, strike Ctrl+D.

Do note that you must use the debug install option first otherwise the installation will fail.

You may have to strike Ctrl+D a second time.

The screen will again display the Proxmox VE installer and move you through a series of prompts. Follow the prompts to assign timezone, select the hard disk device to which you’d like to install the system, configure host network settings, root user, etc.

When you reach the end of the installation process, you will be instructed to reboot the host and point another workstation’s web browser to the host URL, which will be the IPv4 address of the host on port 8006 using HTTPS. (Example: https://192.168.0.100:8006).

Step 4 – First Run

Once the host has rebooted, your web browser should be able to reach the web portal for your Proxmox host. Log in using the root credential you created during the installation process. The authentication type should be Linux PAM.

You are now able to configure your virtual environment with storage and start spinning up virtual machines and containers.


Additional Information

Additional information on installing the Proxmox Virtual Environment can be found here:

https://www.proxmox.com/en/

IGT Advantage & EZ-Pay Clients Installation

IGT Advantage logo – Please note I am not affliated with IGT in any way, nor is this article endorsed by them.

Purpose

This document delineates the steps necessary to do a clean installation of IGT’s Advantage and EZ-Pay client applications on a Windows workstation.

Assumptions

This document assumes perquisites such as file share permissions, domain membership, network connectivity, etc. are already in place. This document also assumes that the target workstation is running Windows 10 with update 1903 or newer installed.

Step 1 – Workstation logon

Log in as an administrator to the workstation on which you wish to install IGT client applications.

NOTE: The installing user must be a local administrator, and must also have modify permissions and modify share permissions to the file share: \\%igt_eft_server%\MAP

Step 2 – DOTNETFX (.Net Framework) 3.5 check

IGT Advantage applications require .NET Framework version 3.5. This is included as a feature in Windows 10, but is disabled by default. Prior to installation, you will need to enable this feature.

You can enable .NET Framework version 3.5 by like so:

Open a Run prompt by striking Windows+R on the keyboard
Type optionalfeatures and strike Enter/Return on the keyboard
In the resulting Windows Features window, check the box for .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0). It will partially fill with a box instead of a checkmark—this is fine.

NOTE: If the box is already partially marked with the square, then you can skip to Step #3 of this document.

Click OK.

Windows Update will now prompt stating that additional files are required and when you click Let Windows get the files for you, it will try to download them.

Click through the process until the feature has completed install. If the download of the additional files hangs at around 10% for more than 15-20 seconds or fails with an 0xxxxxxxxxxxx error code, then see the below section of Step #2.

If Enabling .NET Framework 3.5 fails or hangs
In certain domain environments using SCCM, the Windows 10 Update feature which enables the feature may not work, in which case the following is necessary.

While logged in as an administrator, open an elevated PowerShell session and enter the following commands:

Stop-Service -Name wuauserv
Remove-Item "HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate"
Start-Service -Name wuauserv
Exit

This removes the Windows Update configuration provided by the domain (using SCCM) that way Windows Update will pull the .NET Framework files from Microsoft directly. If you have Group Policy Objects configured to manage the Windows Update settings of domain computers, the Windows Update policies will be reapplied when the GPO next reapplies/refreshes on the workstation.
Once this has been done, go back and to sub-steps 2.1-2.4 again and the process should succeed in enabling the feature .NET Framework 3.5.

Step 3 – IGT Provisioning System (IPS) installation

Open a Run prompt by striking Windows+R on the keyboard.

Type \\%igt_eft_server%\map and strike Enter/Return on the keyboard
In the resulting directory, locate IPSSetup – Shortcut and run it as administrator.

Step 4 – Client application installations

Launch the IPS application from the Desktop shortcut or by locating it in the Start Menu under IGT or IGT Systems; the IPS deployment window will open.

On the Welcome page, click OK.

On the Load Manifest File page, click Select Manifest File and navigate to
\\%igt_eft_server%\map\manifest and select the approrpaite .xml manifest file for your company/property, then click Open.

Click Continue.

On the Main page, click Configure and Install.

On the Identify Installation Types page, ensure the checkboxes for Client Install and Services Install are both checked, then click Continue.

On the Select Installers to Install page, check the boxes for any applications which are necessary.

On the Parameters Configuration page, test and validate any of the settings that are predefined by the installer. If they pass/succeed, continue to sub-step 4.8.

On the Validation Check screen, click Validate to have IPS validate the target
workstation’s operating system. When it passes, click Continue.

On the Run Install Sequence page, verify that all of the information looks accurate, then click Begin Installation.

When all install sequences have completed and show a green checkmark icon at the right, click Exit.

Step 5 – Disable User Account Control (UAC)

Because IGT applications must always run with unrestricted administrative permissions, Windows will always want to display the UAC prompt. This can be disabled by doing the following:

Open a Run prompt by striking Windows+R on the keyboard.

Type useraccountcontrolsettings and strike Enter/Return on the keyboard.

In the resulting User Account Control Settings window, move the slider to the bottom position and click OK.

Step 6 – Set RunAs administrator

As mentioned in Step #5, IGT applications must always run with unrestricted administrative permissions. To allow this, locate the desktop icon for each IGT application and, for each, do the following:

Right-click the application shortcut on the desktop and select Properties from the context menu.

In the Shortcut tab, click Advanced and in the resulting Advanced Properties window, check the box for “Run as administrator,” then click OK. Click Apply, the Continue, if prompted.

In the Compatibility tab, click “Change settings for all users,” and in the resulting application properties window, check the box for Run the program as an administrator.

Click Apply, then OK.

Be sure to do this for each IGT application shortcut. If the shortcut is not configured as such, the application will not run.

NOTE: This step must be completed for each user that logs on unless you
configure the application shortcuts via the Public Desktop, which is highly
recommended.

Step 7 – Configure local administrators

Finally, add the user who will be using the IGT applications to the Local Administrators local security group.

Open a Run prompt by striking Windows+R on the keyboard.

Type compmgmt.msc and strike Enter/Return on the keyboard.

In the navigation pane at the left, expand Local Users and Groups, then select Groups.

Double-click the Administrators group and in the resulting Administrator Properties window, click Add.

In the resulting Select Users, Computers, Service Accounts, or Groups window, enter the username(s) as appropriate—separated by semicolons—then click OK.

You can now close all windows, and the installation should be complete.


Additional information

Please refer to the official documentation from IGT for installation. This is intended only to be a reference to a real-world installation process that works and isn’t the same verbiage as the vendor’s. For any questions, be sure to reach out to IGT Support or your account representative.

Installation Guide for Everi NewWave Audit Manuals

New Wave Audit Manuals is a casino operations and compliance offering used by slots and table games to track jackpots, fills, and/or credits. It can be a bit of a pain to install, so I’ve provided this guide in case you need to install it and don’t have any documentation provided to you.

Introduction

New Wave Audit Manuals is a casino operations and compliance offering used by slots and table games to track jackpots, fills, and/or credits. It can be a bit of a pain to install, so I’ve provided this guide in case you need to install it and don’t have any documentation provided to you.

Purpose

This document delineates the steps necessary to do a clean installation of Everi’s NewWave Audit Manuals client application on a Windows workstation.

Assumptions

This document assumes perquisites such as file share permissions, domain membership, network connectivity, etc. are already in place.

Step 1 – Workstation logon

Log into the workstation onto which you wish to install NewWave Audit Manuals.

NOTE: The installing user must be a local administrator, and must also have modify
permissions and modify share permissions to the New Wave file share on the database server.

Step 2 – Map network drive

Map the NewWave share from the NewWave server as the drive letter of your choice on the target workstation by going to File Explorer, selecting This PC in the navigation pane at the left, then selecting the Computer tab at the top of the window and clicking Map Network Drive. I typically use N:\ since it’s the first letter of NewWave, but you can use whatever you’d like as long as the drive letter is available.

Use \\%newwave_database_server%\NewWave as N:\ and ensure it reconnects at logon.

Step 3 – Copy working directory

Navigate to the UNC path of the admin share on a known-working workstation with NewWave AuditManuals installed. Example: \\%known_working_workstation%\c$

Paste the NewWave directory from the working workstation’s hard drive into the target workstation’s root operating system directory (typically C:\).

Step 4 – NWAUDIT.ini configuration

In C:\NewWave\NwAudit\Programs, locate NwAudit.ini and copy it to the Desktop or another safe location to use as a temporary backup.

Step 5 – Install New Wave Audit Manuals

Open a Run prompt by striking Windows+R on the keyboard, and enter \\%newwave_database_server%\NewWave\Install\NWAuditSetup then strike Enter/Return on the keyboard. Alternatively, you can manually navigate to this location using the File Explorer.

Run the NWAuditSetup.exe application as administrator and the NwAuditNoJet InstallShield Wizard will launch.

Step 6 – NWAUDITNOJET installation wizard

On the first page, click Next.

On the Customer Information page, enter your company’s information and credentials.

Be sure to select the radio option button to install this application for “anyone who uses this computer (all users),” then click Next.

On the Destination Folder page, do not change anything, and click Next.

When the wizard’s Ready to Install the Program page appears, click Install.

When the page “InstallShield Wizard Completed” appears, click Finish to close the InstallShield Wizard window.

Step 7 – Post-install configuration

For the Network Settings drop-down menu, select the mounted network drive for the NewWave file share you mapped in Step 2. It should be \\%newwave_database_server%\NewWave at N:\

In the Shortcuts options, check the box to Create NWAudit Shortcuts, then click Finish.

Step 8 – Restore NWCONFIG.ini backup

Navigate to the Desktop and cut the NwConfig.ini backup file.
Navigate to the NewWave installation at C:\NewWave and paste the file into the ~\NwAudit\Programs directory. Overwrite the existing file.

Step 9 – First run

Run the NewWave Audit Manuals application via the Desktop shortcut or by selecting the application in the Start Menu.

Step 10 – Station ID configuration

You’ll need to assign the Station ID, since the configuration being used during the installation will be using the Station ID of the known-working workstation. These IDs are unique, thus we must assign a different one.

Log into NewWave Audit Manuals on a known working workstation.
Go to the Reports button and log in using username itadmin and the current password for itadmin.

Once you’ve entered the Reports menu, select Accounting as the Source.
In Report Type, select the New Wave Station IDs radio button option and the Report viewer will open. Make note of the appropriate open station ID.

Go back to the workstation you’ve just installed NewWave Audit Manuals on, and use the Station ID you just noted in the configuration. Click Save/OK and restart the application and it should load normally and be ready for regular use.

If installing on a Remote Desktop Services Session Host or Terminal Server, you’ll want to double-check audit procedures with compliance/accounting personnel prior to performing the station ID configuration to ensure the station ID is not used in any of their reporting or audit procedure, since all users will have the same station ID following the installation, whereas individual local installations of the client application would usually have unique station IDs.

At this point, the installation and configuration of Everi’s NewWave Audit Manuals should be complete, and ready for use.

Installing Windows via bootable USB drive for Dell Precision 5820 Towers w/ FlexBay NVMe SSDs installed

Dell Precision 5820 towers require manual loading of the storage drivers during the Windows installation process. This brief article provides step-by-step walkthrough of how to accomplish this.

Prerequisites

In order to image a Dell Precision 5820 Tower that has a FlexBay NVMe solid-state drive installed, you’ll need the following:

  • The computer tower
  • Windows 10 ISO of your choice
  • Rufus bootable-USB creation software
  • USB flash drive with a minimum of 8GB of storage
  • The Intel Rapid Store Technology Enterprise driver for the virtual RAID and AHCI controllers

The process of obtaining the drivers and flashing the USB are covered in this article. If you already have your bootable USB Windows installer ready, skip to the Copying the driver section.

Obtaining the necessary drivers

To obtain the necessary drivers, look up the Service Tag of the workstation in question. See the Additional Resources section for links to the lookup website, driver download, and more.

Once you’ve downloaded the driver’s installer, run the executable. When the splash page pops up, select the “Extract” option instead of the Install option. Extract the driver files to a location of your choice.

Creating bootable USB Windows installer

Insert your chosen USB flash drive to your system. Download and run Rufus.

Select your device and ISO file.

Partition scheme = GPT

Target system = BIOS or UEFI

Give the drive a name and click Start. When finished, close Rufus but do not remove the drive from your system.

For this example, I already had a bootable USB installer for Windows 10 Update 20H2 prepared.

Copying the driver

In your newly created bootable USB flash drive, create a directory called “drivers” and another directory inside it called the workstation brand and model. The previous sentence is optional, but extremely helpful when organizing drivers for multiple systems on a single installer drive. Navigate to the directory to which you extracted the drivers. Cut or Copy these, and Paste them into the directory you just created on the bootable USB flash drive. In my example, the file system on the flash drive looks like this:

When done, remove the USB flash drive from your system.

Installing Windows

Insert the bootable USB flash drive in the Dell Precision 5820 or 7920 workstation in question. Power on the device.

At the Dell boot splash page, rapidly tap the F12 key on the keyboard until you see “Preparing one-time boot menu” at the top-right corner of the display.

When the one-time boot menu appears, use the arrow keys on the keyboard to scroll down to the “BIOS configuration” option, then strike the enter/return key on the keyboard to enter the BIOS configuration menu.

The following settings must be set/verified;

  • Secure Boot = Disabled
  • Boot Sequence > Boot Option = UEFI
  • Advanced Boot Options > Legacy Option ROMs = Enabled

Save all changes and reboot the system. Again, at the Dell boot splash page, rapidly tap the F12 key on the keyboard until you see “Preparing one-time boot menu” at the top-right corner of the display.

When the one-time boot menu appears, use the arrow keys on the keyboard to scroll down to your bootable USB flash drive, then strike the enter/return key on the keyboard to boot from your drive.

The Windows installer should now load. Continue through the Installation menu as you normally would until you reach the “Where do you want to install Windows?” screen.

At this screen, click “Load driver” and navigate to the directory on your bootable USB flash drive. Select the directory of the appropriate AHCI/SATA driver, then load the driver. The installer will do some scans, then return you to the screen above. If no drive appears at this point, that is normal.

Again, click “Load driver” and repeat the previous step, but this time selecting the appropriate RAID driver from the directory on your bootable USB flash drive. Load the driver. Once both drivers are loaded, you should now see the drive(s) in question available.

Proceed with the Windows installation as normal.


Additional Resources

Dell Precision 5820/7920: Imaging Steps for NVMe Drives in the Flex Bay

Dell Service Tag Lookup

Intel Rapid Store Technology Enterprise F6 Driver v5.3.1.1019_A03 – Download

Rufus – Download