deploy-win patched its input into vm_dir/install-noprompt.iso and only its
own sidecar cache could skip the repack — so feeding an already-patched ISO
(e.g. from `template patch-win-iso`, or via --win-iso) triggered a wasteful
second extract+repack that double-injected the answer files.
deploy-win now detects a patched input (autounattend.xml present at the ISO
root via `iso_patch.iso_has_root_file`) and uses it as-is, skipping Step 4.
Raw ISOs are still patched once and cached as before.
Add `ci template check-win-iso`: parse the massgrave windows-server-links
markdown source on GitHub for the newest Windows Server 2025 build, file
name and link, and report whether it is already in <CI_ROOT>/iso/. The
download itself stays manual — the massgrave link is behind a Cloudflare
Turnstile file host, not scriptable.
Add `ci template patch-win-iso --in ISO [--out ISO]`: standalone equivalent
of deploy-win Step 4 — inject autounattend.xml + post-install.ps1 and a
no-prompt boot image into a manually downloaded ISO, producing a
ready-to-deploy `.patched.iso`.
winimage/massgrave.py does the parse (no auto-download). RUNBOOK §5
documents the check → download → patch → deploy workflow. Coverage 93.6%.
On a Linux host the UUP converter only produces the RTM install.wim (build
26100.1), so Windows Update had to install the entire cumulative anyway —
the UUP download/convert machinery added a slow ~5 GB step and several host
tools (aria2/wimtools/cabextract/chntpw) for no benefit.
Replace it: deploy-win now takes the install ISO directly via `--iso-url`
(urllib download + cache by file name under <CI_ROOT>/iso/, optional
--iso-sha256) or a local `--win-iso` (exactly one required). Patch + deploy
flow is unchanged. Supply an already-updated ISO (e.g. a massgrave link) to
skip the WU step entirely.
- Remove winimage/uup.py and its tests.
- Trim setup-host-linux.sh deps to p7zip-full + xorriso + genisoimage.
- Update RUNBOOK §5 and the Windows-host port plan. Coverage 93.6%.
The ISO repack (extract + xorriso, ~minutes) ran on every deploy. Cache it
per VM dir: store an inputs key (base ISO size+mtime + rendered
autounattend.xml + post-install.ps1) in a `.iso.inputs` sidecar next to
install-noprompt.iso. Step 4 skips the repack when the patched ISO and a
matching sidecar already exist, and re-patches automatically when the base
ISO or either answer file changes.
A headless CI build VM has no USB devices — input is the VMware PS/2
keyboard/mouse + SVGA console. Drop the usb/ehci/usb_xhci controllers from
the generated VMX (one explicit `usb.present = "FALSE"`), trimming device
enumeration at boot. Step 9's usb* line stripping becomes a harmless no-op.
New `ci template deploy-win` builds the Windows Server 2025 template VM on
the Linux host, mirroring the legacy Deploy-WinBuild2025.ps1 ten-step flow
in Python:
- winimage/uup.py: resolve the newest (or pinned) WS2025 build via the
uupdump API and build a cached, MS-signed ISO via the uup converter.
- winimage/autounattend.py + assets/: render autounattend.xml and the
guest post-install.ps1 (ported from the PS heredoc; VMware Tools now
mounted as a 2nd CD, scanned at first logon).
- winimage/iso_patch.py: xorriso repack injecting the answer files at the
ISO root and swapping the EFI boot image to efisys_noprompt.bin
(no "press any key" prompt — essential for an unattended headless install).
- commands/template.py: the deploy-win command + _winbuild_vmx_lines
(the 82-key VMX), _remove_vmx_lines, _wait_install_flag, _vmrun_soft_stop.
Acquire → patch → VMDK → VMX → install → flag wait → strip media +
NIC e1000e→vmxnet3 → verify IP → cold snapshot.
Deterministic by build (--build), with --win-iso to bypass UUP. Tests
mirror the prepare-win mocking style; total coverage 93%.
Simone