§6.6 Tier-1 Toolchain (Git for Windows, 7-Zip) now included in final
state validation. Checks:
- 'Git for Windows (git.exe in PATH)'
- '7-Zip (7z.exe in PATH)'
Added to both initial validation pass and re-validation pass (post-remediation).
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Implement §6.6 minimal viable product: install Git for Windows and 7-Zip
to the template VM. Critical prerequisites for §3.3 (In-VM Git clone).
Step 11 additions:
- Git for Windows (latest LTS configurable) — silent installer, adds to PATH
- 7-Zip (latest stable configurable) — MSI installer to Program Files
- SHA256 hash pinning for both tools (currently unpinned, warn at runtime)
- Assert-Step validation for git/7z command availability
- Final pre-snapshot gate checks for both tools + cleanup of installers
Parameters added:
- -GitVersion (default: 2.47.0.windows.1)
- -SevenZipVersion (default: 24.07)
Rationale:
- Enables §3.3 in-VM Git clone (git clone directly in VM instead of host-zip-transfer)
- Supports cross-platform builds and multi-tool workflows
- Fallback from §3.2 7-Zip compression finally available in template
- Positions for future expansion of Tier-1 tools (NSIS, CMake, Node.js, WiX, etc.)
Updated documentation:
- Setup-WinBuild2025.ps1 docstring: Step 11 added to list + step ordering rationale
- Removed NOTE about Git not being installed
- Final validation now checks: 9 assertions (was 7)
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Activates Windows against kms8.msguides.com before Windows Update runs
so WU sees correct license state. Uses cscript //NoLogo to route slmgr
output to stdout (dialogs hang in WinRM sessions). Best-effort: activation
failure emits a warning but does not abort Setup — CI builds function
within the grace period.
Placed between Step 3 (WinRM/network confirmed) and Step 4 (user creation).
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
$sdFiles is $null when SoftwareDistribution\Download is empty. StrictMode
throws on $null.Count. @($sdFiles).Count safely returns 0 for null.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
PS 5.1 treats GenericMeasureInfo.Sum as absent (not null) when the input pipe
is empty. StrictMode throws 'property Sum cannot be found'. Replace Measure-Object
with an explicit foreach loop for SoftwareDistribution size reporting.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Two persistent Validate-SetupState failures despite §7.4 fixes:
1. wuauserv — Setup's Assert-Steps pass at exit but WaaSMedicSvc (tamper-protected,
cannot be disabled) polls SCM ~30-60s and resets StartType to Manual.
Fix: write Start=4 directly to registry key (SCM API alone is overrideable);
deny WaaSMedicSvc write access to wuauserv registry key via ACL (best-effort,
non-fatal if WinRM session lacks permission); re-enforce Start=4 after DISM
in Cleanup; add Pre-Final re-affirmation block before Final gate.
2. AutoAdminLogon — Step 5c re-affirms it mid-script, but Steps 7-10 take hours
and no Final gate check catches a late reset. Fix: add Pre-Final re-affirmation
block (same as wuauserv) + add Assert-Step 'Final' 'AutoAdminLogon=1' to Final gate.
Also update WinISO default path to April 2026 refresh ISO.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Test-WSMan in Windows PowerShell 5.1 does not support -SessionOption (WSManSessionOption),
causing "Cannot find a parameter matching the name 'SessionOption'" at runtime.
Prepare-WinBuild2025.ps1:
- Remove Test-WSMan connectivity check step entirely
- Open New-PSSession directly (handles -SkipCACheck via PSSessionOption)
- Wrap New-PSSession in try/catch with the same actionable error message
- Remove $wsmOpt (WSManSessionOption) — no longer needed
Wait-GuestWinRMReady: replace Test-WSMan probe with New-PSSession probe + Remove-PSSession
Wait-VMReady.ps1:
- Remove $wsmOpt entirely
- Replace Test-WSMan -UseSSL -SessionOption with Test-NetConnection -Port 5986
(TCP open on 5986 = HTTPS listener up = VM ready; credentials not available here)
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Fix emerged during §7.4 e2e test run (2026-05-10):
- Deploy: set UsoSvc to Manual explicitly (Server 2025 default = Automatic)
- Setup cleanup: re-apply Set-Service Disabled on wuauserv/UsoSvc after DISM
StartComponentCleanup (WaaSMedicSvc resets StartType during component store cleanup)
- Deploy + Setup: add Administrator autologin (AutoAdminLogon, DefaultUserName,
DefaultPassword, DefaultDomainName) in post-install.ps1; Assert-Step 5c validates it
- Add Validate-DeployState.ps1: standalone host-side check of all Deploy-set state
- Add Validate-SetupState.ps1: standalone host-side check of full post-Setup state
- Mark §7.4, §7.1 and §7.2 e2e validation items as complete in TODO.md
- Update docs: WINDOWS-TEMPLATE-SETUP.md (arch table, validation scripts section,
autologin in confine Deploy/Setup); TEST-7.4-e2e.md checklist marked done
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
template/Deploy-WinBuild2025.ps1:
New host-side script that drives the unattended Windows install phase:
creates the VM, injects autounattend.xml (disabling Defender/firewall/UAC
before Setup-WinBuild2025.ps1 runs), boots from ISO, waits for first-boot.
template/autounattend.template.xml:
WiM-based answer file template for Windows Server 2025 unattended install.
Sets DisableAntiSpyware GPO + RTP off so Defender is fully off at first
logon (prerequisite for Setup-WinBuild2025.ps1 Step-2 validation-only path).
TODO.md:
- Date + wording updated (2026-05-10)
- §1.1: file refs updated to post-refactor line numbers (Step 3 WinRM,
Deploy-WinBuild2025 Enable-PSRemoting, Invoke-RemoteBuild, Get-BuildArtifacts)
- §1.2: TrustedHosts audit status corrected (Setup-Host.ps1 never sets '*';
Prepare appends IP and restores in finally)
- §1.3: Python/dotnet/VS Build Tools line refs updated
- §1.5: PAT security constraints expanded with grep-on-log safety net rule
- §1.6: Defender/Firewall/UAC state updated to reflect Deploy vs Setup split
- §3.3 deploy reference: VMX path corrected to CI-WinBuild.vmx
- §3.3 doc ref: WINDOWS-TEMPLATE-SETUP updated to list Deploy step
Setup-WinBuild2025.ps1 (Step 2):
- Defender is now disabled at deploy time by Deploy-WinBuild2025.ps1 via
DisableAntiSpyware=1 GPO + RTP off during unattended install.
- Step 2 reduced to a single Assert-Step sanity check (GPO key present = 1).
Exclusion paths removed: scanner is not running, they would be moot.
Prepare-WinBuild2025.ps1 (Setup invocation):
- Replace one-shot Invoke-Command + manual 're-run with -SkipWindowsUpdate'
message with an automated loop (max 10 iterations):
* Invoke-GuestSetup helper runs Setup inside the VM and returns exit code.
* Exit 3010 (ERROR_SUCCESS_REBOOT_REQUIRED) triggers Restart-Computer on
the guest, waits for WinRM via Wait-GuestWinRMReady (20 min timeout),
reopens PSSession and loops.
* Exit 0 breaks the loop; any other code throws immediately.
* Hard cap prevents infinite loops if WU never converges.
Simone