A Windows domain administrator needs to accomplish quite a bit in a given day: map user shares at login, run hardware and software audits; install the new corporate wallpaper (or other such important software). And do it all transparently to the users. Simple, right? It is, if you use a secret weapon: a login script. In this DevSource article, Lynn Greiner demonstrates how the free language, KiXtart, can help you get the job done.
An Introduction to KiXtart
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
Sounds like hard work
Just can’t see the benefit as compared with vbs and cmd files.
Map user share in a .cmd file: net use k: //server/share
Setting the background image isn’t too difficult either.
Figured the code might be easier to read but I haven’t even found that after browing some of their sample scripts.
I might check it out, but it really doesn’t seem terribly useful given that I’d have to learn yet another scripting language.
…when migrating from Novell to Samba. Tried something pretty smart called “ntlogon” written in Python but ended up writing my own simple scripts in bash..
Another great scripting language is AutoIt – http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/index.php
In my opinion, it is just as easy and more powerful than Kix. One really nice thing about AutoIt, is that you can compile scripts to 150kb .exe files that are completely self-contained and need no extra runtime DLLs.
Also, their forums are really great – much activity and quick responses to questions.
-jftuga
I second that. Autoit is what makes me survive my day as a windows admin. Very powerful.
I can do anything I need to with it (command line or gui) on Windows and I can pack it to a single file EXE easily.
It is a simple language to learn with a great community around it.
Hi,
Strange, I’ve been using `Kickstart’ for 12 years now.
See: http://www.amiga.com/amigaos
Regards, Michael
aka rockape
PS,
I wonder if there is a Copyright infringement here ?
After all, Microsoft used the name `Workbench’ in one of it’s Image processsing programs.
Uh because VBS sucks? The only thing really right with it is it comes with the OS. But I am not sure that is even a benefit. Perl and Tcl are head and shoulders above VBS in every catagory.