LibreOffice 4.0 and sysprep

We have decided to start utilizing Libre on many of our machines but when trying to create an image for deployment I have run into issues with sysprep.

This is Windows 7 x64 SP1. Setting up the golden image I created desktop icons on the profile that would be copied to the default profile and also set libre to save as MS document types by default since we will be a mixed environment for sometime. Neither of these changes make it through the sysprep process, my desktop icons are gone even though all others make it through the process and the default document save type is set back to ODF.

I am assuming this is by design but with thousands of machines to deal with these settings will need to be included on the image for Libre to be of use to us. Any help would be great!

Command used to sysprep:
/sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:unattend.xml

Sysprep is Microsoft’s system preparation tool:

Desktop deployment is typically performed via disk cloning
applications. Sysprep can be used to prepare an operating
system for disk cloning and restoration via a disk image."

No one seems to know much about this process. I never did figure out how to actually control LO4 during sysprep and have instead moved to calling a script from the setupcomplete.cmd to copy my settings and shortcuts into the default user upon first boot. Doing it this way also insures that every new user that logs into the machine will get the same default setup and desktop icons.

This seems to work well and achieved all of my goals however I view this as a work around and not a real solution. Ideally it would be nice to find out what is tripping the reset to defaults and how to control that process.

Basically the process is this:

configure a users profile the way you want it.

created a folder under system32 that contains the following

one folder containing the profile settings from c:\Users%username%\AppData\Roaming\LibreOffice

one folder containing the desktop shortcuts to be placed in default user

Create a new batch script with the following:

@echo off
REM OfficeSettings.bat
REM ##source =C:\Windows\System32\A_Image_Identity\Office_Settings
REM ##destination 1= C:\Users\Default\AppData\Roaming
REM ##destination 2= C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Roaming

ECHO Setting up LibreOffice 4.0
c:\
cd C:\Windows\System32\A_Image_Identity\Office_Settings
XCOPY /e /h /y /c /i *.* C:\Users\Default\AppData\Roaming
XCOPY /e /h /y /c /i *.* C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Roaming

cd ..
cd C:\Windows\System32\A_Image_Identity\Office_Shortcuts
XCOPY /e /h /y /c /i *.* C:\Users\Default\Desktop
XCOPY /e /h /y /c /i *.* C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop


::EOF
EXIT

Then in c:\windows\setup\scripts you will typically create something like this and call your new batch script from there.

REM SetupComplete.cmd
del /Q /F c:\windows\system32\sysprep\unattend.xml
del /Q /F c:\windows\panther\unattend.xml

REM - Starting Libre Office Setup
start C:\Windows\System32\A_Image_Identity\office_settings.bat

::EOF
exit

On a sysprepped image SetupComplete.cmd will run automatically upon first boot of the machine and will call the officesettings.bat script. This will allow you to setup all setting the way you want them and copy them to the default user. I would advise not setting the user specific info in your default setting since this will be replicated to all further users. I will be using for general settings only.

@Deisel79,

I don’t have any direct experience using sysprep, but I believe that a system designed for backing up or deploying systems via cloning should be compatible with LO and LO’s installation mechanisms. It looks like sysprep is a bit more “clever” than straight cloning, so it’s possible that you might need to tweak your methods.

Please take a look at my Answer to this question:

LO doesn’t have hooks to automate selection of default file format during unattended install, but hopefully that mechanism can be adapted to work with the sysprep tool.

(If you do get this working, please write a quick summary of what you needed to do so that others can follow your instructions :slight_smile:

I can correct this issue via scripts on first boot however I found it odd that LO was effected by sysprep at all. This led me to believe that maybe I would be able to control it through the unattend but I have not found much on the subject yet. I also thought about it being a user based issue but that also does not make sense because the profile that was used to install and configure LO is being copied to the default profile during the sysprep process so all settings should transfer.