ghost readme.. good for a laugh

[blakerwry]

Heh, found this old readme of ghost 1.x I thought it was funny reading.. dongles.. insane prices... bah! The tyrany and bullshit has gone on too long! glad prices are quite a bit cheaper now.

readme.gho Notes on Ghost release 1.4.7 Mon 30-Sep-96
-----------------------------------------------------------------
What's new
----------
1) 1.3.6 upwards allows batch processing. Try:
GHOST -H
for a list of valid switches.

2) Ghost in NetBios slave mode will not timeout as in previous versions.

3) GHOST -RB
Reboots Ghost automatically after clone finished

4) GHOST -FX
Exits after clone finishes, allowing further batch processing

5) Dongles (hardware keys) are no longer needed. On purchasing customers
receive a software key which overcomes the evaluation copy timeout.
Ghost is priced depending on the maximum number of computers which
will be using Ghost at the same time.

Summary
--------
The main purpose of Ghost is to allow fast setup of Win95, Win NT and
OS/2 workstations.

Ghost is a utility program which allows copying complete disks, either
from one computer to another (via NetBios) or on the same computer,
via a disk to disk copy.

It also allows complete disk images to be dumped to a file, or loaded from
a file back to a disk.

The target disk does not need to be partitioned (with FDISK) or FORMATed.

The disks do not have to be the same size, or have the same physical
characteristics (eg sectors per track). Ghost will copy all partitions,
including non-Dos partitions (eg Diagnostic partitions and Power saving
partitions on NoteBook computers).

Dos (including Windows,W95 and OS/2 Fat) partitions may be expanded or
contracted to fit the destination drive.

Ghost will copy Unix partitions, however the source and destination
drives must be identical for Unix to work on the target drive.

Using Ghost.
------------
Most users will save a disk image of the PC to be cloned on a server disk.
They then boot the PC to be cloned under DOS, connect to the server using
appropriate network software, then load the disk image onto the local PC.

A number of PC's can be loaded from the same image file at the same time,
which speeds the setup process.

To Order
--------
There are a number of ways to order Ghost:
1) Use the "Print'n'Fax" form found on our www site: www.ghost.co.nz
2) Use our toll free number: 1-800-504-9848 and supply credit card details.
(Inside U.S. and Canada only)
3) Outside the toll free area, call +64 4 560 2492
4) Email to sales@ghost.co.nz

Prices depend on the maximum number of computers which will be using Ghost
at the same time. Prices are as follows:

Maximum Price
Users (USD)
--------------------------
1 $245
2 $440
3 $600
4 $760
5 $900
10 $1,500
20 $2,500
30 $3,000
40 $3,600
50 $4,250


Email sales@ghost.co.nz for information on site and enterprise licences.

Support
-------
Please do not use the toll free number for support calls. It is answered
by a sales person, not a support expert. Instead Email all support queries
to: support@ghost.co.nz

Using NetBIOS
-------------
The NetBIOS interface provides peer to peer connection, and allows
cloning of a complete drive to a remote computer.

Both computers must have a network card and be running the minimum
network software needed for a NetBios connection (see below for details).

Ghost should be run on both the source and target simultaneously. Select
"NetBios Slave" for the computer containing the target drive, and "NetBios
Master" for the computer containing the source drive.

Ghost will automatically connect the two computers. Once connected all
dialogue is with the "NetBios Master" computer.

It may be useful to have a special boot diskette which loads just the
software needed by Ghost for the NetBIOS connect. Eg for a NE2000 network
card the following files would be required:

NE2000 INS 677 11-19-93 1:59p
NE2000 COM 21,188 07-30-93 9:38a
IPXODI COM 30,247 10-07-93 4:52p
LSL COM 17,805 09-10-93 3:48p
NET CFG 262 04-21-95 5:54p
NETBIOS EXE 24,402 11-19-93 11:05a

A batch file such as the following MHNET.BAT would be called from
the AUTOEXEC.BAT file (ie CALL MHNET.BAT)

rem MHNET.BAT
LH LSL
LH NE2000
LH IPXODI
LH NETBIOS

Other Software available on "The Net" from Binary Research
----------------------------------------------------------
OneLink - OneLink is a LapLink type utility which allows file transfer
between SCO Unix/Xenix and Dos. (plus Dos to Dos and Unix to
Unix). Transfer is via a standard LapLink type parallel cable
and the average transfer rate is around 6 Megabytes/Minute.

OneLink can also clone a single partition to another (local or
remote) , or dump the entire partition to a file, and then load
the contents of that image file back onto the original partition,
or onto a new partition.

OneLink will only work with Dos/Windows type partitions (FAT),

For further information:

email to: sales@ghost.co.nz

Phone: 1-800-504-9848 (within U.S)
Phone: +64-4-560-2492 (outside U.S)
Fax: +64-9-378-7332

*** End of file ***

 

[Prof.Wizard]

Expensive indeed!

 

[zx]

Humm...Then they wonder why software is used illigally!

 

[blakerwry]

Yes, their prices were similar to what adobe prodicts sell for now. Lucily you can get a copy of ghost for ~$30 when you buy it in the OEM System Works Pro package.

I even got the enterprise version of the newest version of ghost with my last motherboard. (ghost 2002, Soyo Dragon+)


whether it's the low prices or the high prices that encourage piracy, I don't know. But for $30 for such a useful program, I'd be willing to buy it.

 

[honold]

I even got the enterprise version of the newest version of ghost with my last motherboard. (ghost 2002, Soyo Dragon+

mm? ghost enterprise is actually called 'ghost enterprise' and has followed numeric versions - presently on version 7.5. i've never known it to be called by a year or distributed with motherboards.

 

[Mercutio]

There are several different versions, just like there are different versions for Symantec AV software.

The annoying bit to that is, Ghost has WIDELY different abilities depending on whether you have the EE or the consumer version, and how the consumer version was packaged.

 

[honold]

i'm aware that there are different versions. the consumer ones are versioned by 'year', and enterprise continues to be versioned by 'number'. i cannot image why mcast abilities would ship with a motherboard, and i also know that ghost enterprise is not oem'able software because i've tried to negotiate with them.

 

[Mercutio]

Try talking to GE Capital. I bought Ghost EE for $12 a seat in 50 seat quantities. I only needed 28 copies for the job I was doing, and I apportioned the rest to my various builds for awhile.

 

[honold]

i mean to actually become an oem distributor of it, not to purchase oem copies

 

[mubs]

Ghost has WIDELY different abilities depending on whether you have the EE or the consumer version, and how the consumer version was packaged.

Care to elucidate if it isn't too much of a bother?

 

[Mercutio]

The cheap version requires a per-use serial number, won't save to network shares or to CD.

The full consumer version supports saving to network shares, CDs, and USB/firewire drives.

The EE offers mulitcasting, which is a killer thing, since it makes building many identical machines a VERY simple process.

 

[honold]

the 2 biggest ones:

ghostcast, a server capable of sending images via unicast, directed broadcast, or multicast and receiving images via unicast

pxe network booting support, provided by 3com dabs (dynamic access boot services)

 

[mubs]

Thanks, Merc & honold.

 

[blakerwry]

Ghost 2002= 7.0 .. Ghost2003 = 7.5

On the CD it says ghost 2002, when I run the software it says 7.0 Enterprise Edition registered to Soyo.. OEM user...


On the CD, there was Norton this and that, and then a folder with just ghost.exe in it, i downloaded the multicast server and ghost explorer from the internet seperately.

no serial number, supports network shares.. never used the multicast server.. have setup an autorun restoration CD using the software. Does write to my LG burners.