Core is cool, but a bit of GUI can help a lot:

At first look, developing a GUI utility for configuration of Windows Server Core might sound quite absurd. Alas, the whole point of Server Core is a cut down version of Server OS without the overhead of GUI and having some GUI tool to help you configure it would be like walking backwards.

Yet, if you look back at various blogs and articles, you will see that there is a repeating pattern: there is more-or-less predefined set of tasks that you need to do in order to get the installation of Server Core up and running (activation, IP and firewall configuration, domain join, feature installation, configuration of Remote Desktop and etc...). All the tasks are performed at command line, but there is no single utility/interface and for each task you need to know what command to use and what are the parameters required in order to complete the task.

For the IT veterans this will not be an issue, but being Core enthusiast I was also thinking about those that the steep learning curve of Server Core might scare them away and prevent them from enjoying the benefits Server Core brings with it. At this point the idea of developing a small GUI utility for basic configuration of Server Core was born. Well... that and the fact that my good friend Daniel Petri was sitting on my neck and promising a LOT of beer for writing a tool to do the basic configuration stuff (see his article about the tool here).

So here it goes: Daniel, thanks for pushing me to write the tool! Looks like people liked the idea.

Introducing CoreConfigurator

Features:

• Product Activation
• Configuration of display resolution
• Clock and time zone configuration
• Remote Desktop configuration
• Management of local user accounts (creation, deletion, group membership, passwords)
• Firewall configuration
• WinRM configuration
• IP configuration
• Computer name and domain/workgroup membership
• Installation of Server Core features/roles

After installing CoreConfigurator (supplied as MSI package), navigate to the folder where it has been installed and execute CoreConfigurator.exe

Tip: you do not actually need to install the application. The 4 files in the program's folder can be copied and used on other Server Core computers without installing the application)

The main screen:

Continue and download ste source

VIA http://absolutevista.com/

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