Introduction

Whenever I log on to a fresh Windows VM (in Azure) to do debugging, I’m missing my favority tool chain, stuff such as Internet Explorer in a usable mode (not locked down to server), Sublime Text2, or Process Explorer. After going through the installation pain too often, I decided to optimize that flow:

  • Have an installation script, versioned in Github
  • Use the Chocolatey approach to kick the tires

To get the magic going, on my laptop, I navigate to https://github.com/chgeuer/AzureConvenience and copy the text at the bottom into the clipboard

@powershell -NoProfile 
	-ExecutionPolicy unrestricted 
	-Command "((new-object net.webclient).DownloadFile(
		'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/chgeuer/AzureConvenience/master/AzureConvenience.cmd', 
		'AzureConvenience.cmd'))" 
&& call AzureConvenience.cmd

Then in the RDP session, I copy the text into a command window, and wait. It uses PowerShell to download my AzureConvenience.cmd batch file, which in turn instally my favorite tool chain. The rest of this post goes though the contents of that batch file.

Tool chain

Bring Internet Explorer into a usable shape

This is a copy/paste from DisableIESecurity script from Richard Astbury.

REM Internet Explorer, thanks a lot. 
REG ADD "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{A509B1A7-37EF-4b3f-8CFC-4F3A74704073}" /v "IsInstalled" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
REG ADD "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{A509B1A8-37EF-4b3f-8CFC-4F3A74704073}" /v "IsInstalled" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
Rundll32 iesetup.dll, IEHardenLMSettings
Rundll32 iesetup.dll, IEHardenUser
Rundll32 iesetup.dll, IEHardenAdmin
REG DELETE "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{A509B1A7-37EF-4b3f-8CFC-4F3A74704073}" /f /va
REG DELETE "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{A509B1A8-37EF-4b3f-8CFC-4F3A74704073}" /f /va
REG DELETE "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main" /v "First Home Page" /f
REG ADD "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main" /v "Default_Page_URL" /t REG_SZ /d "about:blank" /f
REG ADD "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main" /v "Start Page" /t REG_SZ /d "about:blank" /f

Install chocolatey

@powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy unrestricted -Command "iex ((new-object net.webclient).DownloadString('https://chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))" && SET PATH=%PATH%;%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\chocolatey\bin

Use chocolatey to install Sublime Text 2 and put a shortcut onto the desktop

chocolatey install sublimetext2
mklink "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\Sublime Text 2" "%ProgramW6432%\Sublime Text 2\sublime_text.exe"

chocolatey install sysinternals
start "" %SystemDrive%\tools\sysinternals\Dbgview.exe /accepteula

REM Process Explorer
start "" %SystemDrive%\tools\sysinternals\procexp.exe /accepteula
# ping, a.k.a. pause 2000 ms
ping 1.1.1.1 -n 1 -w 2000 >NUL
copy %tmp%\procexp64.exe %windir%\system32
mklink "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\ProcExp64" %windir%\system32\procexp64.exe
start "" %windir%\system32\procexp64.exe

@powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy unrestricted -Command "((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadFile('https://github.com/mridgers/clink/releases/download/0.4.3/clink_0.4.3.zip','clink_0.4.3.zip' ));[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName('System.IO.Compression.FileSystem');[System.IO.Compression.ZipFile]::ExtractToDirectory('clink_0.4.3.zip', '.')"
start "" .\clink_0.4.3\clink_x64.exe autorun -i

Now should should be able to build your own tool installer.

That’s it. Have fun, Christian

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