Method and apparatus for operating system personalization during installation

• US 6,446,260 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2000
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilde, Martin, Mathur, Atul Kumar, Ashby, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Application Number:
  US09/576,657
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 717/1-3, 717/11, 717/110, 717/111, 717/112, 717/113, 717/168-170, 717/174-175, 709/220-223, 713/1, 713/2
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A method an apparatus for providing personalization parameters to allow an operating system to install itself on a computer system with the provided personalization parameters. A first operating system personalization file is used by the operating system to configure itself. A personalization parameters file is provided and read by an operating system installation process which is initiated in the computer system. The operating system installation process then displays a graphical user interface from which a user to selects personalization parameters with which the operating system is to configure itself. An editing module is executed to edit the operating system configuration file to include at least a portion of the selected personalization parameters so that the operating system is configured with the selected personalization parameters when it installs itself.

Claims

1. A method for providing personalization parameters for an automated operating system installation, comprising:

displaying personalization parameters on a user interface;

allowing a user to select a plurality of said personalization parameters; and

automatically editing an operating system configuration file in response to said user selection, said configuration file edited to include at least a first portion of said selected plurality of personalization parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing said operating system configuration file; and

automatically configuring said operating system with said personalization parameters in said operating system configuration file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically editing a plurality of operating system application programming interfaces (APIs), wherein each of said APIs is edited to include at least one of said personalization parameters in place of said first editing step; and

executing at least one of said APIs to configure said operating system with said included personalization parameters.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring said personalization parameters in groups, each of said groups keyed to at least one unique user identifier of a plurality of unique user identifiers, at least one of said unique user identifiers displayed in said displaying step, at least one of said groups of personalization parameters selectable by said user in said allowing step by said user selecting one of said unique user identifiers keyed to said one of said groups.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said operating system configuration file is a Microsoft Registry database.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said editing step is performed prior to installation of said operating system.

12. The method of claim 3 wherein said editing step is performed after installation of said operating system.

5. An apparatus for providing personalization parameters for an automated operating system installation, comprising:

a operating system configuration file;

a personalization parameters file;

a user interface allowing a user to select a plurality of personalization parameters in said personalization parameters file; and

a first editing module capable of placing at least a first portion of said selected personalization parameters into said operating system configuration file.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising:

a plurality of operating system APIs;

a second editing module in place of said first editing module, said second editing module capable of placing at least one of said selected personalization parameters into each of said operating system APIs; and

an installation module for executing at least one of said operating system APIs.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said personalization parameters file further comprises:

a plurality of user identifiers, said personalization parameters in said personalization parameters file arranged in a plurality of groups, each of said groups keyed to at least one of said user identifiers.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said interface displays said user identifiers such that selection of one of said user identifiers selects said group of personalization parameters keyed to said selected user identifier.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said operating system configuration file is a Microsoft answer file.

13. A computer readable medium including computer executable code for providing personalization parameters for an automated operating system installation, comprising:

code for displaying personalization parameters on a user interface;

code for allowing a user to select a plurality of said personalization parameters; and

code for automatically editing an operating system configuration file in response to said user selection, said configuration file edited to include at least a first portion of said selected plurality of personalization parameters.

14. A computer readable medium including computer executable code for providing personalized parameters for an automated operating system installation, comprising:

code for accessing at least one operating system configuration file;

code for accessing at least one personalization parameters file;

code for providing a user interface allowing a user to select a plurality of personalization parameters in said personalization parameters file; and

code for providing a first editing module capable of placing at least a first portion of said selected personalization parameters into said operating system configuration file.