Powershell Verifiable in none-Powershell Command

[FN-GM]

Hi,

 

I have a powershell script that does a few bit. I need it so a none powershell program (a .exe) will pickup a powershell Verifiable (is that the word)

 

For example

 

$username = Read-Host "Enter Username"

new-item -itemtype directory -path "C:\$Username

program.exe -t domain\$Username

 

Creating the folder works (just an example). It used the username entered when the script is run. How do i get the $username into the program.exe command further down?

 

Thanks

[jklight]

I use gam to manage my google apps for education so just for fun i tried this:

$username = Read-Host "Enter Username"

new-item -itemtype directory -path "C:\$Username"


c:\gam\gam.exe user $Username language en-GB

 

Worked like a champ! created the folder and modified the users setting in Google apps.

[Cache]

In my user creation script I knocked up before the end of term I used the following to set the owner with icalcs within powershell.

 

icacls.exe $userfolderdirectory /setowner $domuser /t /c /q

 

I assume your getting an error when you run your script, so how about chucking it into a domuser variable like I did (I can't remember why I did it, maybe just because I've used it several times in different places for my script)

 

So your code would become:

 

$username = Read-Host "Enter Username"
$domuser = "domain\" + $username

new-item -itemtype directory -path "C:\$Username

program.exe -t $domuser

 

The other thing I might suggest would be what happens if you just use Username and at the prompt type domain\username?

Edited August 7, 2013 by Cache

[Arthur]

what happens if you just use username and at the prompt type domain\username?

Use parameters, make the username variable mandatory and then validate it with a regular expression so that it's always entered as "Domain\Username".

 

There's obviously a lot more you can do to validate the input, but the example below should give you the general idea.

 

function New-UserArea
{
   param (
       [Parameter(Mandatory=$true,
           HelpMessage="Enter a username in the format domain\username.")]
       [ValidatePattern("\w+\\\w+")]
       [string]$Username
   )

   begin
   {
       ### Set Variables ###

       # Username (with domain part removed)
       $uwd = $Username.split("\")[1]

       # Path to folder
       $path = "$env:SystemDrive\$uwd"
   }

   process
   {
       # Check folder doesn't exist already
       If (-not (Test-Path $path -PathType Container)) {

           # Create folder
           New-Item -Path $path -Type Directory -Force

           # Set '$Username' as the owner
           $acl = Get-Acl $path
           $acl.SetOwner([system.Security.Principal.NTAccount] "$Username")
           Set-Acl $path $acl
       }


   }
}

 

To use the function above (assuming New-UserArea.ps1 is saved on the desktop):

 

http://i.imgur.com/mjgfyVV.png

 

or

 

http://i.imgur.com/A9LooA2.png

 

As the screenshots above show, you can either specify the username as a parameter on the command-line or type the name of the function and it will prompt you for the username.

 

pickup a powershell verifiable (is that the word)

Your thread should be titled "PowerShell variable in non-PowerShell command".

Edited August 7, 2013 by Arthur

[FN-GM]

In my user creation script I knocked up before the end of term I used the following to set the owner with icalcs within powershell.

 

icacls.exe $userfolderdirectory /setowner $domuser /t /c /q

 

I assume your getting an error when you run your script, so how about chucking it into a domuser variable like I did (I can't remember why I did it, maybe just because I've used it several times in different places for my script)

 

So your code would become:

 

$username = Read-Host "Enter Username"
$domuser = "domain\" + $username

new-item -itemtype directory -path "C:\$Username

program.exe -t $domuser

 

The other thing I might suggest would be what happens if you just use Username and at the prompt type domain\username?

 

 

Cheers. I think you are on the right path.

 

I need to tweak it It needs to be program.exe -t doamin\username:P

 

What would that need to be please?

 

Thanks

[Cache]

Cheers. I think you are on the right path.

 

I need to tweak it It needs to be program.exe -t doamin\username:P

 

What would that need to be please?

 

Thanks

 

This is where my ignorance of powershell shows as I learned just what I needed to create my user script.

 

I would guess it will either be:

 

program.exe -t $domuser:P

or if you need to escape the : (don't know whether you do or not)

program.exe -t $domuser'

 

or if neither of those worked the last thing I'd try (and might help meet your needs better if it does work) would be to try and create a string for the program and just passing it that:

 

$username = Read-Host "Enter Username"
$domuser = "domain\" + $username

new-item -itemtype directory -path "C:\$Username

$programparams = "-t " +$domuser + ":P"

program.exe $programparams

 

 

The only external program I've called is icalcs, if it doesn't work then perhaps @Arthur might be able to provide better advice?

 

It's at this point, like you, I'd come asking for help

Edited August 8, 2013 by Cache

[Arthur]

It needs to be program.exe -t domain\username:P

Try this...

 

Start-Process -FilePath "program.exe" -ArgumentList "-t domain\$username:P" -NoNewWindow -PassThru -Wait

 

Is program.exe in the same folder as the PowerShell script or is it a command that's included with Windows?

[FN-GM]

I am basically trying to use Calcs to set permissions. The powershell way looks complicated but this looks just as bad.

[Cache]

I've extracted the variables and bit of script I use for student home directories if that helps, it was fairly easy to use Powershell for the permissions bit (a lot of it was making sure inheritance was right and then just adding the user to it with Full Control) it was changing the owner I could never get to work:

 

$userfolderdirectory = "E:\Users\Students\Intake" + $_.IntakeYear +"\" + $_.SamAccountName
$domuser = "domain\" + $_.SamAccountName
$sharename = $_.SamAccountName + "$"


##Create HomeDirectory and subfolders

# Create Home Directory and the associated redirected folders
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Documents" -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Music" -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Pictures" -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Settings" -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Downloads" -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Settings\Favorites" -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Settings\Links" -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Videos" -ItemType directory

# Create Subject Folders in Documents Directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Documents\Art" -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Documents\Citizenship" -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Documents\Drama" -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Documents\DT" -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Documents\English" -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Documents\History" -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Documents\ICT" -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Documents\IVB" -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Documents\Maths" -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Documents\PE" -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Documents\Science" -ItemType directory
New-Item -Path $userfolderdirectory"\Documents\Spanish" -ItemType directory

## Set permissions and Change Ownership

# Use Powershell to add the user with Full Control to the Folder
$Acl = Get-Acl $userfolderdirectory
$Ar = New-Object  system.security.accesscontrol.filesystemaccessrule($domuser,"FullControl","ContainerInherit, ObjectInherit","None","Allow")
$Acl.SetAccessRule($Ar)
Set-Acl $userfolderdirectory $Acl

# Use icacls to set the user as the Owner of the folder and Sub Directory
icacls.exe $userfolderdirectory /setowner $domuser /t /c /q

## Share the Home Directory

# Use Powershell to create the shared folder
New-SmbShare -Name $sharename -Path $userfolderdirectory -FullAccess Everyone

 

It won't be the recommended way of doing it and it doesn't use functions or anything fancy like that, but it's worked for me so far.... which is all I'm bothered about

Edited August 9, 2013 by Cache

[jklight]

my script for creating students has this to set owner

$acl.SetOwner([system.Security.Principal.NTAccount] $Logon)

I remember it being a lot of trouble to figure out!

[jklight]

please don't use cacls.exe (unless you have Windows Server 2000!) use icacls.exe

cacls has always had problems and even icacls had problems in Server 2003 and 2008 but i am sure i read (and tested) that in 2008 R2 and later those have been fixed!

[Arthur]

please don't use cacls.exe

+1. Use icacls, SetACL or PowerShell itself to set permissions.

 

Using 'calcs' is asking for trouble.

[Cache]

my script for creating students has this to set owner

$acl.SetOwner([system.Security.Principal.NTAccount] $Logon)

I remember it being a lot of trouble to figure out!

 

I tried numerous versions of that, but every time just kept getting Access Denied in my script and could never work it out.

 

Hence I went to icacls.

[FN-GM]

Thanks for the help, i am off work next week but will have a bash when i am back

 

Thanks

[Arthur]

I tried numerous versions of that, but every time just kept getting Access Denied in my script and could never work it out

Did you run it from an elevated PowerShell prompt? The part of the script that sets the owner in post #4 worked for me when I tried it. i.e.

 

$path = "$env:SystemDrive\Example"
$acl = Get-Acl $path

$acl.SetOwner([system.Security.Principal.NTAccount] "Administrators")
Set-Acl $path $acl

[Cache]

Did you run it from an elevated PowerShell prompt? The part of the script that sets the owner in post #4 worked for me when I tried it. i.e.

 

$path = "$env:SystemDrive\Example"
$acl = Get-Acl $path

$acl.SetOwner([system.Security.Principal.NTAccount] "Administrators")
Set-Acl $path $acl

 

Yup, I tried elevated and normal, both just gave Access Denied.

 

It was something to do with Powershell, Windows permissions and using local drives/paths that I didn't really understand but trying to change it to the user who's home directory it was always gave Access Denied.