I want to avoid rdesktop + clicking through DNS GUI, but would like to be able to push entries from some other host, preferebly any domain joined machine.
Idea is to have post-join script for Samba AD member that will register DNS entry after joining domain.
Ideas?
There's powershell:
You can run that from your local machine.
Additionally, for one
Arecord, you don't have to use Remote Desktop to use the GUI tools. Pretty much anything that works as a snap-in to the Management Console (including the GUI Windows Server DNS tools) supports running over a network.The first thing you want to do in order to use the GUI is Install the Remote Server Administration Tools, if you haven't already. Unfortunately, the tools change with each version of Windows server, and it varies a bit depending on what OS you're local machine uses.
Once installed, this will give you tools for things like DHCP, DNS, Active Directory Users and Computers, and so on. Some of these tools (like for Active Directory) will use DNS to automatically find where to connect. Others (like DNS) may prompt for a computer to connect to if the appropriate service is not detected locally.
Tools the use the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) interface will generally allow start up pointed at the local machine, but will allow you to right-click on the node at the root of the tree on the left-hand pane and connect to any computer you want to. You'd be surprised what you are able to do using this interface. Some things that people tend to think only work on their own computer, like the Services view, Scheduled Tasks, or Event Viewer, can actually connect to any computer you want to.
Combine this with the ability to create your own templates... you can set up shortcuts to launch MMC with a specific set of Snap-In tools already loaded, targeted at various kinds of high-level tasks... and you end up with something that's actually pretty powerful.
Of course, all of this assumes your local station is running Windows of some type in the first place.