107 replies to this topic

[sanbarrow]

@ Peter

I found the cmd.script and where to put it.
Thanks

Now how do I add files ?

Ulli

[pscEx]

@ Peter

I found the cmd.script and where to put it.
Thanks

Now how do I add files ?

Ulli

It depends on what you want to do.

A very important rule:
Never use hardcoded names for language dependent folders e.g. 'Programme' or 'Programs'

If the above rule can be fullfilled:
To copy single files or dirs, you use the WinBuilder commands

FileCopy,"FromFile","ToDir" 

DirCopy,"FromDir","ToDir"

The "FromFile" accepts (limited) wildcards
You can rename a file by using

FileCopy,"FromFile","ToDir\newName"

If there are language dependent names, please post what you want to do.
buildModel offers some possibilities I'll then explain.

Peter

[sanbarrow]

Peter - thanks for your guidance


I first need to add a directory into i386\system32 named "shell"

Do I put that dir into
..\Projects\nativeEx_barebone\Basic\Shells ?
and write code like this ?

DirCopy,"shell","i386\system32\shell"

Next I need this dir to be in the path - do you have a prefered way to do that ?

A very important rule:
Never use hardcoded names for language dependent folders e.g. 'Programme' or 'Programs'

I don't like localized directory names but anyway - maybe I can live with that.
Do you have the ramdisk-path in a variable as well ???
Where do you have %temp% ?
Do you still use a %ramdrv% variable ?

[pscEx]

Do I put that dir into
..\Projects\nativeEx_barebone\Basic\Shells ?
and write code like this ?

DirCopy,"shell","i386\system32\shell"

I would put it into the 'Worbench'

As you are very new as .script developer, allow me to repeat what a pupil learns on his very first day at school

%BaseDir% is the directory where WinBuilder.exe is installed. 'Everything' in WinBuilder is related to %BaseDir%.

The Workbench is %BaseDir%\WorkBench\%ProjectName%
It contains two subfolders

• Cache
• UserData

BTW: the complete paths to them are as variables:

• %ProjectTemplates%=%GlobalSupport%\%ProjectName%\UserData
• %ProjectCache%=%GlobalSupport%\%ProjectName%\Cache

I would create a subdir '%BaseDir%\WorkBench\%ProjectName%\UserData\MOA' and put everything there.

Now, after defioning the source of your files, let's speak about the target.

As you want to have the files inside your PE, yoy have to copy them there.
The 'source code' of your PE resides in a path which you did define (or did not and use the default) in the WinBuilder' path tab.

Inside WinBuilder you have the path as variable %TargetDir%
Therefore %TargetDir%\i386\system32\shell would be correct.

Now an additional lesson for a noob:

In order to be project independent, there exists a variable %target_sys%, which in our case is %TargetDir%\I386\System32.
You do nothing wrong -and remain compatible for the future- if you use this variable.

The code you need, after copying all files to the buffer as mentined above:

DirCopy,%ProjectTemplates%\MOA,%target_sys%\shell

Do not forget to check before, whether the dir exists!

If,NotExistDir,%target_sys%\shell,DirMake,%target_sys%\shell

Good luck!

Next I need this dir to be in the path - do you have a prefered way to do that ?

I never did this before at build time, and have no idea how to do.
Maybe a batch at boot time with a SETX can handle this.

Peter

[sanbarrow]

As you are very new as .script developer, allow me to repeat what a pupil learns on his very first day at school cheers.gif

On my first day in school I also received a large bag full with sweets and candies - where can I grab that

I would create a subdir '%BaseDir%\WorkBench\%ProjectName%\UserData\MOA' and put everything there.

I see - do I put all moa-specific files here ? - even if I want to copy them to a different location ?
Looks quite straight forward - how do I specify a target directory like moahome\vm\vmware ?
Do you have a variable for the root of the CD ?

(sanbarrow @ Oct 16 2007, 04:45 PM) *
Next I need this dir to be in the path - do you have a prefered way to do that ?

I never did this before at build time, and have no idea how to do.

Maybe a batch at boot time with a SETX can handle this.

In pebuilder I do it like this:

0x2, "ControlSet001\Control\Session Manager\Environment","Path",

"%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\System32;%SystemRoot%\System32\shell;R:\Programs\bin;%SystemRoot%\system32\com;

%SystemRoot%\system32\wbem;%SystemRoot%\system32\wbem\snmp;R:\vm\vmware;R:\bin;"

I guess that method will make your hair stand up

Do I break compatibilty if I use something like that ?

Thanks for your patience with a non-programmer - (Fabrik-malocher)

[pscEx]

I see - do I put all moa-specific files here ? - even if I want to copy them to a different location ?

0x2, "ControlSet001\Control\Session Manager\Environment","Path",

 "%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\System32;%SystemRoot%\System32\shell;R:\Programs\bin;%SystemRoot%\system32\com;

 %SystemRoot%\system32\wbem;%SystemRoot%\system32\wbem\snmp;R:\vm\vmware;R:\bin;"

#1:
Use two or more subfolders below MOA and use two or more DirCopy different for every subfolder

#2:
This code is bad:
Whenever the path already has some contents, it is overwritten here.
BTW: In PEBuilder there is the same bad prog style, but seems that nobody complained it before.

I'm thinking about how to add items to an existing reg entry.
As a current (bad) solution we can do the overwrite in WB, too.
But to give you the code, I need to know the hive where to write to ([AddReg] of BartPE)

BTW: My hair stand up at every time (standard length between 9 and 15 mm, depending on the last visit at the barber)

Peter

[sanbarrow]

Oops - I should have mentioned that the path goes to
[SetupReg.AddReg] in pebuilder.

I hate this in pebuilder as well - you can't add to registry entries as far as I know - just overwrite them completely.

Peter - I need one dir in the main workspace (which may point to the ramdisk - or elsewhere) that is in the path - I use r:\bin - I also use one dir under %programfiles% which has to be in the path. I use R:\programs\bin

How do I do this with variables ?

[pscEx]

Oops - I should have mentioned that the path goes to
[SetupReg.AddReg] in pebuilder.

I hate this in pebuilder as well - you can't add to registry entries as far as I know - just overwrite them completely.

Peter - I need one dir in the main workspace (which may point to the ramdisk - or elsewhere) that is in the path - I use r:\bin - I also use one dir under %programfiles% which has to be in the path. I use R:\programs\bin

How do I do this with variables ?

[Variables]

...

%AddPath1%=%RAMDriveLetter%&#58;\<write first path>

%AddPath2%=%RAMDriveLetter%&#58;\<write second path>



&#91;Process&#93;

...

RegHiveLoad,&#34;WB-Setup&#34;,&#34;%target_sys%\setupreg.hiv&#34;

RegWrite,&#34;HKLM&#34;,0x2,&#34;WB-Setup\ControlSet001\Control\Session Manager\Environment&#34;,&#34;Path&#34;,&#34;#%pSystemRoot#%p;#$pSystemRoot#%p\System32;#$pSystemRoot#%p

\System32\shell;#$pSystemRoot#%p\system32\com;#$pSystemRoot#%p\system32\wbem;

#$pSystemRoot#%p\system32\wbem\snmp;%AddPath1%;%AddPath2%&#34;

RegHiveUnLoad,&#34;WB-Setup&#34;

In an 'Expert' script the variables can be replaced by user definable GUI elements.

Please remember: The RegWrite is one line, split by me for readibility!

Peter

[sanbarrow]

Thanks Peter

should I do this in the same moa.script - which is an edit of the cmd.script ?

@ galapo

I uploaded patchman -code here
http://sanbarrow.com...topic.php?t=901

Maybe we can combine the offline-sysprep tool you made with this and maybe also include Cdob last strike ...

Ulli

[pscEx]

should I do this in the same moa.script - which is an edit of the cmd.script ?

You not only should, you must!

Then after all, there is one MOA.Script which can be added by the user to his / her project.

No user wants to add a selection of scripts, if he / she wants to add one functionality.

(Maybe there are reasons to divide, which are currently unknown for me. But for the start my above statement is valid)

Peter

[sanbarrow]

Peter - in pebuilder we have a millions of infs in the plugin-dir and you have to use really nasty names to make sure they are processed in the right order.

How do you manage that with winbuilder ?

I mean - how do you make sure that no other script later overwrites one of the essential entries in the moa.script ?

I also have a question about the way you register dlls - there is some option in winbuilder :

use DLL init at build-time rather than at boot-time

For VMware I need to register a couple of dlls - what is the prefered way to do this ?

By the way - now I understand why boot-land.net has all the smart guys - you are really helpful


Next question:
how do I add files that must be copied from the windows-source ?

Oh dear - one more

With moa-launcher I use imdisk but do not start it at boot.
I only start it if you do not select any redirection of R: at the cheatcodes-prompt.
How do I make sure that imdisk is not automatically started ?

[pscEx]

Peter - in pebuilder we have a millions of infs in the plugin-dir and you have to use really nasty names to make sure they are processed in the right order.

How do you manage that with winbuilder ?

I mean - how do you make sure that no other script later overwrites one of the essential entries in the moa.script ?

I also have a question about the way you register dlls - there is some option in winbuilder :


For VMware I need to register a couple of dlls - what is the prefered way to do this ?

By the way - now I understand why boot-land.net has all the smart guys - you are really helpful


Next question:
how do I add files that must be copied from the windows-source ?

Oh dear - one more

With moa-launcher I use imdisk but do not start it at boot.
I only start it if you do not select any redirection of R: at the cheatcodes-prompt.
How do I make sure that imdisk is not automatically started ?

Please be patious!

I just decided to stop for today.
I'll answer tomorrow.

This 'teaching' really is a hard job for me and makes me tired.

Let me explain:
Having crazy ideas and code them maybe for 15 hours a day, is a pleasure and somewhy relaxing.
Hunting bugs, even w/o source code, just by logical considerations, maybe for 15 hours a day, is a pleasure and somewhy relaxing.

When explaining something, I'm always assuming that the partner has my level of knowledge.
And in every word I write I have to remember that this is wrong and I'm teaching somebody about things he / she does not know.
That is hard work!

So, see you tomorrow.

Peter

[was_jaclaz]

It's been a bit since I had a similar occasion, so here is it :

Please be patious!

...maybe it is a Poet's license :
http://www.time.com/...,338170,00.html

His work hasn't changed; it's I who am different.
I'm older, much older, my joints much stifferent.
The Nash I grew out of, I've grown into again.
He seems much the wisest of the funny old men:
Not grouchy but gracious, not silly — sagacious,
Not restless but patious in all the right placious,
Indulgent observer of each human foible,
Like the lady whose birthday is hardly enjoible:

...or a classic latin "area, usually paved, adjoining a house and used as an area for outdoor lounging, dining, etc."





jaclaz

[pscEx]

It's been a bit since I had a similar occasion, so here is it :



...maybe it is a Poet's license :
http://www.time.com/...,338170,00.html


...or a classic latin "area, usually paved, adjoining a house and used as an area for outdoor lounging, dining, etc."





jaclaz

(I'm still here, I only do not feel ready to continue the lesson)

Peter

[sanbarrow]

(I'm still here, I only do not feel ready to continue the lesson)

Peter

Peter - no problem - I am not in a hurry and usually don't hack 15 hours a day ;-)

I just have 2 weeks holiday right now and can allow me the leisure to follow some crazy ideas like porting something to winbuilder without need to do so.

By the way - I already have learned enough to keep me busy the next few days.

Thanks for your patious so far

Ulli

[pscEx]

Peter - no problem - I am not in a hurry and usually don't hack 15 hours a day ;-)

I just have 2 weeks holiday right now and can allow me the leisure to follow some crazy ideas like porting something to winbuilder without need to do so.

By the way - I already have learned enough to keep me busy the next few days.

Thanks for your patious so far

Ulli

[German?]
Denn ma prost!
[/German?]
What's the last day where we have to have created a perfect WB MOA disk?


Peter

[MedEvil]

> @ MedEvil
> You are kidding - aren't you ?
Not at all.

> All programs I know write to to home-dir AND to the programfiles-dir.
No they don't, they write eighter to home dir or program files. I don't know of any prog which writes to both.

> Well - how do you run for example paintshop or dreamweaver or whatever from a regular winbuilder-CD ?
No idea about dreamweaver but my old PaintshopPro 6 runs fine from CD.

> Do you want to copy all of these apps to ramdisk before you use them ?
No, never did this.

> Why do you think do all this plugins for pebuilder exist that extract an sfx-archive in to ramdisk ?
> I no longer have to use this sfx-hack.
Copying the whole program to a ramdisk is the amateur or script kiddy way to do it. I found it not once necessary to do.

> Programs like paintshop that do not need any plugins - or scripts - may still want to write ini-files inside the programs-dir
> How do you manage that if you got them located on read-only media ???
There are very few programs which will not work from a ro media (Usually some Apps made portable, that work fine from ro media if used the normal way! Firefox is a good example. The normal install works better in a liveCD than the portable version)
If you really can't live without them, you still have FBWF.

> Come on - give that idea a chance
Never said anything against your idea. It just seems to me, that you know too little about what is already possible and only want to keep doing things the way you did them before. But you have my blessing.

> With my MOA - layout I only need to write plugins for apps that need kernel drivers which can not be launched easily otherwise.
>Hey - I can run things like Virtual PC or Virtual Box from MOA without writing a plugin - I just install them when I want to use them.
Well this is an advantage. But you need to have some rw medium for that or alot of ram and if you give us eighter one of those, we can do it too!

> With MOA-layout I can add 20 apps to my built in the time you write a script for one - if you are fast.
> I don't even have to rebuild the full CD - I just add a changed vmdk and make a new ISO.
You'd be surprised! Iit takes about 5 to 10 seconds to create a script from a program, if no registry entries are needed.
Something really complicated takes the setuptime, the configuring time and then 30 seconds to make the script. PSP and other apps that size, take a few minutes. (For encoding them into the script! )
What is really time consuming, is the writing of the user options for a script as those are 100% hand made.

> You may say - why I want to run paintshop from a LiveCD ?
>Well - I don't use it often - I just have paintshop in one of my optional vmdks and load it on demand.
>I do not regard this Live Cds as a rescue platform - I regard them as homeusers system of tomorrow.
No, i absolutely agree with you on this. Though i tend to see a PE as an portable emergency OS. Something that enables you to keep on working or whatever, in case of an desaster or if you're simply on another computer.

>Unless you are a gamer or need some fancy hardware y
I have it seen, LiveCD can even be used for that.

> If an app doesn't work from MOA - just run it inside a VM.
Know of any VM being able to deal with firewire devices? Or directDraw or ...or...

> Some of the MOA-users already replaced their regular Windows and are very happy with the results.
Can't quit understand that. MOA is an OS running in a VM isn't it?


>I use this layout since about 2 years - and it is very solid and easily manageable - so I really would hate to go one step back
>and use your layout for a port to winbuilder.
I can see no reason why you shouldn't write a simple script to change a few registry settings.
All the scripted applications should be fine with being moved around, as long as you don't take them out of the program files folder.

[sanbarrow]

Never said anything against your idea. It just seems to me, that you know too little about what is already possible and only want to keep doing things the way you did them before. But you have my blessing.

MedEvil - you are dead on target here

Yes - I don't really know much about your way.

I am frightened when I see all this variables in your .script stuff
In Moa I just have 5 plugins for the system-core + some additional VMware-plugins.
Everything else just works without writing code.
That was so easy - for a non-programmer

I know a lot about this VMware in PE business but the rest ?
I am happy that it works.

Maybe I would have to make just some minor changes in my stuff to make it adopt easily ...
On the other hand - MOA works so good that I really don't see need to change anything ...

Nevermind - if this chat results in a VMplayer for Winbuilder and me still continue the way I do it was still worth it.

> All programs I know write to to home-dir AND to the programfiles-dir.

No they don't, they write eighter to home dir or program files. I don't know of any prog which writes to both.

When you install some app it first writes to programs - then when you use it - it writes to home.
I don't have a very static programs dir - I often install apps on the fly ...

[Galapo]

On my first day in school I also received a large bag full with sweets and candies - where can I grab that
I see - do I put all moa-specific files here ? - even if I want to copy them to a different location ?

Gday Ulli,

In time if the files are redistributable you may want to encode them in your script so you just have to distribute the one file which contains everything that's needed. This way you could just extract files to %Target_prog%\%ProgramFolder% or whatever without having files located in your %ProjectTemplates% folder if they can be encoded..

@ galapo

I uploaded patchman -code here
http://sanbarrow.com...topic.php?t=901

Maybe we can combine the offline-sysprep tool you made with this and maybe also include Cdob last strike ...

Thanks for that. We'll see what we can do... A combination seems a good suggestion.

Regards,
Galapo.

[sanbarrow]

@ medEvil

> Some of the MOA-users already replaced their regular Windows and are very happy with the results.
Can't quit understand that. MOA is an OS running in a VM isn't it?

How do I explain ? - well maybe an example of a user.

Some guy who has to travel around a lot has a notebook with sensible customer data.
This guy runs all the apps he needs at a customers site inside a VM. No problem with office and co.
He decided not to install any operating system on his travel notebook.
He encrypted the whole disk with truecrypt.
When he is at a customer's site he boots moape from a USB-stick - mounts the truecrypt-disk of the notebook and runs his VMs.

You may regard moape as the leanest possible host for VMware.
If you run most or all of your apps in a VM anyway - you may consider not to install a regular OS at all.
This has the advantage that you can no longer mess up your system again.
The CD will always boot up as clean as when you made it.
Thats a host system that is virus-free on reboot.

We have some problems obviously - USB is tricky, firewire is only experimental in current VMware, there is no directX9 or hi-end-sound ...
But some can live with that.

[pscEx]

Peter - in pebuilder we have a millions of infs in the plugin-dir and you have to use really nasty names to make sure they are processed in the right order.

How do you manage that with winbuilder ?

I mean - how do you make sure that no other script later overwrites one of the essential entries in the moa.script ?

If you look into a script, in the [Main] section there is a key 'level'.

Script are processed

• by level
• by folder where they reside in
• by script name

I also have a question about the way you register dlls - there is some option in winbuilder :

I wrote the script OLESupport.Scipt.

It can perform two different jobs:
(samples from Explorer.Script)

• regsvr32 /s > Run,%OLESupportScript%,Register-DLL,shimgvw.dll"
• regsvr32 /s /i /n > Run,%OLESupportScript%,Install-DLL,shell32.dll,browseui.dll,shdocvw.dll

how do I add files that must be copied from the windows-source ?

CopyOrExpand,%source_win%\??????.???,%target_win%

CopyOrExpand,%source_win%\??????.???,%target_win%\inf

CopyOrExpand,%source_win%\??????.???,%target_sys%

CopyOrExpand,%source_win%\??????.???,%target_sys%\drivers

etc. ...

To see all the variables, have a look into script.project

With moa-launcher I use imdisk but do not start it at boot.
I only start it if you do not select any redirection of R: at the cheatcodes-prompt.
How do I make sure that imdisk is not automatically started ?

In the ImDisk.Script, comment the lines

If,%pCheckBox2%,NotEqual,True,RegWrite,"HKLM",0x1,"WB-Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx\100","100","hiderun /w imdisk -a -t vm -m %RAMDriveLetter% -s %pTextBox1%%Unit% -p #$q/fs:%Format% /q /v:%pTextBox2% /y %Compress%#$q"

 If,%pCheckBox2%,Equal,True,RegWrite,"HKLM",0x1,"WB-Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx\100","100","imdisk -a -t vm -m %RAMDriveLetter% -s %pTextBox1%%Unit% -p #$q/fs:%Format% /q /v:%pTextBox2% /y %Compress%#$q"

[OFFTOPIC]Now I have a question to you:
I'm in the end phase of my VMWare.Script, which installs WS 5.x to the PE.
I want to test in a VM, rather on every change to burn a new CD.

You anwhere wrote, which changes are to applied to VMWare in order to run in a VM
Because I do not remember where, can you repead here?
[/OFFTOPIC]

EDIT by jaclaz:
The "OFFTOPIC" is now here:
http://www.boot-land...?...c=3319&st=0

Peter

[sanbarrow]

[OFFTOPIC]Now I have a question to you:
I'm in the end phase of my VMWare.Script, which installs WS 5.x to the PE.
I want to test in a VM, rather on every change to burn a new CD.

You anwhere wrote, which changes are to applied to VMWare in order to run in a VM
Because I do not remember where, can you repead here?
[/OFFTOPIC]

Peter - thanks again for your patience and teaching.
It is much appreciated.

Hey - this is not offtopic at all - my first intention is to see how VMware runs on top of winbuilder.
If you are already looking into it - thats fine with me.

Ulli

EDIT by jaclaz:
sanbarrow's reply to the "OFFTOPIC" is now here:
http://www.boot-land...?...c=3319&st=0

[MedEvil]

When you install some app it first writes to programs - then when you use it - it writes to home.
I don't have a very static programs dir - I often install apps on the fly ...
[/quote]
If you wanna install a program to program files, you, of course, need it writable. I thought we were talking about preinstalled applications! Little misunderstanding.

[MedEvil]

We have some problems obviously - USB is tricky, firewire is only experimental in current VMware, there is no directX9 or hi-end-sound ...
But some can live with that.

Ok, the questions is, why, if you don't have to?

This has the advantage that you can no longer mess up your system again.
The CD will always boot up as clean as when you made it.
Thats a host system that is virus-free on reboot.

You know that you don't need a VM to have an undoable drive, don't you?

[sanbarrow]

> Ok, the questions is, why, if you don't have to?

> You know that you don't need a VM to have an undoable drive, don't you?

I don't want an undoable drive - I want no drive at all

MedEvil - when I started with VMware at version 2 it was hardly usable.
Nowadays many programs already run faster in a VM.
For example autocad - I like to do 3d-design occasionally - it is faster if run in a VM than if run on the host.
I only have one app that I can not run in a VM - that is Cubase - a harddisk recording musicians program.
On tomorrows hardware I maybe able to use Cubase in a VM as well.

Nowadays I use a OpenBSD-VM to dial DSL.
I use a Knoppix -VM for regular surfing.
A 2000 VM runs autocad and some old paintshop.
...
I can store all this VMs in USB-disks and carry them around.
Moa runs this VMs as fast as a regular Windows-install.

Next logical step: format C: and never install a Windows again