More functionality

There's not much I can do with just the standard build. Command prompt isnt even useful I don't have any functions at all I can't cd to C: , I cant use defrag... Also when I try to run an EXE from my harddrive I get an message saying my Temp drive has to have at least 2 MB of free space huh?

Also how do I add programs in? I wanna be able to run Antivir, Ad-Aware, and Spybot off the bootdisk.

That should be possible in the future. Right now the Ground work in being done to make a bootable ISO. You can say were in beta mode right now and squashing bugs.

You can't cut a 150Mb BartPE down to 45Mb without some consequences, a tiny build is great for certain tasks but if you want everything to work you are probably better to stick with BartPE, and use smaller builds only when you have a need for them.

Yup, what dog says is correct. We're sacrificing completeness for experimentation. Ideally, I think we'll have everything modularized in the end so you can add what you need in bits and pieces to end up with a final result that will essentially be what BartPE already is, but for now, some of us are still looking at boot methods (like whether or not to use FreeDOS/HX-DOS/7zip) that give the most flexibility.

I am particularly in two things, the smallest build possible (NanoXP project) and one I'm working on of my own, where any Linux or XP ISO can be booted from a USB drive (not a thumbdrive, an actual usb hard drive of around 10 gig or more)

I'm interested in creating a small recovery disk, BartPE imo, no offense the product is great, it's just bloated. I found that half the fonts that are included in the build are not needed, and it includes language files that I dont plan on using... The build comes out around 200 MB and that's just too much manual editing for me to bring it down to say 100 MB.

Hmm, doesn't look as limited as I thought. I found out that to cd to C: drive you have to use the /D switch. Also I think the main limit is the memory. It seems you can't execute certain things because there's a limit on memory (I think that's what it means by Temp needs at least 2MB of free space) Because the XP build is running off the cd so it must not be using all the memory, just assigning enough to load the boot disk. Or am I wrong? (I have full access to my hard drive I think because CMD doesn't seem to be limited in any way other than the fact that the environment variables aren't setup, e.g. i cant just type in defrag) I've been able to execute Antivir tho off the hard drive but it's not fully functional This is very intriguing. I think I need a RAM drive maybe.... Seems so close to being able to run programs

I think I need a RAM drive maybe....

Ove has already made a ram drive script to support his explorer script, should help you to test that feature.

Good luck with defrag, it would be nice to see it working too..


You have stated an excellent point:

I think because CMD doesn't seem to be limited in any way other than the fact that the environment variables aren't setup, e.g. i cant just type in defrag

Environmental variables could be added by default in the registry from a script at build time - at least for X: ; X:\I386 ; X:\I386\SYSTEM32..

Or are they already added in there..?


I'll check on it later..

Ove has already made a ram drive script to support his explorer script, should help you to test that feature.

I just saw that ima check it out.

Environmental variables could be added by default in the registry from a script at build time - at least for X: ; X:\I386 ; X:\I386\SYSTEM32..

Or are they already added in there..?

Well either it's not there, or there's a problem with reading environment variables (doubt it)

Also I disabled Xoblite and A43 file manager scripts and they're both still included in the ISO/CD after I build.

New Info (running programs off of HD): There seems to be a problem with DLL functionality. Programs that depend on windows api or DLLs won't work correctly. e.g. menus hardly work correctly, error when running defrag "error: loading resource DLL"... this may not be a big problem though because being able to run the programs off the cd is more important than running off the HD. Although idk if this will cause problems running new exe's (that need DLLs) off the CD.

Also I disabled Xoblite and A43 file manager scripts and they're both still included in the ISO/CD after I build.

It happens because you've only overwritten the previous build and not erased.. The first script will create all necessary folders, but won't erase a previously created build..

But perhaps it would be nice if there was an option to erase the target folder when making a new build..

New Info (running programs off of HD): There seems to be a problem with DLL functionality. Programs that depend on windows api or DLLs won't work correctly. e.g. menus hardly work correctly, error when running defrag "error: loading resource DLL"... this may not be a big problem though because being able to run the programs off the cd is more important than running off the HD. Although idk if this will cause problems running new exe's (that need DLLs) off the CD.

There is a little free app called setx that can make global environment variables from command line (it can be found on google) - it would probably help you in this task - you can add your local installed windows path (and don't forget to include System32 as well) to the local environment variables, this should give acess to the missing dependencies (unless they need to be registered - wich complicates things a bit..)



I'm not much of an expert figuring dependencies, but there are a couple of good tools that can assist you this problem, I think process explorer is very good for this, because it will report all dll's that are loaded while the app is running - there are others like dependency viewer, filemon and regmon that can also assist you on this..


It's more a matter of time and pacience to figure how to solve this puzzle..

It happens because you've only overwritten the previous build and not erased.. The first script will create all necessary folders, but won't erase a previously created build..

Oh i see it's because I was trying to delete the ISO file but I needed to delete the Target folder.

But perhaps it would be nice if there was an option to erase the target folder when making a new build..

Or it could be just a button (kinda like clearing cache folder of a web browser)

Guess what? You can save 7 kb by using the --best switch for upx rather than -9 Ima try other options and see what happens

Oh i see it's because I was trying to delete the ISO file but I needed to delete the Target folder.

Or it could be just a button (kinda like clearing cache folder of a web browser)

Seems a good addon..

Guess what? You can save 7 kb by using the --best switch for upx rather than -9 Ima try other options and see what happens

I thought that the --best switch will take much longer than -9..

Well.. standard project compresses 14 files, while nanoxp goes to 40, imagine adding the --best switch as an "extreme" checkbox option...

Seems a good addon..
I thought that the --best switch will take much longer than -9..

Well.. standard project compresses 14 files, while nanoxp goes to 40, imagine adding the --best switch as an "extreme" checkbox option...

Seems a good addon..

I stuck this into the make directories script:
[ClearTarget]
if,ExistDir,%TargetDir%,DirDelete,%TargetDir%

[Interface]
pButton1=Clear,1,8,12,40,80,25,ClearTarget
pTextLabel1="Delete target folder.",1,1,99,43,231,18,8,Normal
Now all I have to do is click that button instead of going into the Open Builder folder everytime just to delete it

Another usefull button would be a button to create a new script inside a project. Also a button to create a project would be nice too. That'd like totally simplify script creation.

Ye --best takes longer i thot my comp locked up but then i checked out task manager and upx was eating up cpu and memory Ima switch back to -9 option because --best adds on quite a bit of time. I dont think an "extreme" checkbox option is needed, it's kinda risky too. I was thinking about trying --overlay=strip but that's a bit dangerous

I stuck this into the make directories script:
[ClearTarget]
if,ExistDir,%TargetDir%,DirDelete,%TargetDir%

[Interface]
pButton1=Clear,1,8,12,40,80,25,ClearTarget
pTextLabel1="Delete target folder.",1,1,99,43,231,18,8,Normal
Now all I have to do is click that button instead of going into the Open Builder folder everytime just to delete it

It will be added on the 047 package..

Another usefull button would be a button to create a new script inside a project. Also a button to create a project would be nice too. That'd like totally simplify script creation.

There's a built-in script create wizard, but I disabled it until I finish some changes - it would cause some unwanted conflicts..

When it's re-enabled, it will work much better..

Ye --best takes longer i thot my comp locked up but then i checked out task manager and upx was eating up cpu and memory Ima switch back to -9 option because --best adds on quite a bit of time. I dont think an "extreme" checkbox option is needed, it's kinda risky too. I was thinking about trying --overlay=strip but that's a bit dangerous

Imagine that on a PIII like the one I use..

It will be added on the 047 package..

I hope it'll be a button next to the run button so that it doesn't have to be put into every project.

There's a built-in script create wizard, but I disabled it until I finish some changes - it would cause some unwanted conflicts..

Cool I was trying to make a that with just a script but gave up

IThere is a little free app called setx that can make global environment variables from command line (it can be found on google)

You can find setx in on your <XP Install CD>\support\tools\support.cab

Peter

It seems you can't execute certain things because there's a limit on memory (I think that's what it means by Temp needs at least 2MB of free space) Because the XP build is running off the cd so it must not be using all the memory, just assigning enough to load the boot disk. Or am I wrong?

You are wrong

the reason for the error is that a CD is, in it's nature, read-only. So, you _do_ need a ramdrive. Oviradoi has made a ramdrive script that seems to work (i have not tested it yet).

hope this clears things up

Ye i checked the ram drive script and looks good. Gives me a 32 MB ram drive and sets up temp dirs as the ram drive sweet