9 replies to this topic

[CMS]

There are people in this community that have had sucess with their builds, but there are many "others" that have failed. These failures are due to the ..."must go find these files...tweak this...change that"... nature of the development builds.

I suggest that the downloads section of this site be modified to include a "Click and Go" section. The stated purpose of this site is to provide a means to produce quality bootable solutions. This has been accomplished, but there is currently no place where someone can just grab a file, open, execute and get a working solution. Lots of non-programmer types download files to suit their personal needs, but they lack the skill to manipulate code.

This download section should contain only downloads that are complete, with all necessary scripts and support files, pre-packaged in a single .zip archive. The WinBuilder front end for them should present a modified interface, that includes only 3 options:

1. Build a Bootable USB
2. Build a Bootable CD
3. Build an .ISO Image file

and the WinBuilder editor should be stripped out completely (or disabled). Using these "complete" files, anyone who downloads them should end up with a fully operational build. Additionally, because the process is totally automated, and the scripts are not intended to be changed, they can be encrypted, and the author will always get credit for their hard work. The USB has their name, the CD has their name and the .ISO bears their name. Ok, all those could be changed, but a small notice, displayed at boot-up could be imbeded in the build.

The DL page should still contain the builds and scripts, and the full "editor-included" version of WinBuilder, but those sections should be clearly marked that everything there are "works in progress" and that the person that downloads them will have to do some work to get them functional.

Lets "Spread the Love" and make it easy, for anyone visiting the site, to find and DL a complete, working package.

Well there it is, what do you think?

[Brito]

I like the idea for the click and go section, would be nice to see in this section a "frozen" version of each project ready to try out.

As for encrypting scripts, I'd say it's not really a good idea to promote closed developments. We've already had some good experiences with VistaPE in that regard that put us in a bad state when the author stopped working on the project.

Having an installer would solve all the configuration woes. Just point the folder where the windows XP/Vista/7 sources are and put a link on the desktop.

Things get much easier when all you have to do is fire up winbuilder and press the big blue play button.

[CMS]

Oh yeah.....good idea to have that big blue button too. I had intended to say that too, but forgot.

As for the encryption....the "complete" frozen builds are not intended for any changes, the stable development builds provide that. By locking the scripts, you prevent inexperienced downloaders from making strange changes, then saying that it doesn't work. If someone downloads and likes a frozen version, they can always return and DL a build version.

Additionally, I like the idea of being able to "tag" a complete frozen version. I speak only for myself, but it is nice to see your name proudly displayed as the author.

[MedEvil]

CMS you're starting to annoy me.

First of all, all projects work out of the box, if the user does not fiddle with them.
If you know of one that doesn't, contact the project maintainer.

Problems newbies have, mostly come from eighter them having not a suitable source or they have heavily fiddled with the project, without the slightest idea what they do.

Projects downloadable as archives: http://winbuilder.ne...load.php?list.5

[paraglider]

As long as you don't use the latest winbuilder version 81 RC1!

[CMS]

CMS you're starting to annoy me.

First of all, all projects work out of the box, if the user does not fiddle with them.
If you know of one that doesn't, contact the project maintainer.

Problems newbies have, mostly come from eighter them having not a suitable source or they have heavily fiddled with the project, without the slightest idea what they do.

Projects downloadable as archives: http://winbuilder.ne...load.php?list.5

Closed-minded, inflexable individuals are the bane of any community effort. I am very sorry that you are so elite that you reject suggestions. I am quite sure that everything that is not your own idea is worthless, and not worth consideration. If my posts annoy you so much, skip them. Your replies are never constructive, they are all negative and aggressive. Even if you do read my posts, if you have nothing positive to add, just move on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Brito]

No need to go onto extremes on either sides.

There are always things that could use some improvement.

A new section here on the downloads section can probably help to bring more awareness for newbies know where to get "safer" projects.

I remember I was very resistant to the idea of adding a topic with a link to the stable winbuilder.exe on the downloads section but I'm also the first person to admit that I was wrong in my feelings about placing this topic and it was a good idea as it is indeed helping a lot of people finding winbuilder.




Although projects work well out the of the box, it doesn't mean that a lot of things can't go wrong in the process. For example, people might decide to only download the scripts they consider as important and keep all the building scripts out.


Also, we could really use some frozen projects with an installer version to make the entry level really accessible.

Why not?

Let's keep more ideas comin'

[MedEvil]

As long as you don't use the latest winbuilder version 81 RC1!

Every project at least states which version of WB is to use. Most even come with the right version included.

@CMS
I have absolutely nothing against sugestions and new ideas, but you shoot your mouth off before thinking or at least before checking.
You suggest a search feature, which we already have, you suggest that projects should work out of the box, which they do and you suggest that there should be prepacked projects downloadable as archives, which, what a surprise, we already have too.
What's your next suggestion? That someone should invent the wheel?

Fresh blood and fresh ideas are always a good thing.
But i would suggest, that you first familiarize yourself a bit with the topic, you wanna make suggestions about.

[paraglider]

I think all you are doing is proving @CMS points:

1) Its a mess because different projects require different versions of winbuilder to build and run successfully. Should be possible to build all available winbuilder projects with one version of winbuilder ideally the latest public version. Should not have to maintain separate winbuilder installations for different projects.

2) Two of the best known win7 projects are not downloadable via winbuilder - win7 rescue pe and win7pe se.

3) All actively developed winbuilder projects should be downloadable with winbuilder. Should not have to troll through the forum looking for download links.

[MedEvil]

1) Its a mess because different projects require different versions of winbuilder to build and run successfully. Should be possible to build all available winbuilder projects with one version of winbuilder ideally the latest public version. Should not have to maintain separate winbuilder installations for different projects.

Yes would be great, but then WB development would have to change.
Instead of each new version changing some little detail that makes this version incompatible to a project that worked fine with the previous version.
All syntax changes would have to happen in one step.
This way we had the old situation, where projects worked with all WB version above WBxx

2) Two of the best known win7 projects are not downloadable via winbuilder - win7 rescue pe and win7pe se.

No idea why JFX choose to offer his project as archive, but RescuePE used to have it's server.
At the moment Joshua is not offering his project in any way.

3) All actively developed winbuilder projects should be downloadable with winbuilder. Should not have to troll through the forum looking for download links.

Agreed, but i think there is a problem with the number of servers that can be in that list. At least i remember reading something like that, a while back.