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"S.O.S-XP"-Home 4 Repairs


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#1 ispy

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Posted 22 September 2008 - 12:36 PM

Hi folks :huh: ,

Please consider this project as Terminated/Concluded unless of course someone else would like to to continue with its production.

R&R,

ispy :huh:

#2 rawr

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Posted 22 September 2008 - 01:35 PM

RE: Txtsetup.sif file :huh:

This is a tool that was requested by jaclaz on this topic:

# boot-land.net/forums/Forgotten-Setup-Secrets-Revealed-t3951.html


It can be used to analyse a given INF file such as txtsetup.sif

# boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=3960
nInf, A tool to edit TXTSETUP.SIF
ninf1.1.zip
:huh:

edit :
link= Forgotten-Setup-Secrets-Revealed

#3 was_jaclaz

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Posted 22 September 2008 - 01:57 PM

Hmmm,
being maybe one of the "pioneers" with this approach, I guess I can give my opinion on this.

The original project was developed some three years ago.

In the meantime better solutions have been found, including minimal PE based builds (much more "portable" than the original approach which is "hardware dependant").

A "better" base OS for such a minimal recovery environment would be (hear, hear :huh: ) NT 4.00, I remember at the time having a running NT 4.00 with more features than the referenced 80 Mb 2K, in around 50 or 60 Mb.

The advantage of NT 4.00 is the "missing" feature of plug'n play - which in this particular case can be an advantage.

In any case there would be problems with Licensing /EULA, I don't think that a large number of members have a valid license for NT 4.00 or Win2K.

On the contrary, the great majority has an XP (Home or Professional) one.

Thus what needs in my view further partecipation/help/contributions is the XPCLI project:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=3717

Needed high priority steps:
1) find a substitute for minlogon
or
2) restore "normal" winlogon functionality

Otherwise basic NativeEx projects already deliver you all you need.

In any case, all the info about editing TXTSETUP.SIF is available, somewhere.

This is a good place to start with:
http://www.msfn.org/...P-2003-f70.html
http://www.msfn.org/...ed-t106964.html


:huh:

jaclaz

#4 was_jaclaz

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Posted 22 September 2008 - 05:34 PM

If I'm not mistaken here you are talking about CLI OS systems which is basically for the average user shooting yourself in the foot. Many users are not familair with CLI interface, so you will lose 75% of your audience in one fell swoop. The average joe is not interested in CLI, great 4 specialists to repair systems but residual underlying dos type commands will scare the pants off most users. Small is good but @ the expense of functionality is negative, unless you are very computer savey, for the average joe he would probably state, "as much use as a chocolate fire-guard with a roaring fire in the grate". This probably is coming across as trying to undermine XPCLI but unless its got a mouse & pretty window buttons that most of us are familair with they won't touch it with a barge-pole!


Hmmm, :huh:

Let's make a deal :huh:.

You take your time and actually READ the whole XPCLI thread:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=3717

With particular attention to this post:
http://www.boot-land...opic=3717&st=31

and to these ones:
http://www.boot-land...opic=3717&st=19
http://www.boot-land...opic=3717&st=26
(you do not even have to read this latter one, looking at the screenshots should be enough) :)

Then you re-READ again the whole thread and try building it and getting the hang of it.

Once done the above, you come back here and assign yourself "votes" from 0 (bad) to 10 (perfect) on the quoted part of your post with reference to its contents in "knowing what you are talking about/prejudice/presumption/assumption".

If you give yourself more than 5, I owe you a beer, if you self-score less, you owe me TWO.

:)

Fair enough? :)

:)

jaclaz

#5 Brito

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Posted 22 September 2008 - 06:41 PM

I am of the opinion that Linux might indeed be a good work platform for a future wb project as it would allow solving many of our current issues.

Also, if we're looking on PE boot disks and Windows 2000 ones then it would also likely be possible to run our app scripts perfectly well using WINE - it has grow quite stable.

- Freely redistributable ISO/USB image
- No EULA worries
- NTFS/FAT32/EXT3/etc supported
- WINE for running win32 apps or Virtual Box as extreme option for running "tough" .exe's based on .NET or requiring a full windows install
- Sound / Graphic driver acceleration / Visual Themes support
- Full network capacity and WIFI support using win32 drivers (NDISWrapper)
- Allow use open source programs that are linux native like (Gparted, etc, etc)
- Run from disk as second OS and install more programs using synaptic (for example)

------

wb can make all the build blocks fairly modular so that non-linux users can build (or download?) it without troubles.

On your case, I've read that the AV stalled but I still think it might be worth a try.

:huh:

#6 was_jaclaz

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Posted 22 September 2008 - 07:41 PM

Besides the fact that votes are INTEGERS, in any case, they must mathematically be rounded to the nearest integer, so anything between 5.01 and 5.49 rounds to 5.

If only you had given yourself 5.50.....:)

You owe me TWO beers + another TWO for not complying to the terms of the "deal", you did not try building XPCLI, BEFORE coming back and set the vote.

Moreover, I'll add a couple of Cokes (after FOUR beers I would sure be far past my alcohol drinking limit :huh: ) for having actually missed what was the start point of it all.

Dietmar used minlogon to reduce the size to the smart, witty, but not really "practical" , as defined in my post - that you should have already read - here, 7 Mb limit:
http://www.boot-land...opic=3717&st=35

If a bigger size is allowed, one could, as CLEARLY stated in the present thread, re-add Winlogon "traditional" logging:

Needed high priority steps:
1) find a substitute for minlogon
or
2) restore "normal" winlogon functionality


Now, would I do the work (read have I the time, will and capabilities) all alone? NO.
Dietmar has "vanished".
cdob is currently occupied with the "XP Kansas City Shuffle".
psc has far more important things to do with Winbuilder betas/fixes.
allanf appears to be as well occupied in other projects.
in 9 months there have been only 47 or 48 downloads:
http://www.boot-land...opic=3717&st=47
a handful of people interested, but without the competence/knowledge needed to contribute, a couple of thank you, I hope to have not missed anything/anyone in this short list.

You are currently my only hope for a partner (and lab mouse :huh:).....


:)

jaclaz

P.S.: BTW, trying to get out of your debt with Pepsi, would be considered cheating, real programmers drink Coke:
http://uranus.it.swi...au/~jn/coke.htm

:)

#7 was_jaclaz

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Posted 23 September 2008 - 09:23 AM

So out of general curiosity at what size did Minlogon need to to be exchanged for the Winlogon to make it work?

My guess, since I did not actually explore this part as I have not a XP install at home (where sometimes I have the time) and have not a XP install at work (on my PC), I have to make use of a friend's PC and of course I cannot use my and her time at work :huh:, is something in the range of a few Mbytes, I would bet on around 2 to 3 Mbytes, counting the actual apps and the possible size increase in Registry files (that in the case of the "original" 7 Mb would have represented almost a 50 % size increase). :huh:
As said, if we are "allowed" something in the 80~100 Mb range, this would be acceptable, I think.


Also don't you mean "Lab rat" or R U just being polite?


I was trying to be "politically" correct. :)

Actually it is one of the "false pairs" between italian and english.
In italian we have the word "ratto" which does translate to the english "rat", but identifies in italian only the big, "dirty" and potentially dangerous rhodents that live in city sewages.
The italian "topo", corresponding to "mouse" is on the contrary associated to the small, white or pinkish small rhodents that are often used as pets, besides in laboratories.
I take it back, what about "guinea pig" ( I hope that the "pig" part is not offending you in anyway :))

:)

jaclaz

#8 was_jaclaz

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Posted 23 September 2008 - 12:18 PM

Yep, I do not care about "size on CD", I am always referring to actual (hard) disk occupation for the working system.

:huh:

jaclaz

#9 was_jaclaz

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Posted 27 September 2008 - 03:12 PM

It's CAB compressed.

You can have it uncompressed on CD, it will work as well.

Use MAKECAB to recompress.

jaclaz

#10 was_jaclaz

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Posted 29 September 2008 - 06:45 AM

Altered Txtsetup.sif & Dosnet.inf (& left in uncompressed state) however there must be another file(s) that records the minimal ram & Hdd freespace as the minimum kb size that the mini would allow me to install to was 733 meggabytes, I set it to 512Mb's set up as NTFS. Setup just produced error message at 512 Mb's. It took 15 minutes from start to finish to install on a slow 800Mhz system. Nlited source was 108Mb's and expanded to 250Mb's fully installed with no additional progeys.

Cannot say with XP, but 2K "limits" are at the end of txtsetup.sif, and at the time I let nuhi know and nlite had a setting to allow install with reduced footprint. :huh:

Device manager flags up "other devices" with yellow exclamation marks, multimedia (Which I don't care about) PCI Simple Communications controller AKA modem & video controller, other wise the remainder seem intact. Standby is greyed out, also will allow higher screen res than 800x600 124? x whatever, also activation has been kept just to keep it legal.

Try using UNIVBE:
http://www.boot-land...hp?showforum=60
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=2325

I am in the process of making some batch files to clean up and remove folders & remove additional files to shrink it down further & generally tidy it up, I think however some of the folders will be re-written due to Windows. would there be any chance of releasing the fileset for XPCLi to do a comparison? will create an image to back it up and use LS to glean the fileset & paths etc

What do you mean "releasing"? :huh:
There are TWO ways to build the very basic XPCLI, my batches and a winbuilder .script, you just had to add your files.
For minlogon you wil have to download XP embedded trial.

jaclaz

#11 was_jaclaz

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Posted 29 September 2008 - 09:46 AM

Have searched the links you have posted but cannot find UNIVBE for NT all I could find was VBEMP do you have a specific link or what is UNIVBE short for?

Just READ the given link:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=2325

Universal VESA/VBE Video Kernel-Mode Driver (for Windows 9x/NT x86 Architecture)'


For Windows NT "famliy" -

Latest official driver version released at: April, 26, 2008.
See changelog for details.
Latest site update at: April, 26, 2008.
In English: http://www.geocities...ndows/vbemp.htm
In Russian: http://www.geocities...ows/vbempru.htm

Comeon, :huh: WHAT :huh: is the problem?
UNIversal VESA/VBE=UNIVBE


Sorry did not realise it was a completed project should have checked the table first, however I will re-phrase my question! Do you have information pertaining to the early manufacture of XPCLI preferably around the 200Mb area & the fileset that you were using at that point. Not really interested in filesets that require Minlogon as a replacement & do not want to reduce to 100mbs. I am thinking that will be too small for my needs? I am think in terms of circa 200Mb's & a NTFS partition of 512Mb or thereabouts (All wrapped in a great BIG please).


We can continue till the end of the world, with you presuming things and avoiding READING the XPCLI thread.
Just §@ç#ing READ it.

There NEVER was a XPCLI "around" 200 Mb.
There was a 7 Mb XPCLI and ther is an "enhanced" XPCLI around 20 Mb, BOTH using minlogon.

jaclaz

#12 TheHive

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Posted 02 October 2008 - 02:13 AM

Hi folks,

Just a quickie, I have posted this message from my new, I think I will call it "SMALLXP" I have set up the internet connection after numerous problems with files missing however reinstatement of the adsldpc.dll has permitted broad band connection with a free portable web-browser call "Green Browser" which is really very good. Tis small @ 477Kb's with English.ini lang file loaded!

All the Best,

ispy


GreenBrowser is just a shell using the IE Trident engine. If you like Green Browser then you should check out Maxthon 1 or 2.
Its a better IE shell. http://www.maxthon.com/

#13 was_jaclaz

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Posted 02 October 2008 - 08:36 AM

A small thing sitting of top of a huge mass of bloat. :cheers:

Get Opera! :confused1:

jaclaz

#14 MedEvil

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Posted 02 October 2008 - 04:01 PM

I only really choose Greenbrowser cuz it was small, tried Off-by-one, didn't like it!

There are two sorts of 'browsers' available.
Real browsers which contain everything needed to surf the web and GUIs for rendering engines.

Real or complete Browsers for instance are:
- OffbyOne
- Opera
- Firefox
- IE

GUI for rendering engines for instance are:
- Avant Browser (for trident(IE))
- Maxthon (for trident(IE))
- Green Browser (for trident(IE))
- Slimbrowser (for trident(IE))
- Orca (for gecko(mozilla/firefox))

:confused1:

#15 MedEvil

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Posted 02 October 2008 - 04:51 PM

If you like to search for a better browser/GUI yourself. Have a look here.
http://browsers.evolt.org/
http://www.geocities...tabbedbrowsers/

:confused1:

#16 ispy

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Posted 02 October 2008 - 06:04 PM

Hi folks :cheers: ,

Many thanks for your kind words of recommendation, will try em out! However I've found a little "Cutey" that I want to take for a spin, tis called iJini, packed is 82Kb's unpacked is 288Kb's, single .EXE, NO frills, multi tab unit see Below for screeney, also if you do not like the skin there are multiple colour choices also!
Posted Image
You can get it here if you would like to try it also:
http://www.freeware-...t/browsers.html
Or you can download it here, see below, tis kinda funky & with a footprint of 288Kb's, if it does it's job, I'm not one to complain?
It is beta but had no probs with it yet!

R&R,

ispy :confused1:

Attached Files



#17 MedEvil

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Posted 02 October 2008 - 06:43 PM

However I've found a little "Cutey" that I want to take for a spin, tis called iJini, packed is 82Kb's unpacked is 288Kb's, single .EXE, NO frills, multi tab unit

:cheers: I have a cutey for you too it's onyl 89kb unpacked. It's called iexplore.exe and funnily a single exe too! :cheers:
It's even portable! Tested it successful on a multitude of windows computers. :cheers:

:confused1:

#18 was_jaclaz

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Posted 02 October 2008 - 07:16 PM

I would be curious to see the ijini analyzed by Dependency Walker. :confused1:

jaclaz

#19 MedEvil

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Posted 02 October 2008 - 10:32 PM

The mscomctl.ocx file is over 1 meg in size + ijini 288Kb's is in the same region as Off-by-one & the intenttion is to keep the overheads down. "O" well back to the drawing board!


ispy, remove as mch of IE and OE as you can, that should reduce your Xp an additional 40+ MB. Then add OPera (5 -7 MB).

:confused1:

#20 was_jaclaz

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Posted 03 October 2008 - 08:03 AM

Well, if you want a "lite" something, you need to take the "fat" out, and if the functionality is needed, replace it with something else.

To remove IE, the "authority" is Fred De Vorck:
http://www.vorck.com.../remove-ie.html
and now the HFSLIP project.

jaclaz

#21 MedEvil

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Posted 03 October 2008 - 03:26 PM

What like this MedEvil???
How to remove internet explorer from windows xp winxp xp nt6:

As we discussed before, removing IE completely is an almost undoable task.
But that's not our topic here.
You just wanna reduce your XP while not loosing too much functionality.
As said:

ispy, remove as mch of IE and OE as you can, that should reduce your Xp an additional 40+ MB.


:confused1:

#22 was_jaclaz

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Posted 04 October 2008 - 01:15 PM

Since you are going along the "Bold Fortune" path, you may find something of interest (though not easy, not clear, not "well ordered", in my personal opinion an awful mass of data with no head or tail BUT with some really interesting info) here:
http://manoa.flnet.org

site is down for me right now, but you can see some parts using google cache:
http://www.google.co...manoa.flnet.org

If you like what you can see, should the site not come back, PM me, I have somewhere some local copies of the site pages.

jaclaz

#23 MedEvil

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Posted 04 October 2008 - 05:50 PM

What part of the XP Home installation process and which files designate the folders

1) Documents and Settings
2) Program files
3) & Windows (Although windows folder is easily re-directed)

The names are in the hive infs as well as in some of the files like shell32.dll.
I think, when they're correctly written to the registry, all files willl follow them instead of using the 'internal' defaults. But no gurantees on that. :confused1:


:cheers:


PS: To pre activate an XP that get always installed to the same PC you just have to copy the file containing the activation code.

#24 was_jaclaz

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Posted 05 October 2008 - 10:09 AM

@ispy
Yep, you are working along the "old" (no offence intended :confused1:) approach of removing what you do not need and actually "install" the system.

The "newish" approach (not necessarily better :cheers:) that I am now interested in is the opposite:
1) Remove EVERYTHING but the really basic
2) Copy (not "install") this "core"
3) Add ONLY what you need

The problem that not only myself but a large majority of nlite users face is that if you remove too much you have no way to re-add only what you (wrongly) missed, and need to re-build/re-install.

Which is by the way the same problem that I see in PE builds, to get what you want you need a very accurate beforehand planning and a lot of attempts to get what you want.


:cheers:

jaclaz

#25 MedEvil

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Posted 05 October 2008 - 01:34 PM

You two seem to be arrived at the same place Alexei and i were end of last year.
The idea of a (monolythic) OS-Core + addons.
The problem with this very beautiful approach is the proper definition of the Core component.
jaclaz seems to follow more Alexeis approach. Core=minimal bootable system
While you seem to be closer to my approach. Core=everything that any other addon might need to work

Can't wait to see your solution!

:confused1:




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