I have an idea...

2

Comments

  • Slash wrote:
    So, I advice you not to use pure NT3.1WS. Use Hybrid instead...
    I'd advise you not to use it at all... unless you can get it to use your cd-rom.
  • Heh... I got it...
    But NT 3.1 Hybrid is much better than original cuz the original one has tons of missing crap, and so on...
  • I've been working on it a bit, and hit upon an interesting method to make the CD. I can write a batch file to determine if a file (the setuip program for the OS) exists on the CD, and then automatically create (or extract from a cab) batch files to start them. This way, you can put whatever you want on the CD and make a customized version.
  • Good idea, but will it work correctly with newer NTs... like XP and 2k?
  • XP and 2000 aren't ABW, so I don't think he'll include them on his disc.

    -Q
  • Slash wrote:
    Good idea, but will it work correctly with newer NTs... like XP and 2k?

    Actually...yes. You just have to lay out the CD in a specific manner. AFAIK, they don't mind being started from DOS.
  • if you can copy XP to a hdd and install from there, you can start it from dos, and yes, it WILL start from DOS. (...1386/winnt.exe is a dos app
  • That's what I always do when I'm installing some NT on a system that doesn't let you boot from the CD. 98EBD, E:\, cd \i386, winnt /whatever and awayy we go!

    -Q
  • You would have to include the identifier files in the CD root when building a custom version.
  • The "5.1" files (I think that's what they're called, those random, worthless files that make no sense)?

    -Q
  • Yes. NT won't take the CD if it can't find those files. Why it doesn't do a version/datestamp comparison on something like WINNT32.EXE, I don't know...
  • Don't forget also to use special SP identifies if you have ServicePacks integrated.
  • STATUS UPDATE

    Nov. 15, 2004
    7:49PM EST

    I've been working on the menu on and off since Saturday. It's written in VB4/16-bit and runs on Mini-Windows. So far, I've been working on what is probably the hardest part of development: the modularity. Right now, I have it scanning by group of OS (DOS, really old, 9x, old Nt, new NT). Now, I need to implement per-OS scanning. I can use mostly the same code. However, after about 45 minutes or so of coding each day, I hit a kind of "coder's block" - I can't code. I can put stuff in, but it doesn't make sense in my mind. So, I won't be working on this again until tomorrow afternoon, but from then, it will be relatively quick. I have yet to move into VMware and actually develop under MiniWin. This will enable me to test in a mostly realistic environment. When I get it wokring off of the emulated HD, I can compress it into the cab and build the CD. Speaking of the CD, I'll use the Win98 startup disk. This will load SCSI drivers and I will place the WinCD cab inplace of EDB.CAB, and automagically start the menu after startup. Full documentation will be included on how to produce your own CD.
  • This is going to be excellent.

    -Q
  • oooo hey.... why not get that 98 boot image to include the DOS USB drivers?
  • Actually, I found a highly customized DOS 7.10 bootdisk, it includes USB mouse and drive, NTFS drivers, long filename support, and a bunch of other nifty stuff. There's also a mini Windows 3.1 I can use.
  • w00t!! Say uh... can I get a copy of that bootdisk itself too? I'm sure I could find use for that.
  • Several CDS or one or maybe two dvd's seems most appropriate...
  • Several CDS or one or maybe two dvd's seems most appropriate...
    But we don't all have DVD-burners....
  • Which is why I designed it to be modular. Nobody really needs Windows 95 Original, 95 A, 95 Upgrade, 95 OSR2, etc. all on one CD.
  • I've had to make some changes. First, screw Windows. It would be too much of a hassle, what with the setups thinking an upgrade was going to happen. So, I'm down to the uberdisk (which nicely frees up 786k). I'll be porting what I have so far to VBDOS.
  • huh? that was a little confusing.... were you excluding a certain version of windows because it always tried upgrading?
  • no, i meant that the menu will run from dos, not from mini-windows.
  • oh, well that's quite alright.
  • Actually, I just realized something - since one is going to have to lay out the CD, why not just build a list of OSes present *before burning*? The mastering program would also to have to be a frontend to mkisofs. The DOS program would simply read the data that the masterer outputs.
  • nightice wrote:
    Actually, I just realized something - since one is going to have to lay out the CD, why not just build a list of OSes present *before burning*? The mastering program would also to have to be a frontend to mkisofs. The DOS program would simply read the data that the masterer outputs.
    Yeah, exactly!
  • What's interesting is that I get many of my good ideas like that right before I fall asleep.
  • One of these days I'm gonna stick a notpad next to where I sleep so I can write down all the crazzy dreams I get.

    -Q
  • I get good idea while I'm on the shitter
  • I'm too busy there to get anything.

    -Q

    PS. OMFG ANOTHER NJER!
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