jetman

@jaclaz Totally groovy !!! I'm downloading it momentarily. Grazie....Jet

Nuno: I have a couple of quick questions. I downloaded a copy of WB a while back (in April.) It has always looked incredibly facinating and promising ! I haven't taken the plunge bec I'm so accustomed to how BartPE works that I haven't taken the time to relearn how I make my WinPE discs. But yesterday I hit the wall w/ BartPE/WinPE and need an alternative. Is your uxp project like the initial UBCD4WIN project ? That is, do you get a fully-loaded WinPE environment w/ plugins for free apps ? Is it pos to make a very simple PE, that permits a WINNT32.EXE launch for unattended installs ? Yesterday's problem was that I had a DVD w/ BartPE+XP Home and a certain PC wouldn't boot my disc in either drive ! Copied the XP distribution files to the hard drive, but I forgot that WINNT32 ignores the /UNATTEND cmd-line switch under WinPE ! What I need is a minimal PE, w/ SATA drivers and a cmd-line, for a very quick bootstrap to launch WINNT32. Doable ! Have I misunderstood what you're trying to do ? My thought is that I'll try a very simple project, that is, a stand-alone PE that I can add on to my existing PE/SuperDisc. Then, if that works, I'll try something more elaborate, like adapting one of your bigger projects to replace my BartPE. TIA....Jet

I hope so. What are the advantages of RockRidge ? No argument from me....

Thanx for the heds-up

@cdob I haven't tried this [yet], but w/ SYSLINUX-3.70, CHAIN can now load files like SETUPLDR.BIN, NTLDR, etc. Also the comment about 'boot sector fails at rock ridge filesystem', isn't that a limitation of Windows itself ? I encountered that problem from a SuperDisc of mine with FreeBSD, Linux, and Windows. Only Windows didn't work, but FreeBSD didn't work w/ RR enabled, so FreeBSD had to go ! I also would disagree w/ the last line: it's really a tossup bet G4D and ISOLINUX, as far as a general-purps multi-boot DVD system. G4D does surpass SYSLINUX as a g/p, all-media boot loader bec just two or three files do everything in G4D. G4D/GRUB can support really arcane and complex boot configurations, that SYSLINUX can't touch. But then how many people ever really need those features for a multi-boot CD/DVD ?

@cdob Thanx for the feedback, it's good to have it confirmed that I haven't been wasting my time. I've mastered the bit from your message, but am stallled w/ (I think) the final issue, where [GUI] SETUP says it doesn't recognize the key. I could kick myself for not writing out the message . Anyway, after supplying the user's COA key, the rest of the unattended install completes as expected. A little more detective work and this should be over....Jet

For the record, I still haven't cracked this nut. I've made some progress, exc for the aforementioned problem where I have so few opportunities to try this idea (only a half dozen attempts, since my orig post.) But I do have a couple discs, using this topic's multiboot scheme, combined w/ my SuperDisc menu ideas, and some external help. So, we're getting close....

Kof: Just for the record, have you been keeping up w/ the latest releases (now 3.72) of ISOLINUX ? In rec months, the pkg has been improved for enhanced Windows compatibility. I haven't had a chance to try this myself, but it's (reported to be) pos to load modules like SETUPLDR.BIN, NTLDR, etc now....Jet

Andre: Thanx very much for taking flyakite's guide and building it up into this thread. I'm just now posting, bec I successfully tried/used your pkg over a year ago and had a working ISO starting w/ my 2nd or 3rd try ! However, I'm about to make a new disc w/ a wrinkle I can't easily test on my own and hope someone here can help. I'm trying to make a Universal [XP Home] OEM DVD w/ a standard and unattended install, using OEMSCAN. Does anyone know (from a successful project) if OEMSCAN will work w/ Andre's/Flyakite's multi-Windows boot scheme ? I wouldn't even bother asking, but I no longer have access to enuf PCs needing a bare-metal install (tomorrow, I have just one in my shop and no more in the pipeline) with which I can test my new discs. I can't even hold onto that one laptop beyond tomorrow, so I hope this works. If you have any 1st-hand success stories or if you know it simply won't work, feel free to comment. TIA....Jet PS: The reason for having both a std and unattended install on this disc is to permit doing a Repair install, in addition to a full blown, unattended XP installation every time....

If I remembered, I would've told you !

Jotnar: I understood all of that and read your earlier post about hacks to other distros that I haven't touched yet: very good ! My point was that 'from=' changed a little bit, from Linux-Live-5 to 6, but it still helps find LIVECD.SGN. I did my SuperDisc proj w/o hacks to the init ramdisk and I still segmented the distros in their own sub-dirs. Also, I discovered that LL/Slax-5 had several directories in the root, while LL/Slax-6 had two: /boot and /slax. Initially, I made the mistake of breaking out the sub-dirs in /slax, to match the layout of LL/Slax-5. Never worked and I suspect midz did something like that. Also the reason I mentioned the cmd-line boot opts changed. It would never find LIVECD.SGN. So, I have something like: \Super-Disc killbill\ base\ devel\ modules\ etc... slax-6\ boot\ slax\ base\ devel\ modules\ etc... I probably could've buried killbill (Slax-5) and slax-6 under another dir level, but otherwise I did my proj w/o mods. Re: MKISOFS cmd-line opts, I've covered that more than once, but perhaps it's time for another recap in the 1st msg, w/ a pointer to a MKISOFS dload. I also need to d/l a fresh copy of PCLinuxOS, to try your hack for adding it to a multi-boot disc. Later....Jet

Midz: I believe BT3 is based on the most rec version (v6) of Tomas M's Linux-Live scripts, so that LIVECD.SGN's location must also change. As I research this issue using my old Super-Discs, I have both Slax-5 and Slax-6 (ie. two diff versions of the Linux-Live scripts) working on a Super-Disc, so it isn't too tough. I seem to recall that the 'from' cmd-line option changed a little bit bet versions. Also review your cmd-line, as this changed from Linux-Live-5 to Linux-Live-6. What I can say with certainty, is that the structure of the orig source must be replicated for each version of the Linux-Live scripts. Therefore, whatever is in the root of the Slax-5 disc must appear in the \dvd\slax sub-dir, which is where LIVECD.SGN lives. The same is true of BT3 (which should be comparable to Slax-6), so that you should have a \dvd\bt3\boot and \dvd\bt3\slax. \dvd\bt3\slax is probably where LIVECD.SGN lives, assuming the BT crew didn't hack liblinuxlive. HTH....Jet

finally here's the isolinux command i use to call DSL from cdshell.ini its all one line... and i made some changes... 1) i kept folder DSL in a folder called SETUP (doesn't matter where you put it. just remember to call perfectly from the cdshell.ini menu) 2) i use the above command to redirect to the following files LINUX24 / MINIRT24.GZ / KNOPPIX. finally, i set my file system to ISO 9660 and ROCK RIDGE... Please do not offer or ask for CDSHELL solutions in this thread. Simply bec you're using ISOLINUX as a chainloader under CDSHELL doesn't mean the post is appropriate here. The entire idea behind this thread is to offer a coherent source of solutions for using the latest ISOLINUX to make multiboot CD/DVDs. Regardless of what some mite suggest, ISOLINUX and its utils are very easy to use and are a complete alternative to CDSHELL. There are plenty of other places for soliciting and offering help w/ CDSHELL issues....Jet

As for my DVD structure Now everything works fine Actually, this is my fault. I need to update the intro msg to the topic to include a download site for MKISOFS, that works w/ the initial script I provided. As I've pointed out in later msgs, there are several versions of MKISOFS w/ minor cmd-line incompatibilities. I would definitely discourage anyone from using RockRidge in conjunction w/ BartPE or XP. No probs w/ Linux, but it always fouled up Windows-based sware on my builds....Jet

No. CDSHELL uses a hacked ISOLINUX and we speak the latest ISOLINUX around here. Besides, DSL (up to 3.3) definitely works w/ ISOLINUX. RockRidge isn't the answer, nor is putting the DSL files in the root....Jet

If you're knowledgeable of a subj, it's okay to sound as if you like your choice. Yeah, NTFSCLONE; must try that too. Frankly, I only need one [program]. I've been holding on to copies of GHOST 8 from the days when they bundled it w/ every mboard, but I can't legitmately leave it anywhere even though it's everything I need, incl [and esp] its GDISK. I think PartImage has everything I need, exc they [the authors] won't completely finish it and release 1.0. Anyway, TTYL....Jet

Isn't Clonezilla a client-server solution only ? I started playing w/ it aft you mentioned your work and dropped it for this reason, as I recall. Actually, I want to revisit PartImage this month bec I need a freeware solution for the disk imaging issue....Jet

Rookies to the entire Multi-Boot CD/DVD sub-forum make the same mistake over-and-over again: they have these super elaborate projects (exactly WHAT is the point of XPSP2 2007 and 2008 !?!?!) and expect someone to guide them to their destination. The entire point of this exercise is to start w/ a small, doable project and incrementally build it into exactly what you want, on your own. To repeat what's been said before: The contents of ISOs must be extracted to the hdrive and the ISO's bootstrap must be extracted using BBIE (search the topic for the link and details.) The 1st msg in the topic explains most of one needs to know about disc layout. I've also pointed out Andre's MultiBoot DVD topic as the source for details about adding XP (or whatever) to a Super-Disc project. Later....Jet

You can try this in a cmd window, in the \WINDOWS sub-dir: regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll I was getting these annoying slowdowns while browsing in my downloads sub-dir and it was due to the nbr of .ZIP archives and XP's feature to treat them as sub-dirs ! HTH....Jet

When working under Linux, I don't even bother w/ MKISOFS from the cmd-line. K3B is *soooo* much easier. Anyway, the RockRidge thing was just a guess.....

Happy New Year and all of that....Anyway, I'm not ready (at this time) to add anything Vista to my Super-Disc, but one thing I have observed is that I always disable RockRidge for any proj that includes Windows (BartPE or XP.) I'm not sure if it's an implementation-based issue (I use UltraISO for all of my ISO creation work) or if it's a general limitation. However, I seem to recall that this RockRidge issue has plagued me regardless of the tool (MKISOFS or ULTRAISO.) A very early Super-Disc project was to include FreeNAS, a canned FreeBSD-based Samba server, but I couldn't get it boot from the ISOLINUX menu, until I enabled RockRidge, which subsequently broke the Windows stuf on the disc. The various Linux implementations (as memory serves) seemed to be okay w/ RR, but not the Windows stuf. Just something to try. BTW, I have a new addition coming RSN....Watch this space....Probably no news to Kof, but potentially worthwhile to others. Later....Jet

1) Be sure to re-read the entire thread when you have problems. Kof and I have covered a lot of ground over the months and it's essentially a long magazine article, but you can interact w/ the authors. Moreover, the project is guaranteed to work. I use this tech to support thousands, literally. Nowadays, the only failures I encounter are due to pilot error. I am having trouble w/ booting [bartPE] from a USB thumb drive, but that's a different issue. 2) My best guess is MKISOFS or the ISO creation part. I posted a message a few months ago, where I indicated that not all MKISOFS implementations are created equally. You [possibly] didn't create the image w/ MKISOFS or a program that knows about the BOOTINFOTABLE patch (like MKISOFS, K3B, ULTRAISO, et al) or maybe used that hacked ISOLINUX.BIN from BCDW, instead of the real thing from SYSLINUX-3.50 (haven't validated later releases), or some other foul-up. Go back and review your work, step-by-step. Later and happy holidays....Jet

I haven't been around much lately, bec I haven't had hi-speed access (and won't for the immed future), so I'm just seeing this. Anyway, my best guess is that DISPLAY is for the cmd-line interface, not for the MENU module. My very 1st Super-Discs used the cmd-line interface and worked just fine w/ DISPLAY. Two distros that still use the cmd-line interface and are (coincidentally) part of my Super-Disc projs are D*a*m*n Small Linux (the asterisks were added to defeat the nanny monitor) and Knoppix. DSL is small enuf that you could download it and look at what they did w/ their cmd-line based system. Later....Jet

As there are many different "flavors" of MKISOFS, it's hard to know what the correct answer is, but in the event you're using the MKISOFS supplied w/ SLAX/ZenLive (which is about 230KB), then you need to correct the Super-Disc burn script from the initial msg to look like the following line: SET _ROOT_=C:/ Since MKISOFS is of Unix/Linux lineage, certain ports require that the path sep on the cmd line follows Unix/Linux convention. But some ports of MKISOFS are inconsistent about this, as this script did work (unchanged) w/ another completely different port of the util. The final param on the cmd line is the sub-dir containing the Super-Disc files and is spec'd w/ the assumption that the script is being invoked from the parent of /Super-Disc (or the root dir.) This mite also need to be changed. I would warn others in advance that this kind of simple debugging has to become second nature, if you want to build something that doesn't already exist. Otherwise, your progress will be very slow and frustrating. Later....Jet

Most likely you've missed boot-info-table option. Check the documentation for CDIMAGE more closely....