[nlite 1.5 suggestion] Customize text mode with noload

[gosh]

Idea for nlite 1.5

nlite is very comprehensive when it comes to customizing your windows installation. However one facet of install really isn't touched on - text mode.

I have found a very easy tweak that could speed up booting from cd/running text mode by 50%

It's documented in http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=106964

Below you will see a screenshot of what i see in my mind for nlite.

By default text mode loads 80 drivers when you boot from CD. In testing i got this down to 42 without any problems, with further testing you can probably get it down to 10 drivers.

I notice that nlite let's you integrate drivers. Does that include drivers at the F6 Screen? If so you could also add drivers at this screen, too. For instance you could remove all the SCSI drivers and then add yours.

The GUI would be very simple to make. Simply search txtsetup.sif for .load. Any section would be a tab in the screenshot. In the GUI if anything is checked it would remove it by adding ",,noload" under the right section.

For example, you could have a tab called SCSI for [sCSI.load] in txtsetup.sif. If someone checks "Compaq Drive Array" to remove it, then nlite would just do this:

[sCSI.Load]

cpqarray = cpqarray.sys,4,noload

Very simple! Nlite would just have to find the right section and add ,noload or ,,noload to the end. No files would be removed.

-gosh

[Legolash2o]

i like it, very interesting, i think this would be well suited for nlite but maybe a different layout (as on your printscreen), i like the already expanded idea on the link too. Also "No files would be removed." maybe they can be removed too

I hope this idea gets added as i would also like a faster setup , you got my vote lol

Edited November 8, 2007 by legolash2o

[bledd]

these are already removable (all or none approach) -the raid/scsi drivers anyway

i like the gui you've proposed for textmode drivers though, hope this can be implemented

[nuhi]

99% of them are already removed by the Driver - SCSI component.

Since they are all too old people can remove it and simply integrate their own driver.

However CDROM ATAPI and such basic driver are not yet removable. I might consider that but separating old SCSI/RAID drivers no.

[AgiHammerklau]

Well, the idea looks nice.

But maybe I didn´t have enough sleep, to grab the idea behind it.

I saved all necessary drivers from the running system with double driver, integrate them with nlite and remove all others with nlite.

The RAID controller ( promise 100 pdc20256r ) is integrated via textmode (it´s a modded one, for the modded "lumberjacker full raid bios") anyways.

It´s a main feature of nlite, to get rid of the "F6 curse".

Will look at it it tomorrow again, maybe it´s not so confusing for me anymore.

...or is it an XP specific thing (I´m running W2K) ?

Agi

Edited November 8, 2007 by AgiHammerklau

[gosh]

I think there's a misunderstanding. When you boot from XP CD it loads 80 drivers before you get that screen that says "press enter to install windows, r to repair, f3 to quit". There's only about 15 SCSI drivers out of those 80 drivers. The other 65 or so drivers are things such as CPU support, USB keyboard and mice support, Toshiba Floppy drive support, SCSI cdrom's and floppy, etc. Using my method you can get the required drivers from 80 down to probably 10, reducing the time waiting booting from CD from about 3 mins to less than a minute.

Try my idea first using http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=106964 , then it'll be easier to understand. The problem is it's hard to explain, which is why i made a screenshot. Unfortantely the screenshot only added to the confusion ;/

-gosh

Edited November 8, 2007 by gosh

[nuhi]

Why do you think there is a misunderstanding?

Try to remove SCSI with nLite and you'll see.

Btw by SCSI it's actually RAID as well, component name is SCSI/RAID.

MS labels the classes SCSI for all.

And PCMCIA drivers are taken care of by the component PCMCIA.

So there is not much left, just basic drivers.

[AgiHammerklau]

So, it´s an XP only thing (don´t want to call it a problem, ´cause in my oppinion, XP is a problem itself, that´s why I still use W2K ), but as Nuhi already said :

99% (SCSI/ RAID) drivers are already removed anyway.

And personally, I´d remove all drivers (so far as possible with nlite), if I´m integrating my own (definately working) drivers, just to give XP not any chance, to install it´s own.

Checked the other thread again, so I do understand, finally.

Had an XP for tests, with the 1.3.5, from a Linux user, but gave it back.

For W2K nomally, I´m using HFSLIP, to create the source and run nlite on it afterwards.

So most drivers are gone already.

Only problem is the printerdrivers.

Agi

EDIT

Seems, I´m too slow/ tired to type.

But have to stay awake another 24 hours...

Edited November 8, 2007 by AgiHammerklau

[gosh]

You completely dont understand. When you boot from an NT4/Win2k/XP/Server2003 CD it loads 80 drivers before you can do anything. Only 30 of them are scsi. My method removes the other 50 drivers. And no, nlite doesn't remove all the scsi drivers. There are other scsi drivers that still load

[scsiClass.Load]

cdrom = cdrom.sys

disk = disk.sys

floppy = sfloppy.sys

ramdisk = ramdisk.sys

-gosh

[nuhi]

Since I know that this is your normal tone I won't get into the argument.

Remove all components with nLite then find at least 5 leftover SCSI drivers and I'll gladly remove them.

Those which you listed in the last message are what I call standard drivers, basic floppy, disc and cdrom, no manufacturer drivers listed. And I believe that ramdisk is already on the list. Floppy too. Only cdrom and disk are not, no point in removing those. Sounds to me like you haven't actually tried nLite.

[gosh]

Since I know that this is your normal tone I won't get into the argument.

Remove all components with nLite then find at least 5 leftover SCSI drivers and I'll gladly remove them.

Those which you listed in the last message are what I call standard drivers, basic floppy, disc and cdrom, no manufacturer drivers listed. And I believe that ramdisk is already on the list. Floppy too. Only cdrom and disk are not, no point in removing those. Sounds to me like you haven't actually tried nLite.

No need to be hostile. Once again others are not seeing what i am seeing. Look at txtsetup.sif. Look at this section:

[FloppyDrivers.Load]

flpydisk = flpydisk.sys

fat = fastfat.sys

To access a regular floppy drive xp uses flpydisk.sys. to access an SCSI floppy it uses sfloppy.sys. See the difference?

And i find it very insulting saying i havent used nlite. I've used it several times. The problem is people aren't doing my ideas using the txtsetup.sif i posted in my original post. People are making incorrect assumptions because there not using MY files.

-gosh

[nuhi]

Point is there isn't anything to load once removed. All non-standard drivers are already removed, please stop listing those basic floppies, which are removable. Are you implying that 50 extra drivers are hidden somehow, no files to see but they are there?

And if by any change you're aiming at "I know it's removable but configuring each would be nice", I already said I'm not interested.

Only interesting thing is the fact that cleaning those rogue entries could speed it up somehow because it won't even try to load missing drivers, but I wouldn't hold my breath since when it detects that sys file is missing it just skips it.

[wintertiger]

hey guys, noticed this and decided to do a little testing. i'm gonna have to side with nuhi on this one, as i don't even see references to these drivers and such after using 1.4 final on a clean xp sp2. i cut all Drivers and most Hardware Support out, left Intel and Printers i think, that should have been about it. i can post the logs from windiff and nlite tomorrow if you don't believe me, but it appears that nlite really does clean all unused drivers out. there are some i'm not sure on why they're still there, but i'm sure there's a reason, i just don't recognize the filenames at the moment. kinda sick right now so i'll try and check again tomorrow.

[mitsukai]

whats the point of removing drivers? it doesnt slow down your operating system at all ...

[nuhi]

mitsukai, how about what's the point of having them

We are here discussing about the CD boot time, you know when it says loading this and that driver, it is slow.

Also post install some drivers like floppy, printer and modem support do load always and you might not been using them, like I don't use any of those 3 for years now. Why load them... (miniport drivers and what not) It comes down to personal preferences for such a small improvements. I enjoy clean OS, be it for the file count alone or the unneeded processing.