nLite needs a little work

[thedexmonster]

don't get me wrong, nLite is an Awesome program!

I couldn't help but notice small things that could use changing.

in Unattended mode, you can use whatever Computer Name you want, when installing windows, you cannot have any special characters in the computer name breaking the unattended mode and asking you to rename it.

when using a previously fixed version of windows nLite will let you re-integrate all previously integrated add-ons, hotfixes, drivers... even though the session.ini file exists in the files being modified.

If you use nLite on new windows files and later want to add something or remove something it should know what is already integrated, and how to remove them (seeing as it added them in the first place).

I have used nLite so many times I have a collection of Sessions, nLite doesn't allow you to name a session while making it. You can rename it when you're done making it, but if you forget you've got a folder full of useless sessions. Because each session only saves what that particular session changed. If you need to start over for whatever reason, you would have to import the first session and complete the process. Import the second session and complete the process... etc.. each time repacking all the cabs... very annoying.

Maybe it's just me?

[Arie]

You seem to run into some of the downsides of nLite. My humble opinion is that nLite is not really meant for advanced users. It offers too little control over your project. I personally prefer HFSLIP. If the points which you mention get changed in a next build of nLite, I believe that nLite will always be straight forward, meant for the masses who simply want to click Next and Finish and that's fine, don't understand me wrong, but I'm not fond of it myself.

[nuhi]

thedexmonster, computer name in nLite doesn't allow these characters:

[]\/:;|=+?<>

Care to explain your comment then?

Yes it doesn't detect already integrated, never needed that, everyone knows it's a disaster to edit the distribution multiple times because integrated things, then removed, influence each other and in the next session some files are not there and so on, best is to do all at once, that's why you have the preset for easy modification. For example you can then remove old Hotfixes, replace new Drivers, and do it fresh.

So because you forget to press Save As - CustomName you blame me? It is just you. Last Session is there if you forget so you can check the date and rename it.

Arie, so point and click isn't allowing you to feel like a hacker, too easy? Heh I know the type, the manual copying and you can see the scripts makes you feel in control. Illusion would be the word. For me the control is more features at the tip of the finger, centralized, easily modified, why waste time.

[thedexmonster]

thedexmonster, computer name in nLite doesn't allow these characters:

[]\/:;|=+?<>

Care to explain your comment then?

Yes it doesn't detect already integrated, never needed that, everyone knows it's a disaster to edit the distribution multiple times because integrated things, then removed, influence each other and in the next session some files are not there and so on, best is to do all at once, that's why you have the preset for easy modification. For example you can then remove old Hotfixes, replace new Drivers, and do it fresh.

So because you forget to press Save As - CustomName you blame me? It is just you. Last Session is there if you forget so you can check the date and rename it.

the space was the special character missing from your list. It is fixed in the new build. I'm sorry for coming off as I did, I was a little frustrated with myself at the time. I should have been more organized.

I had just started using nLite (or anything related to Unattended Setup) I was playing with a lot of different addons and tweaks and some combinations worked and some didn't. I couldn't remember which session was the good one

Sorry for such a late response I set up this account with the wrong email address Fixing that now!

[brainwreck]

nlite is a cool app but i too think it could use some work.

the first problem i see for new users of nlite is that it modifies the the source I386 folder. it should automatically make a copy of this folder and modify the copy, so the user doesn't have to worry about losing their clean source files. my first time around i didn't know that nlite modified the source. i assumed it would make a copy. even after knowing this, i've forgotten to make a copy of the source after not using nlite for a while.

when burning an image to cd, it looks like nlite uses the built in imapi in windows. what if the user is working from an os that has imapi removed? nlite carries on like it's burning the disc even though it isn't doing anything. nlite even says, 'success' at the end. the user should be notified that the native cd burning is missing, if it is missing.

seeing that a clean source needs to be used for each new session, nlite should warn the user when attempting to use a a previously used source. couldn't nlite detect the presence of previous sessions to warn the user?

maybe it's just me but none of my nlite sessions in which i integrated all system drivers have worked right. something always ends up not right. that's fine. i usually manually install drivers just to be safe.

all of my unattended installs have been interrupted by one thing or another. i'd like to see this feature more id*** proof. yes, i probably am an id***.

i also seem to have random issues with some of my settings not being integrated into the final iso. i should have kept a record of these so they could be mentioned here. i'll try to make a point of doing that in the future.

i also think that naming a session in the beginning would be a better way to go about it. it would ensure that it gets done. maybe nlite could prompt the user for the session name before starting a new session?

i think nlite is a great app and i don't mean to complain. i'm only mentioning these things because i would like to see nlite become as user friendly as it can be.

Edited July 30, 2008 by brainwreck

[CoffeeFiend]

Arie, so point and click isn't allowing you to feel like a hacker, too easy?

Some people prefer doing things by hand over point and click (and letting the app do all the "complex" stuff, hoping it does it right, and without having to know or knowing how it works). I can understand that. It comes down to trust, and some people preferring to do things their way (you know when you do a certain thing, it will work 100% of the time, exactly as you intended)

Heh I know the type, the manual copying and you can see the scripts makes you feel in control. Illusion would be the word.

I have to disagree on this one. When you're copying the files you created by hand (scripts, .reg & .inf files, etc) where you want them, and make them execute when you want it and such, you're definitely the one in control. No illusions there.

For me the control is more features at the tip of the finger, centralized, easily modified, why waste time.

Different needs, different preferences and different solutions. I don't see anything wrong with that. And with other way, you're not always wasting time either. In most cases, you can reuse most of your previous work.

nLite was obviously created to solve a problem the way you wanted it solved. Others might prefer doing things by hand, or using other apps to do a similar job. I don't see anything wrong with that either. Choice is good. (never used HFSLIP either, no idea what it's like)

You obviously know exactly how nLite works at its lowest level, so for you it's different. When you pick some option you know EXACTLY what it's going to do (e.g. make specific changes to a certain .inf file) since it's your app. For others, it's not always that obvious what goes on behind the scenes when you select something, and some people just don't really feel great about that.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing nLite. I'm just saying that there's nothing wrong with not using nLite either, or any other methods for that matter.

[bledd]

btw, thedexmonster

addons could well be a part of any problems you have, some of them just plain break the install (judging from other people's comments), personally i only use the ryanvm hotfix pack