Will nLite Slipstream Using MSI Install Packages?

[tecknomage]

First, at work we OEM WinXP using Microsoft's OPK, which is very similar to nLite.

We do slipstream Win Updates via a CMD file run during the OEM Factory build step. Our UPDATE.CMD just executes the update EXE with quite & no-restart switches.

The problem is our method cannot be used when the update is a MSI Installation EXE (file has package icon). We get an switch error msg. So we manually install these updates at the User Desktop, via Win Updates.

Will nLite Slipstream (aka execute) MSI Installations by executing the EXE?

Essentially I want to have .NET (2 SP1 & 3 SP1) installed as part of WinXP setup.

Do I run the MSI Installations during the SP step or hotfix step?

Of course, I can use the runonce unattend method.

I will be using nLite mainly to build a WinXP Pro SP3 Setup CD.

[mara-]

Read nLite EULA. nLite is not for commercial use.

Cheers

[tecknomage]

Read nLite EULA. nLite is not for commercial use.

Cheers

You misunderstand. I am NOT using nLite for commercial use.

I am using nLite to produce a personal WinXP SP3 Setup CD. Sorry, my fault, I didn't make that clear.

Microsoft says they are NOT going to release a Setup CD with SP3 like we have for SP2.

So, if have SP3 installed and you want to use any XP function that asks for your Setup CD, it will ask for SP3 not the old SP2 you have from Microsoft.

Edited July 3, 2008 by tecknomage

[ceztko]

Read nLite EULA. nLite is not for commercial use.

Cheers

One point is using nlite as part of the product you make and sell. Another is using nlite to create customized windows builds for your daily work.

I believe the first is prohibited. About the second one, I think it could not even be enforceable, if present in the EULA...

[ceztko]

The problem is our method cannot be used when the update is a MSI Installation EXE (file has package icon). We get an switch error msg. So we manually install these updates at the User Desktop, via Win Updates.

Will nLite Slipstream (aka execute) MSI Installations by executing the EXE?

Essentially I want to have .NET (2 SP1 & 3 SP1) installed as part of WinXP setup.

Do I run the MSI Installations during the SP step or hotfix step?

Too complicated and out of the purpouse of nlite. Read this WONDERFUL guide about RunOnceEx. There's even an explanation on how to use it during T-12 minute stage of Windows XP Setup. WARNING: if you don't use nlite to customize your build, .net 3 won't installable during Setup. This is caused by some registry keys that are not fully setted up on that stage: nlite processing fix this.

[ceztko]

About the second one, I think it could not even be enforceable, if present in the EULA...

OT:

Just read the EULA. IANAL, but I'm pretty sure some clauses can't be enforced:

5. nLite is free for personal use only, you cannot use it for any company or business purposes at this time.

This kind of clauses have never been proved as valid in trials. As long I think M$ can't sue me for what I'm producing (and where I'm using it) with Word, Excel or Access, I assume I can't be sued if am using a nlited build in my job. The customized windows build, in fact, is just the product of nlite, not nlite itself. Even nlite custom script that may be present in the build probably can't pose a restriction on the use of a nlited windows build, for the same reason MS can't limit the usage of my OpenXML files just because MS products wrote the XML skeleton of them. They may still be subjected to copyright, so yes...I may not be allowed to copy those script, but this is not a problem. Probably there are even better examples.

You may not decompile, disassemble or otherwise reverse engineer this product

It's a long standing myth that's so easy to put a clause of this kind on your License Agreement to give you easy win on trials in case of so called "reverse engineering". If I want, I'm perfectly allowed to study just the build of Windows (without reading any nlite custom script) to learn what nlite is doing to it and reimplement the same behaviour in similar program, a "clone" of nlite. This reverse engineering technique is called clean room design, ofen used by companies that want to create compatible products and it's perfectly legal (for example, Intel reverse engineered x86-64 set of istructions to produce their 64 bit compatible cpus).

Edited July 3, 2008 by ceztko

[Kelsenellenelvian]

The EULA was put there for your protection more than Nuhi's.

Think like this:

You make a nLited setup for your company, get it all nice and neat, and install it on 100-1000 pc's. All of a sudden your network goes down because you removed, modified something stupid like remote registry.

Now you company is screwed because EVERYTHING has to go down while a fresh OS is installed, updated and the rest of the programs added. Thousands of dollars down the drain and hundreds of man hours wasted while everyone waits for their pc's to come back online.

Now you boss is pi**ed because you used an app you can't provide support for and your out of a job and possibly in court, while they are looking at sue-ing Nuhi too.

Besides while the app is not illegal some of what it does is illegal as it COMPLETLY breaks the MS eula! These things are stuff a personal user can get away with but MS will notice and sue YOUR company if all of a sudden the get 1000 or more error reports, service calls because you f'ed up the windows build you had the balls to use at work.

You are just bein lazy, anything nLite can do you can easily do by hand, Then you can fully support your work and decision to your bosses...

Edited July 3, 2008 by Kelsenellenelvian

[ceztko]

The EULA was put there for your protection more than Nuhi's.

I can agree but...

Now you boss is pi**ed because you used an app you can't provide support for and your out of a job and possibly in court, while they are looking at sue-ing Nuhi too.

...

Besides while the app is not illegal some of what it does is illegal as it COMPLETLY breaks the MS eula! These things are stuff a personal user can get away with but MS will notice and sue YOUR company if all of a sudden the get 1000 or more error reports, service calls because you f'ed up the windows build you had the balls to use at work.

These are, frankly, exaggerations. The max that can happen with your job is you loose your job (*). The max that can happen to nuhi is nothing: "NO WARRANTY" on the license is more than enough for him. The max that can happen with MS is you loose the warranty. Loosing warranty is all another issue: if you have licenses for 1000 pc, and you sign a proper support contract with MS (such as Premium Support), you can probably afford using MS supported tools, such as the cited OPK. If you own, let's say, 30 standard WXP licenses for your job, without any further support contract, from a sysadmin prospective (your grandmother probably doesn't use nlite on his home pc anyway ) loosing warranty on the OS, and with software in general, can't be considered an issue: if you find a bug on a nlited windows that is reproducible on a standard windows buid, and report it to MS, you basically have the same opportunities it will be fixed promptly. And if you need tech help (always from a sysadmin/power user perspective), I don't think it's available without signing proper support contracts.

Another situation: one want to use nlited windows for embedded purpouse. This is stupid:

1) WXP (or W2K) itself isn't suitable for embedded applications;

2) You don't have any kind of Tech Help Support from MS.

EDIT: (*) Here I am assuming no sysadmin would be so stupid to use nlite in mission critical applicances, e.g. medical, air-traffic controlo appliances...

while I don't see any problem in using nlite on universities computer networks (that may be very big).

Edited July 4, 2008 by ceztko