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minf - minimize an INF file


jumper

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minf (minimize INF file)
latest beta: minf.04.exe

Done:
  • Convert UTF-16 (Unicode) to UTF-8 (ASCII)
  • Abbreviate lengthy section names
  • Remove comments and white space
  • Minimize variable names
To do:
  • Minimize section names
  • Remove non-9x sections
  • Create 9x sections from 2k/XP if missing
Why?
  • To fix poorly tested Win9x installer information (INF) files.
  • Enable 2K/XP WDM drivers to possibly work in 98/SE/ME.
  • Addresses issues raised by jds and jaclaz in: Driver compatibility issues for W9X
Suggested usage:

Create a shortcut to minf in your Windows SendTo folder
and send INF files to it using the right-click context menu.




minf.01.exe implements these first two features:
  • Convert UTF-16 (Unicode) to UTF-8 (ASCII)
    If the first two bytes of the file are FF FE or FE FF, those two bytes plus every other byte thereafter are removed.
  • Abbreviate lengthy section names
    All section names are checked for length. Any over 28 characters are abbreviated to 10..16 and all references patched.
minf.02.exe adds support for:
  • Remove comments and white space
    All comments and (non-quoted) white space are removed and new-lines reduced to a single line-feed.
minf.03.exe adds:
  • Minimize variable names
    All variable names are reduced to the range A-Z,A0-ZZ and references patched.
    A 75KB test file was reduced to 50KB!
minf.04.exe adds:

+ If any section names are squashed to 28, the original size is now reported.
- Files not terminated with a line feed are now handled successfully.

To do:
  • Minimize section names
    It should be possible to do something similar to variable names, but decoration parsing will be required.
  • Remove non-9x sections
    Once I fully understand section naming and decorating conventions, it should be possible to completely remove sections not needed by Win9x.
  • Create 9x sections from 2k/XP if missing
    If no Win9x sections exist, an attempt could be made to adapt a 2K or XP section.
Edited by jumper
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I wonder if its worth to try it on some 2K/XP graphics drivers.....?

I don't think so as display drivers aren't WDM drivers AFAIK and they require vxd and 16bit drv files for working on a 9x system, both of them being non-existent in 2K/XP only drivers.

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But 98 does support WDM... ? or it won't work for video cards ?

Display drivers are kernel mode drivers not WDM ones and this applies to 2K/XP as well. AFAIK there is no way to use 2K/XP display drivers on 98/ME.

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but sound stuff is still applicable for the most part I would guess

Yeah, soundcards drivers and USB devices drivers are candidates I can think of but there is no guarantee all will work just because it has become possible to install them, some may and some other may not.

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  • 4 months later...

Absolutely incredible! I can't wait to try this for the UAA HD bus > many thanks and kudos to all those wonderful, brilliant folks who develop software like this so that people like me can use it to perpetuate Windows 98 :thumbup

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Absolutely incredible! I can't wait to try this for the UAA HD bus > many thanks and kudos to all those wonderful, brilliant folks who develop software like this so that people like me can use it to perpetuate Windows 98 :thumbup
??? Not gonna happen! No drivers for that will EVER work on 9x! AFAIK, that's the case so you HAVE to disable OnBoard Sound and insert a an add-in card (NOT HD, of course).
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