Bâshrat the Sneaky Posted May 1, 2005 Share Posted May 1, 2005 (edited) Article at AnanandTech...The Windows Images (WIM) can contain multiple configurations, and a single file called "unattend.xml" will contain all of the settings for a specific installation. So, rather than having a separate image for Home, Pro, and Media Center, with further images for each system platform, not to mention the various languages... you can get by with a single image! There will still be separate images for x86-32 and x86-64, however, and it wasn't entirely clear (to us) at what point a separate image might be required for different systems. Still, instead of dozens or even hundreds of disk images, the process can be reduced to perhaps two images per machine platform....An interesting point that was made during this presentation (and covered elsewhere) is that DOS is going away. We'll still have a command prompt within Windows, but the DOS environment is basically dead. Consider the many businesses and OEMs that currently use DOS to load up a tool like Ghost, along with network drivers for specific platforms. A lot of new hardware - particularly SATA and USB devices - will not be properly supported by DOS. DOS will hit the end of the road on 12/31/05 as far as Microsoft is concerned, and there will be no way to use a DOS executable to start the Windows setup process. What's needed is a new tool to accomplish this task....Enter Windows PE (Pre-installation Environment), basically a stripped down version of Windows with reduced API support. Like regular Windows, it can be customized to fit the need; it can even be turned back into the full Windows environment if desired, although that's counter productive. (It also has a forced reboot that occurs every 24 hours.) WinPE can easily fit on USB flash devices, coming in at under 64MB for the minimum configuration, although 128MB flash devices may be more appropriate for customized toolsets. Network support among other features will be available, and the same drivers as regular Windows can be used. This should make things easier for driver teams as well as the system builders - at least, that's the plan. We certainly won't miss DOS much - R.I.P. MS-DOS, 2005. Incidentally, WinPE is available for use now (or very soon), and it will work with XP and Server 2003 while we wait on the release of Longhorn....Summary:1) one image to rule them all2) when installing Windows: bye bye DOS, welcome WinPE (EDIT: under the condition that I understood this correctly, IMO the article isn't very clear on this point)I don't know if this has been posted before, but I thought this was rather interesting. Edited May 1, 2005 by Bâshrat the Sneaky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subcodec Posted May 1, 2005 Share Posted May 1, 2005 I've done a little research myself with the way Longhorn will handle installations. Considering the hardware requirements of Longhorn, PCs should have no problem supporting PE. The one thing I am wondering, is if we will be able to get into that image file. I was hoping to try out the 5048 build on my own computer, but it doesn't support any systems right now that require F6 to install SATA or RAID drivers. At first, I thought "No prob, I'll just slipstream them right in". Nope. Now I didn't spend a lot of time searching through the net, but I found no way of getting into that image file, install.wim. It almost makes me wonder how they will approach drivers like that with Longhorn. Floppies are also fast dying and are not always going to be a feasible way to point the installation to SATA or RAID drivers. I think Microsoft will also do their best to keep us out of the image file too. If it is Home, Pro, and Media Center all in one image, they wouldn't want people like us here at MSFN to take it apart and do a little modifying .Anyways, that is my random thoughts on that. Longhorn has a long way to go and it will be interesting to see what they all do with it. I think there are some high expectations to be met. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bâshrat the Sneaky Posted May 1, 2005 Author Share Posted May 1, 2005 I think when it's the 'big vacation' here (that is from July to August), I will start experimenting with Longhorn Are you sure it isn't documented ANYWHERE? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigeratiPrime Posted May 2, 2005 Share Posted May 2, 2005 (It also has a forced reboot that occurs every 24 hours.)how long before that gets hacked? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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