I've followed [How To] Multi-boot DVD Guide, Updated and with cool features and I've managed to create an ISO which booted and installed nicely in Vmware. However; the size ended up on 1.20gb, which is roughly twice the size of your everyday CD. I'd rather avoid using a DVD since using a CD means it's more compatible for those without DVD-drives.

I made sure to use the -o (optimize, NTFS hardlinking?) while putting it together with CDIMAGE, but it only reported a 5% saving. The two windows versions I want to merge onto one CD are these:
- Windows XP Pro SP3 English
- Windows XP Pro SP2 Norwegian

The main difference being language and service pack. Are those differences substantial enough to make my task impossible? Would it be possible when SP3 for Norwegian XP comes out?

CDFS hardlinking.

Basically any two files that are identical are written only once, and the other entry in the CD directory is a "hardlink" to that one.

If you have MOST identical files, the space savings is VERY noticeable, if you have only FEW, it will be negligible.

Most probably the two versions you are trying to have on CD are very different.

jaclaz

I suppose so. But I didn't really suspect that SP3 and norwegian language would result in a 95% difference , so I'm looking for the particular reason why this is so.

But seeing as how SP3 was just released now, I guess I'll try and slipstream that and see if it makes a difference.

EDIT: Hm... I slipstreamed SP3 onto the norwegian edition, but still only 5% gained. Are the language editions set up so that each of the big files are changed by some small language changes or what? In Vista the language files are a separate file from the rest of the install.

if you could do a SP2 english + SP2 Norwegian or a SP3 english + SP3 Norwegian i would say you would stand a much better chance of the 2 using common files.

As I wrote in my edit, I did try with SP3 on both languages, and it didn't help one bit.

Ok now, what I have is:
English Windows XP SP3 from MSDN
Norwegian Windows XP from who knows where with SP3 slipstreamed.

Looking a little at the files on both version, I can indeed see that for example driver.cab is 75mb on the norwegian one, and 61mb on the english one. Most files seem to differ in size, even the many many small ones (which cumulate to a relevant size in total for my task). Considering that windows XP is windows XP, could it not be possible to copy over enough files from the english version to the norwegian one and replacing those there, thus making the files equal and taking half the space on the final cd?

I suppose what I'm asking about is if anyone knows anything about how the install cd is structured, with relation to different language versions. Is there one big file or a few ones which hold the language differences or are they all spread so much out that it be a thourough pain, if not impossible to achive my goal, of only selecting the neccessary different files?

hmm sorry i missed that edit. i dont know what else you can try. have you tried the stuff in the slimming down section of the unattended guide?
my experience is limited to the english version so i cant provide much help.

have you considered burning to a dvd or using a RIS setup?