Thanks to dale5605 for the basis of these instructions


[How To Create Custom Add-ons]

First step will be creating a silent switchless installer for your application. For specific switches check the product's website or look in the Application Installs forum located here.

For help creating a 7-zip installer check out keytotime's excellent tutorial here.

Please note that svcpack.inf does support switches. If you are not wanting to repackage an installer you do have the option of using switches in the ini file.

Suggestion: before creating your add-on, download one of the posted add-ons and extract it. This will give you and indication of the structure of the add-on, and will assist in keeping the naming scheme and layout as uniform as possible.

Here are the steps required to create the add-on:

1: Create a new folder and name it after your application, ie uTorrent1.3
2: Within the above folder, create another folder called SVCPACK
3: Place your switchless installer within the SVCPACK folder
4: Rename the ini file to match the name of you add-on, for example ENTRIES_UTORRENT.ini
5: Open the ini file and edit the appropriate details under the [general] section as required, eg:

6: Navigate to the [AddProgram] section of the ini file and change the name to the exe file that is within the SVCPACK folder, eg utorrent.exe (keep it as simple as possible)

Your ENTRIES_PROGRAM.ini file will look something like this:


You should now have a setup that looks something like this:


within the SVCPACK folder is ur PROGRAM.EXE switchless installer.

7: Ok, the next step is to create the .cab file. Using MakeCab or CabPack, a freeware utility available here (or any method you wish!) create the cab file of the SVCPACK folder and ENTRIES_PROGRAM.ini file. Rename this cab file to something appropriate eg uTorrent_1.3.cab.

THE NEXT STEP IS THE MOST IMPORTANT!

Before sharing your new add-on, please TEST IT! It is imperitive you test your add-on before posting to avoid problems.

I recommend CabTool for making your cab files:

http://www3.sympatico.ca/lazimute/CABTOOL_SETUP.ZIP

And also use scripts for putting it in your SendTo folder:

http://www3.sympatico.ca/lazimute/CABTOOLS.ZIP

Sorry if this seems like an advertisement.

How to repack an installer
(reduces size - if you have multiple files with your installation, also use this method)

For this you need WinRAR.

First, select all of the files needed for your installation and right click, go to add to archive..



Check SFX Archive.



Go to the Advanced tab and press SFX options.



In the run after execution box, type the name of your setup file and any switches you need for it to be silent.



Go to Modes. Check unpack to temporary folder.



Also, press Hide All.



Now just press okay twice, and you'll have your packed completely silent setup file!

Hope this helps.

Add-ons makes its easily

Nlite Add-on Maker 1.22
http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=73008

Apart from these guides, you can consider the use of AutoIt to make your silent addons for nLite

It's fairly easy to use and all you need is:

AutoIt, SciTE - download

and CabPack - download

Help about AutoIt: here


Here is one example made by me which you can modify to suit pretty much every program
TurboUpload: Everest Ultimate 2.80.534
RapidShare: Everest Ultimate 2.80.534

You will need about 30 min to understand how AutoIt works and never need to request any addons again

nJoy and share!


P.S.: another example made by me:

as piXelatedEmpire on Feb 2 2006, 06:24 PM

please do not post in this thread unless you are adding to the explanation of how to create an add-on. Otherwise, start a new thread.

topice clean up
only post howto make Addons
or a link to a post that has got howto

NOTE : THIS VIDEO IS STILL RC copy
i will do a better copy of it when i get some feedback or i get some free time
to than


download : video : http://files.filefront.com/making_an_addon...;/fileinfo.html
camplayer : neeeded to play the video : http://files.filefront.com/CamPlayexe/;516...;/fileinfo.html
in total for both about : 4 mb



hey all
i said i will do a video but frist things frist
i cant be stuffed in making a video at the time
But i will get one done on the weekend so its not that long away

ok before anyone post and say we got topices on howto make addons
i still see users got problems making them
this is how i started out
if anyone can remember some of mine frist addons post where .rar files and you where told to unzip them and add the .ini file to the Nlite driver /add on page to add them
even if you dont its all good i moved on to .cab now

ok for newbies to making there own silent install's

what you need for this
Nlite , XP , VMware / MS VPC / or a free real pc + blank CD-RW (well you dont want to waste money now do you ? )

what i do is VMware for testing its easyer


files we need :
xp - home / pro
Winrar ver 3.? and up
a clean copy of windows installed into VMware for testing unless you want to do it on your real PC / OS
*** not a smart move i say ***
all you will end up with a heap of ..... installed

step 1
have a look at the MSFN silent install part of the forum to find the switch to make XZY install silent

we going to be our demo on WInrar ver 3.3 and up
-> step 1.2
make a folder on c:\ , called test
copy the wrar351.exe [ or what one you got] to c:\test

step 1.3
start -> run -> cmd [[type cmd in the run box]]
now you get a box like


now type in the box
cd \test [ than press enter ]

now you get a line like : C:\test>

now type

wrar351.exe /s [ than press enter]

than wait 5 secs and than check the start menu
to see if winrar has being installed in
if so than write it down into a notepad or remember it

ok now we know what is the switch to make winrar installed silent is its time to make the cab

step 2
you can do this in a heap of ways
like using Nlite addon maker [ nice tool ] but we are not going to using this

open a blank notepad
than save the file as
ENTRIES_winrar351.INI
make sure you change the " save as type from text document *.txt to all files " and than save it
copy and paste this part into the file we just saved



ok now its time to add our info we need
it should look like this or there abouts


than save it

open up Nlite and goto the pick the addon and make iso


** NOTE ** im still working on the post i just saved it at the time and need to check some stuff and make screen shots
post is set to invisable to i get them in the next 50 mins or so

Tomcat76 has another method that works for INF-based silent installs that can be used in addons: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=61784

Jak mám integrovat Firefox a Media player 10 to ale vše tak aby se programy nainstalovaly samy bez meho obsluhovani když je v integruju věčinou se to spusti zhruba cc 13 minut před koncem instalace a jindy až na konci instalace nechcu aby to tak bylo

@ Server2003
point a : what
english please mate

point b : if you have a problem just ask for help by posting a new topice not replying to this one


this is for any how to : / updates on making addons

let me know what the problem is and i will try and help

HowTo: Create addons with AutoIt download
MD5: 7961C362E522936ECFE14A84E50314DE
Size: 21.47 MB
Duration: 12:04
Description: learn how to create addons for nLite with AutoIt scripts. Foobar 0.9.4 is used in this example.
Commentary audio track in bulgarian language. Best viewed @ 1280x1024.

I'm having trouble creating the cab files, some of them are 500mb

may be Cab file don't support size large a 500 mb

Welcome to forum mate,
I've an off topic comments,
I really do like your username because if I say your username azamat it means troubles in english ... lol

Ok I figured out why, it seems that the cabmaker I have, virtual tek, creates a cab for every file in the folder, so I had to make a new folder and move the single install file into it.

Here is something to start with, going to edit more later, let me know if something needs more explaining.
http://www.nliteos.com/addons/entries.html

quick question.
in your tutorial you say in step
4: Rename the ini file to match the name of you add-on, for example ENTRIES_UTORRENT.ini

now i made the switchless installer just fine but when i got to this step you lost me.

where is the .ini file coming from?
you say nothing about an .ini in any tutorail and then in step 4 out of no where im suppose to edit a file .ini from who knows where.
please elaberate

thank you
nice tutorial anyway

I think "Rename the" should be "Create a new" in Step 4

why do you need the website in the script?

how to include a folder in the addon

I have made my first addon with firefox. I just copied most of the ini file from another firefox addon. i just wanted to make a dansih version. but when you show the following:


[general]
builddate=11/21/2005
description=product description here
language=English
title=Program Name
version=1.0
website=http://www.programwebsite.com/

[EditFile]
I386\SVCPACK.INF,SetupHotfixesToRun,AddProgram

[AddProgram]
PROGRAM.EXE


the ini file i copied from had -ms added after PROGRAM.exe:
[AddProgram]
Firefox2.exe -ms

what does -ms stand and is there a list of all those commands??

Please Help!

I did buy a program. And i have a serial nummer of it
When i make a Addons of my program i must activate it again.

My question is is it posible to include my identity so i don't have to activate it every time agian when i reinstal my windows ??

I hope that i gived enouh information.
(sorry for my bad english)
my email adres is careliyim2@gmail.com

It depends on where the registration information is stored. Some installers allow you to supply the registration information via parameters passed to the installer. If the registration information is stored in the Registry, you could export the corresponding keys and import them during installation. Other applications store their registration information in a file. You could simply have your silent installer copy over this file to the correct folder to register the application. But which application are you on about exactly? It would be easier to be of service if you would create a new topic in which you let us know which application is the culprit. If the English language is problematic for you, you can always send me a personal message in Dutch. Hope this helps.

very useful information indeed

I just want to know how to create a font add-on .. coz I'm integrating a theme that uses a certain font so I need setup to add it to install .. how to do that ?

is making it .cab necessary ? cant we just use .rar extension for our silent install pack ?

nLite support .cab, .zip, .rar, .7z so it's up to you

it gave an error when i compresssed to rar and tried to add :s

im a bit lost with the switches ect what is it

can some1 create an up 2date silent installer guide

Also Try SFX Creator & Virtualtek nLite addon Creator

all the best

Cannot cabpack both svcpack folder and entries_.ini file into one .cab file it only copies the entries_.ini file into the .cab file how do I include sub directories with cab pack?

Never mind. I found that you just have to select "recurse subdirectories" which will then add the folder. duh!