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Any ideas on how nLite works?


jbj

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I am currently building a tool similar to nLite but that runs on the Linux/Unix platform, specifically focused on building Windows XP images for virtualization purposes.

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I wish there was a guide that explained what files nLite manipulates for every different thing it removes, but I can't find any. Any such guide would greatly accelerate development. Can anyone help me with this?

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As much as i can see, it removes many types of files and modifies some inf files packed and nonpacked.

If you get in touch with nuhi, maybe he can tell you some but is not going to give you the code source.

Have you tried to get in touch by email?

Good to have a tool like that to "nlite" from Linux... :thumbup

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Before nLite existed, I believe the more knowledgeable folks used to use Joe someone-or-other's batch files to slip-down Windows 2k/XP.

I could be wrong, however I gather that nuhi took the basis of these scripts and transformed them into a user-friendly tool, and of course, extended the functionality and safety aspect greatly beyond anything that could be achieved using batch files.

On a separate note, is it not possible to use nLite on a Linux system using WINE and .NET/MONO?

Cheers,

James

x

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Before nLite existed, I believe the more knowledgeable folks used to use Joe someone-or-other's batch files to slip-down Windows 2k/XP.

I could be wrong, however I gather that nuhi took the basis of these scripts and transformed them into a user-friendly tool, and of course, extended the functionality and safety aspect greatly beyond anything that could be achieved using batch files.

On a separate note, is it not possible to use nLite on a Linux system using WINE and .NET/MONO?

Cheers,

James

x

That would be very useful to me if I could find it! Anyone else have any information?

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No, I believe this was well before Bold Fortune ever got involved.

Cheers,

James

x

Is Bold Fortune actually making a Fortune for his batch files.? http://www.bold-fortune.com/forums/index.php?act=home He claims he doesnt delete approx 350 system32 Files

Also http://boldfortune.blogspot.com/

I had a bit of a look at his forums but cant be to sure what he is offering apart from pages of info shown but what does your dollar get if you decided to purchase his batch files.? Do you get some working program or what.? I note those websites appear to be about a year old so guess non of his info is current and up to date.?

Or on ther other hand rather than anyone going down that road maybe they would be better off with XPlite. http://www.litepc.com/ Both costing money and results I dont know how good they are.?

But of course you cant make a slim install with those which Nlite offers. At least Nuhi keeps that updated along with Ryans Forums etc. With the custon CD DVD makes future installations quick.

Edited by zipzap
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If I may, the approach of Bold Fortune and of nuhi is completely different.

Bold Fortune published each of his findings and asks for money for a set of batches that will replicate automatically each of them.

nuhi gives for free the application but won't tell you (or not completely tell) what is inside it.

I personally do not like either approach, I like to share my (very little and NOT comparable to the great work done by nuhi and Bold Fortune) findings and, when I make it, the batch file to automate it, but this is my idea of sharing, not necessarily the "right" and "only" one.

As well, it is my personal idea that using .Net is a waste of resources/disk space, but again this may be just because batch is the only scripting language I can write into. ;)

For the record there is (or maybe was) a mostly unknown third guy:

http://manoa.flnet.org/

(the site is offline, but a few pages can be found with google cache)

that took some of Bold Fortune's (and info from other sources) posts and "translated" them into batches that you can (could) download for free.

All three, as I see it, want to have control on what they do, one way or the other, nuhi is exceptionally fast to resolve problems and bugs :) and he is admirable in the way he kept nlite (and now keeps nlite and vlite also) constantly updated, and I hope that he will go on forever, but what would happen once he loses interest in the matter, or for any reason he stops developing nlite and vlite? :unsure:

I personally think that "collaborative" projects, though of course much more difficult to manage, offer more probabilities to survive for a longer stretch of time and often can solve problems otherwise unresolved by using the contribution of new and different points of view.

jaclaz

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nuhi is exceptionally fast to resolve problems and bugs and he is admirable in the way he kept nlite (and now keeps nlite and vlite also) constantly updated, and I hope that he will go on forever

i agree, nuhi is awesome!

hes not just a good programmer, hes very knowledgable in other aspects of computers aswell

Edited by MCT
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Not trying to be mean or disrespectful to nuhi or anything, but I think that nLite sucks. It wont work on my Windows XP Tablet PC Edition VLK disc. I integrated SP3 onto it using nlite and now it wont accept my product key. I got this from MSFN. cross that out - I mean "MSDN" GRR. I wasted a CD for this :( . It also appends a bunch of stuff to the end of some files.

Edited by iheartsims
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I am currently building a tool similar to nLite but that runs on the Linux/Unix platform, specifically focused on building Windows XP images for virtualization purposes.

I wish there was a guide that explained what files nLite manipulates for every different thing it removes, but I can't find any. Any such guide would greatly accelerate development. Can anyone help me with this?

While nlite is created by nuhi and the source is generally kept a secret, there are similar, albeit not necessarily competing, programs that can perform some of the same functions that nlite does. One such program is Ryan's Integrator. It is developed by Siginet and some of the developers, and as long as you are helping with the project, you can get access to the source code of the Integrator. I do not know how difficult it would be to port over to linux, however it is a completely viable option you might want to consider. The forum for the Integrator is located here: http://siginetsoftware.com/forum/index.php

Edited by crashfly
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You could RE and find out, if you do you can't use the same code otherwise it would be illegal usage. ;)

Also, for those who'll make pokes at stating RE is illegal, RE is no where illegal regardless of what a Program EULA states, as long as the person doing the RE is not writing for the usage of Circumvention and/or copying the exact code, which violates several laws under the DMCA. The sole purpose of legalizing RE is to achieve interoperability.

The legal tidbits of information http://www.chillingeffects.org/reverse/faq.cgi / http://www.chillingeffects.org/reverse/faq.cgi#QID208

Edited by epic
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