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Adding user defined dosapps to V5

Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 10:54 am
by Zathu
Has the new procedure been documented anywhere? On V4 I just added all my files to a folder in ubcd\dosapps\ and included startup.bat file. In V5 it seems the stock apps are in .cab format without batch files in them.

I'm not sure what the correct procedure would be to bring my app over to the new format. I've tried creating a cab file but I always end up with "Error!!! missing abcdapp.bat (check CD)" when launching.

Could someone point me in the right direction to migrate my custom apps? Thanks.

Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 1:07 pm
by Icecube
You need to make a cab file (a zip file works too, I guess) of the app you want to use and place it in /ubcd/dosapps/.
Then you open /ubcd/dosapps/ubcd.ini with notepad or another text editor (not WordPad or Word: can be that they will save the file in another format).

You will see something like:

Code: Select all

[Version]
 Signature = $Ubcd$
 Version = 5.0RC1

[Settings]
 MenuType = 2

[System]
aida16; "startup.bat"; -$; AIDA16 (System information and benchmarking tool)
astra; "astra.exe"; -$; ASTRA (System information tool - Demo)
nssi; "nssi.exe /av-"; -$; NSSI (System information and benchmarking tool)
pcconfig; "config.exe"; -$; PC-Config (System information tool)
pci; "pci.exe"; -$; PCI (Low-level PCI tool)
sst; "speedsys.exe"; -$; System Speed Test 32 (System information and benchmark tool)

[CPU]
intelfid; "bfreqide.com"; -$; Intel Processor Frequency ID (P3 and below)
intelpiu; "bprocide.com"; -$; Intel Processor Identification Utility (P4 and above)
Don't touch [Version] and [Settings].

All other [] items, like [System], [CPU], ... will be listed as submenus in FreeDOS when you run ubcd and "Launch".

All items which belong under a [] item are the individual programs:
astra; "astra.exe"; -$; ASTRA (System information tool - Demo)
The parameters are separated by a semicolon ' ; '.

The first parameter is the cab or zip archive name (will search the files in /ubcd/dosapps/). In this case it will look for astra.cab and if not found, for astra.zip in /ubcd/dosapps/.

The second parameter is the command line to run for the specific program. In this case this will run astra.exe (this file comes from the extracted astra.cab).

The third parameter controls what to do after the program that you did ran, terminated (exit).
  • -$ means that you will go back to the menu
    -$$ means that you will be dropped to the command prompt, so you can add switches to your program (handy for programs that require extra parameters
Example of "-$$":
bios; "bios.exe"; -$$; BIOS (BIOS info viewer/backup + password unlocker)
The fourth parameter is the name that will be displayed in the menu of the FreeDos image, for the tool.


You can get a bit of info about how this was born at (not up to date, only ubcd.ini is used now):
http://ultimatebootcd.com/forums/viewto ... 2&start=20

Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 7:37 am
by Zathu
Thanks for the info!

I've created tool.cab which includes tool.bat and several .exes that it can launch. I've put it in ubcd\dosapps\

I've added this line to ubcd.ini:

Code: Select all

tool; "tool.bat"; -$; Example Tool
Now when I boot UBCD, boot to FreeDOS and select the Example Tool I get this error:

Code: Select all

Cabinet AUTORUN3.CAB

Extracting Q:\Autorun.bat
Extracting Q:\bin\ubcd.bat
Extracting Q:\bin\ubcdos.bat
Press any key to continue . . .
UBCD: Searching. . .
UBCD: Error!!! missing archive /directory (tool.?)

Press any key to continue. . .

Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 8:18 am
by Icecube
Can you zip you ubcd.ini and tool.cab file and upload it somewhere, so I can look at it?