UBCD V5.2.6 is available for download

[Victor Chew]

UBCD V5.2.6 is available for download:

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/download.html

Changelog:

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/history.html

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this release!

[ady]

@Victor,

For the next release, I would suggest deleting the files from

Code: Select all

<ubcd_extracted>/pmagic/boot/syslinux/

before running pm2ubcd. This will clean up unneeded files (e.g. they have new names in newer versions of PMagic).

[EDIT2013AUG21]
chain.c32 and hdt.c32 need to be updated too, from Syslinux 4.07.

Since sd2d.iso.gz is used, sd2g.iso (i.e. no ".gz") is not necessary (under "images").
[/EDIT2013AUG21]
[EDIT2013AUG22]
memtest86 4.3.2 released.
[/EDIT2013AUG22]

[ady]

I don't understand the reason to include “partinfo” 1.10 instead of 1.11. Indeed, only the Windows executables were actually changed for the 1.11 release, while the DOS variant is still the same as before. If UBCD would only include the DOS variant, version 1.10 would be adequate, but the CAB includes all variants, so using version 1.11 seems to me more appropriate.

***

I have some doubts about some recent updates in UBCD 5.2.6. Some CABs are now much bigger than before, and some are including completely unnecessary files (e.g. turning a ~700KB CAB into a 2MB file, or other files from 2MB up to 11MB).

***

@Victor, In UBCD 5.2.6, in fdubcd.img, the content of the file DISKID.TXT says "version 1.50". FWIW, the volume name of the image (in the VBR and in the root directory) is still at version 1.49 ("FDUBCD149 "). Perhaps a note in your TODO list could help for future fdubcd updates.

[Victor Chew]

I have some doubts about some recent updates in UBCD 5.2.6. Some CABs are now much bigger than before, and some are including completely unnecessary files (e.g. turning a ~700KB CAB into a 2MB file, or other files from 2MB up to 11MB).

Which CABs are you referring to? From 5.2.5 to 5.2.6, I believe only ASTRA.CAB and INTELPIU.CAB are changed. The difference in filesizes are all in KBs.

@Victor, In UBCD 5.2.6, in fdubcd.img, the content of the file DISKID.TXT says "version 1.50". FWIW, the volume name of the image (in the VBR and in the root directory) is still at version 1.49 ("FDUBCD149 "). Perhaps a note in your TODO list could help for future fdubcd updates.

Add note to self in todo. Thanks!

[nelsonhf]

Memtest86 was updated to version 4.3.3, please take note to include it in the next release of UBCD.

Thanks.
Nelson H./Brazil

[ady]

The difference in filesizes are all in KBs.

From that perspective, most tools included in UBCD are increasing their size only by a few (K)bytes. Moreover, fdubcd.img is still the same “full” size (for now).

Even sg2d went from around 2MB to "only" 11MB, so that's "not too much" in relation to the whole UBCD ISO image. But some increments are not really needed in UBCD (a.k.a "bloat") (and, IMHO, the incremented size of sg2d is one example of that).

I don't mean that the newer versions are not worth to be updated; they are. But the way the original archives are built are not always an adequate match for UBCD.

OTOH, some licenses allow re-distribution, but only when the original complete archive is untouched. And when it is allowed, "cleaning" the original archive requires some time, so to gain some "few" KiB.

My intention was to, at least, point out the current "bloating" path.

(Also, I wonder whether my prior comment regarding partinfo 1.10/1.11 deserve any kind of feedback. )

-----
Updates suggested for the next UBCD release:

_ ASTRA 6.11 - 2013SEP10
_ sg2d v.2.00beta6
_ testdisk and photorec 7.0wip
_ intelpiu 4.75 - 2013SEP24
_ memtest86 4.3.3 - 2013SEP11
_ memtest86 4.3.4 - 2013OCT02
_ memtest86plus 5.01 - 2013SEP27

Note for memtest86plus 5.01 - 2013SEP27.

For some time there were no updates; any sort of info or comment at all. memtest86plus version 5.01 was supposed to be thoroughly tested before any release. Users should not be surprised if some "fixes and improvements" are still necessary. IMHO, memtest86plus 5.0x should be _added_ in the next UBCD, instead of _replacing_ the previous memtest86plus 4.20, at least for the next UBCD release (whenever it would come out).

Additionally, please avoid confusing "memtest86" with "memtest86plus". Both tools are developed independently, and their version numbers are very similar.

[Victor Chew]

Even sg2d went from around 2MB to "only" 11MB, so that's "not too much" in relation to the whole UBCD ISO image. But some increments are not really needed in UBCD (a.k.a "bloat") (and, IMHO, the incremented size of sg2d is one example of that).

I was trying to figure out which CAB it was in relation to "turning a ~700KB CAB into a 2MB file".

So are you saying sg2d should not have been updated? Why?

(Also, I wonder whether my prior comment regarding partinfo 1.10/1.11 deserve any kind of feedback. )

Call me dense, but since we are only using the DOS variant in UBCD, I don't understand why we need to update to the new CAB when we _know_ the DOS variant is exactly the same.

[ady]

So are you saying sg2d should not have been updated? Why?

It _should_ be updated (and to v2.00beta6 again). Unfortunately, there is no tutorial to customize sg2d. Most of the size increment in the few recent updates in sgd2 is related to files that are not needed in the context of UBCD. If such tutorial would exist, a smaller customized sg2d would be achievable.

(Also, I wonder whether my prior comment regarding partinfo 1.10/1.11 deserve any kind of feedback. )

Call me dense, but since we are only using the DOS variant in UBCD, I don't understand why we need to update to the new CAB when we _know_ the DOS variant is exactly the same.

Well, because the partinfo v.1.10 archive included in UBCD also includes the non-DOS variants. So using the whole partinfo v.1.11, all variants are updated to their respective latest versions. I'm not sure if it would be legal to exclude the non-DOS variants.

[Victor Chew]

It _should_ be updated (and to v2.00beta6 again). Unfortunately, there is no tutorial to customize sg2d. Most of the size increment in the few recent updates in sgd2 is related to files that are not needed in the context of UBCD. If such tutorial would exist, a smaller customized sg2d would be achievable.

I must admit I am not intimately familiar with sg2d, so I rely on other's suggestions to update. If there is sufficient evidence to the contrary that an update is not necessary, I am willing to not update as well.

In the case of partinfo, I know the workings enough so I decide not to update. The old CAB file contains all files in the distribution (with the addition of startup.bat). The new version contains the same DOS EXE, but with an updated WIN EXE in the distribution. In this case, I am just making the call not to update since it does not impact the workings of UBCD.

I think it's quite similar to the situation with the binaries in the auxiliary "tools" folder. In that case, even when there were new versions available, I decided not to update unless I see the need to.

[ady]

I think it's quite similar to the situation with the binaries in the auxiliary "tools" folder. In that case, even when there were new versions available, I decided not to update unless I see the need to.

In the case of the auxiliary tools, updating them could potentially generate some problem with some script in UBCD, so as long as they work as expected and without bugs in UBCD, I would tend to agree with you.

But updating partinfo has no negative consequence. At most, updating and adding a note stating that the DOS-based variant in v.1.11 has not actually changed from v.1.10 would be all.

Regarding sg2d, I am all *for* including the latest version in UBCD. If someone has enough experience with building grub2 (in its most updated version) and is willing to contribute to UBCD, I'll gladly share my thoughts about which files could be potentially taken out of a customized smaller sg2d for UBCD. (To avoid off-topic posts, if someone is interested, just send me a PM.)

*****
Update:
_ memtest86 4.3.4 - 2013OCT02

[StopSpazzing]

Updated wiki!