Ultimate Boot CD

Victor wrote:Updated files from syslinux 4.0.3.

Victor wrote:Updated EaseUs Disk Copy to V2.3 with version from MajorGeeks (Mar 2010)... The launch method has been changed to memdisk.

ady wrote:In addition, I found:
ubcd51a2.iso -> \ubcd\images\diskcopy.iso.gz ; AND
ubcd51a2.iso -> \ubcd\images\diskcopy.iso
which is a "DUPLICATE" of the gzipped ISO that I guess shouldn't be there (and nowhere else).

The following SYSLINUX files are NOT from version 4.03 (but I don't know if this is in purpose)

LABEL -
MENU LABEL Hardware Detection Tool V0.4.1
TEXT HELP
Displays low-level information for CPU, PCI, video, memory, BIOS, motherboard,
disks, batteries, enclosures etc.
ENDTEXT
COM32 /boot/syslinux/hdt.c32
APPEND APPEND pciids=/boot/syslinux/pci.ids

title Hardware Detection Tool V0.4.1\n Displays low-level information for CPU, PCI, video, memory, BIOS, motherboard,\n disks, batteries, enclosures etc.
COM32 /boot/syslinux/hdt.c32
APPEND APPEND pciids=/boot/syslinux/pci.ids

Icecube wrote:For the grub4dos, the HDT entry could be something like this:

Code: Select all

title Hardware Detection Tool V0.4.1\n Displays low-level information for CPU, PCI, video, memory, BIOS, motherboard,\n disks, batteries, enclosures etc.
map --mem /pmagic/boot/syslinux/hdt.gz (fd0)
map --hook
root (fd0)
chainloader (fd0)+1

Or a cleaner way would be to remove the hdt.gz file in the /pmagic/boot/syslinux/ directory and to add hdt.img.gz to /ubcd/images/.
For the Syslinux menu hdt.c32 can best be used, because then you can return from HDT to the UBCD menu again. with the floppy image, you have to reboot.
The Parted Magic menu would need changes for the HDT entry too in that case.

Can you confirm that this diskcopy.ISO (not GZipped) can be erased with no unwanted consequences?

Can you confirm if those SYSLINUX files can be updated, or they are left from older versions in purpose?

The 7-zip files (exe and dll) should be updated. Even if these files are auxiliary files, they are an important part of the booting process.

Is there any special reason to have changed Gujin and SuperGrubDisk2 from IMG.gz to ISO.gz?

The HDT Syslinux menu ... There are 2 "APPEND".

Or a cleaner way would be to remove the hdt.gz file in the /pmagic/boot/syslinux/ directory and to add hdt.img.gz to /ubcd/images/. For the Syslinux menu hdt.c32 can best be used, because then you can return from HDT to the UBCD menu again. with the floppy image, you have to reboot.

Victor Chew wrote:For the files in "tools\win32\unxutils\bin", they are there for a very specific purpose i.e. to make IceCube's scripts in "tools\linux" work. They are not there for general usage. Hence I will only update them on a need-to basis i.e. if IceCube changes his scripts in "tools\linux" and they require a more recent version of particular tool.

Victor Chew wrote: I am going to put our own version of HDT.img.gz in ubcd/images, which will surprisingly be 300-400K smaller because pci.ids takes a lot less space compressed in the hdt.img.gz file. The additional level of redirection (reboot to return to UBCD menu) is offset by the ability to use it under grub4dos.

Icecube wrote:I rather would see at least 7-zip updated.

Victor Chew wrote: I am going to put our own version of HDT.img.gz in ubcd/images, which will surprisingly be 300-400K smaller because pci.ids takes a lot less space compressed in the hdt.img.gz file. The additional level of redirection (reboot to return to UBCD menu) is offset by the ability to use it under grub4dos.

The pci.ids files can be compressed with gzip. HDT won't have any problems reading it:
http://hdt-project.org/wiki/BootParameters#auto

Direct link to the file:
http://pciids.sourceforge.net/v2.2/pci.ids.gz

I agree. The files 7z.exe, 7z.dll and 7za.exe (in fdubcd) included in ubcd51a2 are from a beta version that was part of the development of the current stable, version 9.20. There is a newer beta, 9.21 that even have additional bug fixes. In particular, 7za.exe is part of every boot process involving fdubcd, so updating to 9.20 (stable) or 9.21 (newer beta from 2011APR) should be advisable.

NOTE3: Leaving hdt.c32 and the gzipped pci.ids is more versatile for updates and customizations than putting hdt.img.gz. It makes it even easier to update pmagic, which includes hdt.gz too. In addition, leaving hdt.c32 reduces the chances of wrongfully overwriting hdt.img.gz with the one from syslinux, which is, generally speaking, "older" than the one from the HDT project. Hence, IMHO the easiest and more versatile alternative is to use the pmagic's hdt.gz in the grub4dos menu, and hdt.c32/pci.ids in the syslinux menu.

Victor Chew wrote:I will update ubcd\tools\win32\unxutils\7za.exe/dll to V9.21beta.

I will update ubcd\tools\win32\unxutils\7za7z.exe/dll to V9.21beta.

Victor Chew wrote:

ady wrote:NOTE3: Leaving hdt.c32 and the gzipped pci.ids is more versatile for updates and customizations than putting hdt.img.gz. It makes it even easier to update pmagic, which includes hdt.gz too. In addition, leaving hdt.c32 reduces the chances of wrongfully overwriting hdt.img.gz with the one from syslinux, which is, generally speaking, "older" than the one from the HDT project. Hence, IMHO the easiest and more versatile alternative is to use the pmagic's hdt.gz in the grub4dos menu, and hdt.c32/pci.ids in the syslinux menu.

Point taken. I will have to modify syslinux2grub4dos to handle this translation.

ady wrote:Again, just to reduce future problems, remember the previous NOTE1: pci.ids can be gzipped, but the filename should be reset to pci.ids, not pci.ids.gz.

LABEL hdt
MENU LABEL Hardware Detection Tool V0.4.1
COM32 /boot/syslinux/hdt.c32
APPEND pciids=/boot/syslinux/pci.ids.gz

Icecube wrote:

ady wrote:Again, just to reduce future problems, remember the previous NOTE1: pci.ids can be gzipped, but the filename should be reset to pci.ids, not pci.ids.gz.

This is not needed at all.

pci.ids, modules.alias and modules.pcimap can optionally be gzipped (remove the gz extension afterwards), to save space and speedup loading.