Base 8.05 Released - Support for XP SP3 & DPInst

MD5 check-sums are available on the overview page for each of the main packs now.


This version is primarily aimed at support of XP SP3 but we have a few other things included too.

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Windows XP SP3 will be available to non-subscribers on 4/29 via Windows Update and Microsoft Download Center.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/wind … 3a761.aspx

SP3 was delayed but base is out!

Zero reports of problems to date.
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there has been much improvement to the process of running base more than once on a source.
with this version a near perfect uninstall should be possible
(assuming txtsetup and dosnet were not changed after the DriverPacks slipstream)
(<select none> of the boxes on the pack selection screen and slipstream)


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Proxy support fixed - reported by Chiners

- None is now the default option for ATI control panel / center - idea submitted by mr_smartepants
And it  is a new selection in the GUI as well.
so now the DPs_BASE.ini supports CCC CCP and None

- I have implemented helmi's idea for a universal tag file for hotfix handling.
Adding a file named "IgnoreKB.DP" to the I386 folder will cause base to not add or remove hotfixes. (Ignored)
Add this switch BEFORE running DriverPacks Base on a source to prevent orphaned / lost entries in textsetup and dosnet.
base makes backups of these files which get restored by DP_Base on subsequent slipstreams.
(all post driverpack entries in those files will be lost when they are restored by base in the "prep" stage)
Hint 1: if you wish to add patches or hot fixes first remove driverpacks by selecting nothing on the pack selection screen and slipstream. then update your source and re-add Driverpacks. (Driverpacks still needs to be the last step)
Hint 2: you could just restore txtsetup.org and dosnet.org before adding patches... and then update the .org files after.
(this orphans textmode mass storage drivers in I386 but they will be removed/updated  when DP_Base is run again)

- I adjusted the code for uni2ansi to fix a reported issue with svcpack.inf. - submitted by Jaak

- I don't know if anyone even uses it - but the multibootdisk platform got totaly rewritten...

- Inspired by the work of one of our members, Wsnow.   
DPinst is a redistributable MS file that recursively searches folders for drivers
Then DPI will update the local machines device drivers. Think of it as a mini setup for post installing drivers.
With this tool it is possible to update a machine with the driverpacks post install...
Including the finisher and KTD... very cool stuff.

Added support for the MS tool 'DPinst.exe' for M1 and M2
Run the DP_Install_Tool.cmd in the OEM (or $OEM$) folder.
With M2 files are extracted to the the HDD and then DPInst is run followed by the Finisher and KTD (if set)
With M1 files can be left on the CD/DVD (since they are already extracted) and DPInst will run directly from there.
DP_Install_Tool.cmd asks if you want finisher and KTD when it finds an M1 source so you can choose...
If you choose yes then the M1 drivers ARE copied to SystemDrive and DPInst is run from there.

- Finisher updated to eliminate the d\d\ error in KTD and to remove the DPInst files during cleanup. 

- Fixed a problem user Kurt_Aust reported:
Just a minor GUI bug (held over from 7.05.2).
If you select "Custom" Finisher method, when you get to the settings review page it shows that you have selected "GUI RunOnce" Finisher method.
http://forum.driverpacks.net/viewtopic. … 484#p19484


Reply to this topic Report Here

Jeff Herre / OverFlow

Testers Needed

Release Candidate for DriverPacks Base is available

Are you Tech enough?

Added XP SP3 (RC1) support.

Fixed the code that caused the nested folder error in method one when QSC was off  (the \D\D\ problem)

Corrected the M1 bug that added the $OEM$ folders and finisher files when only mass storage textmode was selected. If only textmode is selected then these files and folders are not needed.

Corrected the M1 bug that did not copy the INI files for the packs to the \$OEM$\$1 with the finisher files.

Corrected - needs an extra " added at the end of the line for BusExtenders.Load line in mass storage module for BartPE

Added support for HJW update packs (similar to RyanVM update packs)

Added a fix for the Setupold.exe problem
when an XP repair-setup was run on a machine originaly loaded with Driverpacks M2 drivers then setup would fail with the error cannot create setupold.

new command line switch by request  /proxy

Usage /proxy:"LocalProxy:Port"[,"Username","Password"]
examples
DPs_BASE.exe /proxy:"192.168.1.1:8080"
DPs_BASE.exe /proxy:"LocalProxy:8080","administrator","password"


A new method for Chipset? stay tuned to see.

please test everything!!!!

I feel confident it is solid - but I can only do so much testing on my own. 
Please read the topic, because it has some info about why there are changes.

For those of you willing to test,
this is the link to DPs_BASE_801RC2

New site - status

I'm waiting for Drupal 6. There, I said it. Too many things that will be Drupal 6 only, which I can no longer ignore. In particular, the Views module, which is a query builder, is something I will *need* for the API. Views 2, which will be for Drupal 6 only, has the ability to have a different "root table" than the currently hard-coded "node" table (in which Drupal stores all basic info for each content type, like the title, author and body).

In the mean time, I'm improving what I've already built. In particular, my Hierarchical Select module has been rewritten to allow multiple selection (I'll post a demo later). This is something that will be greatly appreciated by you, I'm sure I've updated my Tabs panel style plugin for the Panels 2 module, which will definitely be used to be able to rapidly rearrange content on DriverPacks.net. In practice, this means we don't have to rewrite XHTML or CSS to change the lay-out or add new pages whenever necessary.
Today, I've finished my http://www.simplecdn.com integration module. A http://www.simplecdn.com is a Content Delivery Network. It's basically static file servers on steroids: they have servers all over the planet and allow super fast downloads. This means the next DriverPacks.net will load superfast, wherever you're living on this planet!

Drupal 6 will be released somewhere in the next month probably. Views 2 should be too. During that time, I will start porting my modules to Drupal 6.

So... November was great, what about 2008.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.
I am Jaak.
I am a noob.
Really.. I am.

When I finalize a pack and release it I have to write PHP files, and I make a backup of those before I update.
Afterwards you will see there is an update in version tracker.
You will also see a supported device list, and a change-log.
There is an RSS feed. The RSS feed's xml is auto-magically generated when we release a new version..

Some people are masters at driver version tracking, not me.
I came aboard and was soon asked to be on the testing team.. Where I learned about a lot of things.
When I got asked to join the main team, I felt honored.
Honor means something.

Let me tell you a few things.
Some of the team worked on updating packs, and some on testing. We direly needed good testers.
Some users worked on fixes and then did not share their work.
The smarter workers gave us feedback, letting us know how they had addressed issues.
Those users were rewarded by not having to repeatedly re-apply the same fix when new packs were released.

The DriverPacks are always in a state of flux.
Intelligent users join. Currently we have PE coders, SysPrep coders, and noobs - like me.
I have learned many things from the SysPrep gurus.  Their requirements are not the same as those of the PE crowd.
I have learned from Jeff (OverFlow), the current DriverPacks BASE Code guru.
I often read about problems and it makes me wonder. I write a lot of nonsense, but hey, noobs often do.
I have tried to get people to write about how they solved issues, and a lot of their tips and ideas are used later on..
Some ideas have been developed in different environments and with different goals in mind. However, they have turned DriverPacks into a living community where teamwork on the DriverPacks works for the best interests of all.

Getting it all together so it works for as many as possible is what has the packs in flux.
The DriverPacks team and the SysPrep crowd (Hey You Guys PLEASE come out of the woodwork...), and the PE crowd, and the noobs, we are all working towards a common goal.
A good PE build is one goal, Method Two DISC install is a goal, Method 1 optimization is, and there are still other.

I do not see the benefit in an auto-magical download of DriverPacks because most folks would then NOT read about changes.

We are, for instance, working on folder shortening, and we are also constantly grooming the packs eliminating duplicates and consolidating others with universal drivers where available.
This means a state of turbulent flux.
The folder names do change - and could perhaps change in a really drastic way at any time.
Suppose we release a totally new approach for a drastic Method 1 path optimize (and this may happen), and the SysPrep guys don’t find the information in a changelog. (sadness)

A short comment on the filtering of drivers:
I can tell you that this will probably NOT EVER be done auto-magically, because...
For instance (top of iceberg).
1) The target Operating system looks at a driver, and a 2003 only driver gets mistaken for a win2K, where we (humans) would realize that the system files are different and not compatible.
2) A new driver does not work on old hardware, but pretends it will.
((A good example of that was in sound. We had over 2000 competing HWIDS between drivers that came from different manufactures’. ))

EDIT: March 2008: while grooming LAN we found hundreds and pruned a dozen folders, and in WLAN we pruned 70 folder from the tree whithout dropping a single HWID .

Do you want to help us help you?
Released packs are at least tested by a few noobs like me. But that is not enough.
Be smarter than you were, and show us how you fix things at your job, and get your fix released in a future version, or just be a tester.

Help make 2008 great.
%) Jaak

------------------------------------------------
I am Jeff.

We have much to look back on and be proud of in 2007

I am not going to list names out of fear I will miss someone.
We had lots of new faces, some dedicated veterans and a few returning founding members.
Bâshrat the Sneaky had a "tough row to hoe" with college but he managed to keep the project alive from the shadows.
Everyone on the team "stepped up to the plate" in his absence.
They put in long, hard, unpaid, and nearly thankless hours.
Much ground was gained - all facets of the base and packs are better than they ever were.

DriverPacks grew from a one man show to a world class team!

By team I don't just mean the small group of us who turn out the packs and base.
I mean every single person who made a [REQ]est or posted a [BUG] or asked a question that made us think.
Every Person who has contributed through helpful feedback or tested a pack and reported back.
People who have figured out how to do or fix something and shared it with us.

"The team" is all of you who post any DriverPacks related info here. 

Thank You! -
Recognize yourselves and each other
Realize what has been gained
Be proud - Very Proud!
As I am proud of each and every one of you.

Sorry I hi'jaak'ed your post

%) Jeff (Overflow)

November was great!

We had updates for Soundpack A and Mass storage in late November

Mass Storage Pack
Debugger had suggested a workaround for issues where a RAID driver got the upperhand when the chip was set for Base-Mode. The Paths in the pack were shortend to help make Method one more viable and some SI drivers were added - Jaak put a lot of work into this. 

Sound A Pack
mr_smartepants fixed an issue with the soundblaster driver where the Audigy control panel was installed for the Xfi driver. lucky2007 posted this issue and was a HUGE help in testing and providing the fix and getting it resolved - (it's not just 'lucky' it's hard work) HWID's were trimmed from some of the INF's to address driver conflicts. Jaak continued with my vision of keeping method One alive and shortened the paths in Sound A too.  Dolivas, Major, and corytk all helped and deserve a round of applause. Thanks guys, this was a true TEAM effort.

Muiz Released a third party driverpack (3rd party DriverPack) for Monitor that Bons helped with.
Dolivas  Updated the 3rd party DriverPack for modem
Overflow finaly wrote the help file for BartPE Tutorial link

We already have updated packs for December - LAN, Graphics A & B, Sound A & B, and WLAN
Folder structures were optimized for Method 1 by Jaak

Driverpacks is opensource and freeware. Our team members donate their personal time to make this project happen.

Members Like Bâshrat the Sneaky, Helmi, Muiz, Jaak, Overflow, JakeLD, debugger, Chud, Twig123, maxximum, RougeSpear, mr_smartepants, fragbert, Ricktendo64, Ruudboek, TigerC10, Lightsout, McStarfighter, Major, Signet, Dolivas and BigBrit. 

We always need people with access to a variety hardware for our test packs -  If this sounds like you then become a team member and help make DriverPacks all it can be! we need YOU! or as Jaak is fond of saying

                                                      "You need us - We need you"

have a great holiday season and thanks to all. 

---- Jeff Herre AKA OverFlow

and now there is more to the story - and Jaak accuses me of never sleeping....

Dear Gentlebeings,
Jeff mentioned the folder structures are changing to get Method 1 more viable.
When we compared the old Mass storage driverPack with the new one, we found that we had added 14 drivers, and despite that we have been able to shorten Path length by approximately 200 characters.
The additions were actually older driver versions we needed to be able to support several Silicon Image Mass storage chip BIOS versions.

Today, Sound A, Sound B, and Graphics B have all had their folder structures changed as well.
The new structures will take getting used to, I guess.
It is something we wanted to do long ago, and now we are at it..

Jeff also mentioned that we trimmed HWIDs from several INF files in the Sound DriverPacks.
Approximately 2050 duplicated HWIDs were found in Sound A and B.
The testers were patient, and we added some new people to the team.
They earned their place, let me tell you that.
It would not be possible without you.
Thank you for helping us help you.
---Jaak

for those of you who don't know there is a MS path limit on method one of 4096. The path for method one was 6895 last month. Jaak has trimmed that to 6090. That is a total pickup of 805, and a lot of work. My hat is off to you my friend...