"MultiCPU support" in BootDI is not working with FiraDisk/WinVBlock

Steps to reproduce:
- extract contents of Gena_Meal_2017-02-04.zip to some empty folder;
- start BuildGena.exe;
- click Source and set Source directory (I have XP SP3 x86);
- set grub4dos in Basic/BootsectorPE;
- untick Components, Tweeks, Apps, Drivers and Virtual Test;
- tick Drivers/5 Ramdisk/FiraDisk;
- untick Finals/1 Optimizations;
- tick Finals/2 Create Image/BootDI;

this part is optional:
- click Play and wait for project to finish;
- copy resulting ISO to UFD having grub4dos (or Syslinux and memdisk) and modify its menu appropriately.
- boot UFD and choose the corresponding menu item;
-> WinPE works fine, Task Manager shows single CPU;

and here is the important part:
- tick MultiCPU support in Finals/2 Create Image/BootDI;
- click Play and wait for project to finish;
- copy resulting ISO to UFD having grub4dos (or Syslinux and memdisk) and modify its menu appropriately.
- boot UFD and choose the corresponding menu item;
-> the image file loads into memory and WinPE hangs showing "Starting Windows Preinstall Environment".

BootDiskImage.img contains ntldr that is patched setupldr.bin from the source CD, but I think it should be used from w2k3 sp1. Actually, I have some builds made with BootDI and MultiCPU with the correct ntldr that boot fine, but I cannot reproduce how to get it.

Hmm, it's quite a while since I worked on this. It may well require setupldr.bin from 2k3sp1.

Regards,
Galapo.

Actually, it has checking if setupldr is from W2k3 in the [Check-Version] section, but it executes [Patch_setupldr_mp] regardless of that which version is.

I think that I remembered how I got functional MultiCPU with FiraDisk/WinVBlock. Here are steps to reproduce:
- extract contents of Gena_Meal_2017-02-04.zip to some empty folder;
- start BuildGena.exe;
- click Source and set Source directory (I have XP SP3 x86);
- set grub4dos in Basic/BootsectorPE;
- untick Components, Tweeks, Apps, Drivers and Virtual Test;
- tick Drivers/5 Ramdisk/Win2k3_Ramdisk;
- copy setupldr.bin and ramdisk.sys from W2k3 into %GlobalTemplates%\BootDI folder;
- untick Finals/1 Optimizations;
- tick Finals/2 Create Image/BootDI;
- tick MultiCPU support in Finals/2 Create Image/BootDI;
- click Play and wait for project to finish;
-> setupldr.bin is copied from BootDI folder to %Target_Win%, patched and copied to the %RAMFolder%;

now, here is the important part:
- untick Win2k3_Ramdisk and tick FiraDisk;
- click on the green Play button of FiraDisk;
- click on the green Play button of BootDI and wait for it to finish;
-> setupldr.bin is copied from %Target_Win% to the %RAMFolder%;
- copy resulting ISO to UFD having grub4dos (or Syslinux and memdisk) and modify its menu appropriately.
- boot UFD and choose the corresponding menu item;
-> WinPE works fine, Task Manager shows multiple cores (CPUs).

However, if you click on the blue Play button:
-> setupldr.bin is copied from the source CD, patched and copied to the %RAMFolder% resulting with unusable WinPE.

I have now improved the verification routine. And actually, it wasn't be processed anyway due to a missing entry under [Main].

So now a check is made during the verification checks right at the start of the build.

Regards,
Galapo.

Thanks, but you still have the old version on the server.

Hmm, that's a bit strange. The changelog for me is showing this:

Code: [Select]

[News]
20170509 2639 (Galapo)
2639_Update_Admin=Galapo
2639_Update_Date=20170509
2639_Web=http://gena.cwcodes.net/Projects/Gena/Finals/1%20Optimizations/multiprocessor.script
2639_Date=2017.05.09
2639_MD5=f5491b46879c4d8516e320696cb400b6
2639_Size=38656
2639_Version=028

And the link there has the updated version for me: http://gena.cwcodes.net/Projects/Gena/Finals/1%20Optimizations/multiprocessor.script

Just double-check?

Regards,
Galapo.

Sorry, I though you are talking about BootDI plugin and its "MultiCPU support" option. I had Multi Processor plugin disabled all the time. Will it enable multiple CPUs in PE even if I disable "MultiCPU support" option in BootDI or WinBoot?

Ok, I just checked it and I got the verification error how it requires Win2k3_Ramdisk plugin enabled. What if I don't want that plugin enabled? If I want to use FiraDisk or WinVBlock, I don't need one more ramdisk in PE.

It would be nice if you just updated BootDI plugin that could copy setupldr.bin from the %GlobalTemplates%\BootDI folder instead of the source CD in case that the "MultiCPU support" option is enabled and Win2k3_Ramdisk is disabled.

Ok, I've updated the BootDI plugin to be able to provide the necessary file.

Regards,
Galapo.

Thanks, it works great, the Task Manager shows multiple CPUs. Although, I am not sure why you added "I provide" check box when the W2k3 setupldr file is needed anyway.

By the way, I am getting the warning in the [ObtainSetupldrFile] section: "CopyOrExpand - File exists [%BaseDir%\Workbench\Common\BootDI\SETUPLDR.BIN] to: [%BaseDir%\Target\Gena\I386\SETUPLDR.BIN]: Overwritten". It would be nice if you check if the target file exists and to delete it previously to avoid that warning.

I am not sure why you added "I provide" check box when the W2k3 setupldr file is needed anyway.

Just because Gena can be built with a Windows 2003 source as it is, and hence the file doesn't need to be additionally supplied.

It would be nice if you check if the target file exists and to delete it previously to avoid that warning.

Ok, I'll take a look if I can later today.

Regards,
Galapo.

ok, done.

Yeah, since I use XP I am forgetting that Gena could be used with the W2k3 source as well.

Please don't get me wrong, I really appreciate all that you done, but I think that some things could be improved toward the user interface. The plugin already has too much controls, some of them are not even intuitive, and an average user could not know for what they are for.

Here is my logic how that new option could be simplified for users: the plugin code could check if the source CD contains W2k3 SP1 setupldr.bin; if it does, it will copy it to the target folder; if it doesn't, it will check the specified folder for that file and copy it; if the specified folder doesn't contain the right file the plugin should halt since the setupldr.bin will be wrongly patched resulting with unbootable PE. So, you actually just needed to add one button like some plugins have named "Provide File(s)", e.g. WimPack. There is no even need for the text box saying which is the folder where are the file(s). I think that nobody really wants to specify some particular folder for those files, it is enough to put them at the default location, %GlobalTemplates%\BootDI in this case.

I remember old version of WimPack also had such text box and the corresponding button for specifying folder, until someone rightfully decided to ditch that.

Hi ZYX,

Missing is, It is rare someone provide tutorials to give more info about options on plugins.


Since it is pure hobby activity, We can not do everything (code, plugin interface, tutorials, instuctions) perfect.

So progress goes with feedback and very limited free time.

*
After many tests you seem doing with Gena, I hope you provide good step by step tutorials to end users about some options and goals you tests.