can CECabManager do this? - General Questions and Answers

With the 6.5 rom's coming out, I'm finding that I have to re-arrange my start menu everytime I flash. I'm aware of re-start, but it's a bit, primitive, for what I want to do. I'm wondering if CECabManager can create a cab that will simply MOVE files from one directory to another, even if that means creating a directory to place some files in. Basically, a fast and easy way to clean up my start menu the way I like it. Any help is appreciated.

A common cab can not do this, in my knowledge if you want a cab do this, that cab must contain a setup.dll, which can execute some commands before/after the install/uninstall. And seems it is not easy to make a setup.dll except you can use c++ computer language.
Otherwise a cab can only: Copy files, create/overrwrite registry and create shortcut.
As fa as I know, XDA_UC can do this. Check here:
[UC]XDA_UC V1.0.02, Automated & Silent User & Cook, Configuration Service[12/07/09]
Please do correct me if anything wrong.

I actually use a cab to install my start menu, but I cook my own roms. I think it's going to be harder to do if you're flashing different roms-you won't know beforehand all the shortcuts that you need. You could probably write a mortscript that deleted everything in the start menu, and then install what you want with a cab, but I have a feeling that you'll miss a bunch of apps that are cooked in, and maybe include dead shortcuts.
Sashimi is another good way to insert a new start menu directory.

hmm. guess I'll stick with what I know for now. Thanks guys.

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excellent work as always, thanks a lot!
Nice. Make as many options as there can be.
email settings
very nice, just installed so far so good. installed my cabs no problem, instruction to do this are pretty clear.
i have been reading about UC from slueth on how it install my setting for my email, not having much luck understanding, got it to install my cabs no problem. next i am trying to learn how to copy my email settings, i dont know if this can be done with this program? and if you can help me do this, its only 1 email account pop3 so not much info.
thanks
Lupe
Sounds cool, in fact, I liked it the first time, When it was UC. Just kidding I had to say it, just had to. I look forward to giving this a go when I have a moment.
JimmyMcGee said:
Sounds cool, in fact, I liked it the first time, When it was UC. Just kidding I had to say it, just had to. I look forward to giving this a go when I have a moment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks...I think
Let me take this opportunity however to say a couple of things about UC, and specifically how this tool is really for a different purpose.
First off, although UC is a nice standard, even Sleuth acknowledges that there is really nothing new in what he is doing with UC. He took some standard autorun.exe techniques and registry entries and bundled them to make a procedure that used to take 3 or 4 steps now take 2. UC adds nothing new, other than a standardized way to use autorun.
Also, UC mainly is meant for fully automated installs of a storage card. So, you pop your card in the slot, and sdautorun processes the sdconfig.txt automatically. UC can install CABs, provision XML and copy files (with limited success). However you must first set up your sdconfig.txt file and build your XML files manually or by exporting registry keys. You must set all this up beforehand in the sdconfig file.
SASHIMI takes a different approach in that you don't need to set up a config.txt file and it isn't bound to statically install the same things each time. In addition, since it can import reg keys natively (well, technically it calls another included app to do it, but it's all bundled in the installer) you don't need to go through the hassle of exporting reg keys, and then converting them to .XML (and optionally rolling them into a .CAB file).
Other advantages SASHIMI has:
In addition to running fully automated, you can choose to run only Manual, or Manual+Auto which will allow you each time to be prompted with a set of CABs and .REG files which you wish to install.
Customizing .CAB installs by tethering/binding .REG and .MSCR files so you can easily map additional configuration entries to a particular .CAB
Logging, so you can track what has been done
Transfer entire directory structure. If you have several folders with multiple subfolders you want transfered from storage you can do this easily.
Modular - the multiple directory structure allows for nice compartamentalization and organization of applications and configuration settings. Things aren't stored in static config.txt files or difficult XML. Simple .REG files, CABS, and optionally MortScript files if you want to use them.
All of these benefits come with only one drawback, which is inherent in this technique. That is it may not be fully automated. Of course this makes sense because if you want to be prompted about which CABs you want to set up or where you want to install them, you need to invest a little time answering prompts. I think the time to do this is considerably less than creating a config.txt file.
In addition, SASHIMI can be run using only Auto mode, in which case it is fully automated (and logged). In fact, it can even be configured to be run automatically when the SD card is put in if you so choose (I will be writing up instructions for that).
So, it really depends what you want to do. I honestly feel that SASHIMI can do everything autorun (and thus UC) can do and more. The exception is it can't import XML. I may update this by including autorun in the package and build this feature in as well. Personally, I think it's easier to work with .REG than .XML. UC however, has a slightly simpler structure which of course why it isn't as feature rich. I think it lends itself more to it's main purpose...which is to be cooked into ROMs and do a fully automated install at boot.
However, as the name implies, SASHIMI is a RAW installer and is meant more for users who want full control of what is getting installed (generally users who use lighter, uncooked ROMs and want to install more apps, etc.
Although, as I said everyone can use it. I think you really need to download it and run through the tutorial to see the power it has.
thx!
Awesome!!!!!! Been following your dev work on this and I should say this is a really great new level you've taken this package!!!!
Gonanaaa try this!
Thanks for this
Sashimi works great. You did a marvelous job of documenting it. Follow the directions and you have an easy solution for us flashing junkies....Bravo!
parleyp said:
Sashimi works great. You did a marvelous job of documenting it. Follow the directions and you have an easy solution for us flashing junkies....Bravo!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your support.
Please feel free to make suggestions/bug reports/feature enhancements.
I couldn't think of anything else it needed at the time, but I'm sure it's not perfect.
On my list so far is:
Add support to use XML provisioning files (in addition to REG). - Not sure if I will put this in both Manual AND Auto modes...thinking maybe just Auto.
Writeup instructions, and maybe a little update that shows/updates the program to run in UC/Autorun mode. - This will allow it to run in auto mode as soon as the SD card is placed in the device (or a new device is started for the first time with the SD in the slot).
Integrate a config.txt / sdconfig.txt file so those of you who run UC can easily move/switch between both apps. Basically the idea is SASHIMI will process the config.txt file in addition to what it already does. It is kind of repetitive, since then you would be able to either import an XML through my methods, or just put your XML/CPY/EXEC commands in the config.txt file. Obviously if you ONLY use config/sdconfig.txt then there really isn't a need to use SASHIMI too, but if you want the extra options while still maintaining any work you did with UC then it's a go!
I would like to try to keep the app aroung it's central purpose, which is as an installer automater/helper app...so try to keep suggestions/recommendations around that.
thanks
better than uc, imho
thanks for you help bengalih, from your other thread, got my emails set up,
i used tiermanns Personal OEMizer to create my provisioning XML.
i then used the task manager you provided and bam, it worked.
this is why i believe SASHIMI is the best choice. i flash many roms, not all roms have the same programs installed, when i use uc i have to change my config.txt or i might install something that is already in the rom or i might miss something that is not in the rom. yea yea i know, cry me a river
heres what i like, i put my stuff in auto file, like my spb mobile, spb weather and a few others that no one installs because they must be purchased, then all my others in the "manual file" stuff like pcm keyboard, rss hub, htc end key, etc and google search which makes you stop and accept user agreement, if i have something in the manual file thats already installed in the rom you just flashed, just click no when it gets to it and on to the next cab.
i believe with sleuths uc if a cab requires a reboot it cant be used, for example i can put spb phone suite in manual and once completed it ask if i want to reboot, i select no and now it goes to the next cab, once im done with the cabs i want to install then i reboot very very nice
thanks
Lupe
overhaulengines said:
thanks for you help bengalih, from your other thread, got my emails set up,
i used tiermanns Personal OEMizer to create my provisioning XML.
i then used the task manager you provided and bam, it worked.
this is why i believe SASHIMI is the best choice. ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Lupe...glad you got it worked out.
I am finishing up the next version, which will incorporate UC as well, so if users have an sdconfig.txt file they want to use it can also be used by SASHIMI (in reality I am calling UC's SDAutorun.exe to do it). So, it will be like a combined installer.
There still isn't a substitute for UC in terms of cooking it into a ROM to run automatically on first boot, but with my next version you will be able to use the sdconfig.txt and you will also be able to initiaze SASHIMI when the storage card is inserted. This makes it ideal if you need to provision alot of phones and each one is slightly different.
It sounds like you are taking advantage of the manual+auto install...great. FYI if a .CAB is already unstalled, then the following will happen:
1) If in Manual mode, it will ask you to remove the old CAB first and then it will ask you the location to install the new one. Of course you can always skip the CAB in manual mode if you don't want to reinstall.
2) If in Auto mode it will automatically remove the CAB and install it again.
Ah, one last thing...the Task Manager is DotFred's task manager, I can't take the credit for that application, and I will be sure to credit him in the next release notes.
Version 3.0 coming soon.
I'm finishing up version 3.0 to be release by end of week.
Here are the following updates:
v.3.0
- XML integration added! Use XMLs with/instead of .REG files to provision your device.
- UC integration and the ability to use sdconfig.txt files.
- Option to auto-launch when Storage Card is inserted.
- Better Log handling and INTEGRATED log viewer.
- Additional menus for less clutter and more choices!
- More status dialogs to let you know what's happening when.
- Ability to create/restore Program Menu shortcuts to any location.
- \Scripts and \Root directories available in both Auto and Manual modes for more control!
- Moved tandem/bundled .REG processing before .CAB installation for the ability to import registry entries prior to application install. .MSCR and .XML tandem files process after .CAB installation.
- Optimized code formatting
Let me know if there are additional options you would like to see.
Does the SDConfig.txt file use eliminate the ability to use the programs default folder based way of separating and installing? The program is excellent as is. But if I were shooting for the moon I would suggest adding ability to export personal information to .XML or .REG from current device for use after flash...
aadadams said:
Does the SDConfig.txt file use eliminate the ability to use the programs default folder based way of separating and installing? The program is excellent as is. But if I were shooting for the moon I would suggest adding ability to export personal information to .XML or .REG from current device for use after flash...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree with this. If you were able to have the tool create the .xml and/or .reg files from your currently installed ROM, it would make an excellent tool a killer app.
Thanks for the work!
aadadams said:
Does the SDConfig.txt file use eliminate the ability to use the programs default folder based way of separating and installing? The program is excellent as is. But if I were shooting for the moon I would suggest adding ability to export personal information to .XML or .REG from current device for use after flash...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, the SDConfig.txt file is an ADDITIONAL step in the Auto phase.
So, after running either the Auto, or Manual+Auto modes the last step will be to process an SDConfig.txt file if it exists AND the option to use UC is enabled within SASHIMI.
I think that answers your question.
I did also add the option to do a backup of the entire registry to a file. But, your suggestion gives me an idea....
I can't really provide an interface with MortScript to do a selective backup of the registry, but what I may be able to do is read another configuration file. So, the user would create a file with the following format:
HKCU\Settings\Phone Settings\
HKLM\Control Panel\Sounds\
HKLM\Software\Application1\
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whatever keys are listed in the entries will be written out to a .REG file in the Manual\Reg directory and can then be imported if desired or moved to Auto\Reg.
Would that suffice for what you are asking?
That, my friend, would be EXCELLENT! This is an awesome application! Keep up the good work!
Thanks for everything, sir. I cannot wait to try this out.
Ok, I have implemented all the above features.
I just need to do a bit more testing and then repackage the .CAB and update the documentation.
Unless i get anymore feature requests/bug reports I will be upping this probably by Friday.
If any new feature requests are too complex (but worth doing) they may wait until next version.

Where WM loads programs?

I know the \Windows\StartUp folder. Where is the entry in registry?
I'm trying to remove a program (in ROM) from auto starting.
Thanks and happy new year!
Update: well I still don't know the answer but I figured out a simple way to get rid of anything I want to. I create an empty file, say, quickgps.exe and use it to replace the one in the ROM. First thing first, I make a copy from the ROM just in case I need to run it manually.

Restore original shellres

Hey XDA,
I recently used the start text modifier on http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=426264&page=1
I read it and it seemed to suggest if I rename the included shellres.dll.040C.mui to shellres.dll.0409.mui it would work on my device.
It ended up changing my softkey menus & start menu to French. I wouldn't have a huge problem with that, as I can use Google translate & I know French.
But all my startup programs were lost. With my shortcuts all on WAD2, and access to Settings & Programs on QuickMenu, I couldn't access anything.
A hard reset has done the job, but its still not the greatest solution...
Would anyone know if the shellres file deleted startup entries, or why my start menu did not have settings & programs (just recent)?
SinTactics said:
Hey XDA,
I recently used the start text modifier on http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=426264&page=1
I read it and it seemed to suggest if I rename the included shellres.dll.040C.mui to shellres.dll.0409.mui it would work on my device.
It ended up changing my softkey menus & start menu to French. I wouldn't have a huge problem with that, as I can use Google translate & I know French.
But all my startup programs were lost. With my shortcuts all on WAD2, and access to Settings & Programs on QuickMenu, I couldn't access anything.
A hard reset has done the job, but its still not the greatest solution...
Would anyone know if the shellres file deleted startup entries, or why my start menu did not have settings & programs (just recent)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
The problem is very clear : the manual and explanation it the 'Icon-changer' are WRONG. You just can't change the language to any other by changing some reference in the name of a given *.dll... You need to have the correct *.dll for YOUR language. Hence it's not working. Your shortcuts etc. did not disappear, they just didn't have any reference INSIDE the *.dll, so no way to show up.
Bad explanation doesn't mean it's not working. If you like to play around, you first backup your *.dll and the start hexing a copy of that backup. If it's not working as you should expect, you can always use TotalCommander to put back your backup.
Dirk
Ah, thanks sir.
I am relatively new to this, so thanks for giving me some basics.
So I would need to do some kind of hardcore cracking open of the dll, which is out-of-the-question for a newb.
SinTactics said:
Ah, thanks sir.
I am relatively new to this, so thanks for giving me some basics.
So I would need to do some kind of hardcore cracking open of the dll, which is out-of-the-question for a newb.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's nothing hardcore in it Just copy the *.dll you want to change to your PC. Make a backup-copy of it, and open that copy in an HEX editor like XVI32 or such... hack the needed bits and save the file.
Then you copy that hacked file back to your device. Best is to copy it to another place as the original, cos WM won't let you overwrite like that. Therefor you'll need to use TotalCommander.
If it's not acting as you expected, you can replace the hacked *.dll with the original backup the same way.
Dirk
Thanks!
Thanks for the quick responses sir.
I will look into your suggestions. Thanks heaps!
While I need to change the language parts of the *.dll from the other thread, will this also allow shortcuts to show up? Or is it better to edit my current *.dll to change the text that way?
SinTactics said:
Thanks for the quick responses sir.
I will look into your suggestions. Thanks heaps!
While I need to change the language parts of the *.dll from the other thread, will this also allow shortcuts to show up? Or is it better to edit my current *.dll to change the text that way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, you'll need to use YOUR *.dll... That's the only one that is integrated in your OS, and has all the connections to your shortcuts.
Dirk

WM6.5 Start Menu Customising In Kitchen

I'm using the Diamond kitchen HERE. I am really struggling to organise my start menu.
I've been able to create folders using the initflashes.dat and mxipinit_startmenu_001.provxml.
But Windows installs default icons that I have been unable to remove. Where do I remove the icons such as Calendat, Tasks, Messaging etc...? I want to remove them from the start menu root, into my new created folders.
Any help would be very much appreciated!
You need to take a multi-pronged attack to control the 6.5 start menu, lol. There are many different ways to do it.
First, the icons. One approach is to search on the sys folder for "icon." Can't remember the names (icon_games.png, or something like that). There is one big-ass folder with all the icons. Just delete the ones you don't like or need. Or, create your own icon, rename it the way it's named in sys, and stick it in a package that runs later. Then you'll never have to think about it again, as long as you keep the package.
As far as folders go, I've dug out all the provxml's that create start menu shortcuts and I've deleted all of the program shortcuts (I left the settings stuff alone). I don't remember what all the provxmls are named, but you can usually tell just looking at the title. I recommend either organizing the dump file in your kitchen by extension, and then copying all the .provxmls out and examining them (some are hidden). So, if you make changes to any of them, then you should again stick them in the package with your icons that runs at the end of the cooking process. Personally, I install my entire start menu by cab file during customization, and that's where my directory is created. I've editted out everything in the initiflashfiles.dat and app.dat files. I'm not recommending that you take this approach, but this is what I do, lol.
The last thing you need to do is to cook in your HKLM\Security\Shell\Startinfo reg setting. This has all of the folder icon settings (if you use the .png icons-personally, I don't). It also orders everything the way you like it. I've also found that I never have problems with the owner info and buttons settings not showing up with this cooked in. When you look at that reg directory, you'll probably see a lot of crap in there that isn't in your start menu (or in the wrong place). Just delete those entries.
Getting that menu set up is a pain, but once you have it done, it's not so bad.
Edit: you can also run a mortscript during customization to clean and re-organize the SM. I've done that, but there's just something unappealing about moving stuff around and deleting stuff. You usually end up with a messy startinfo registry (mine's clean as a whistle now, lol). But it does work. You can also write scripts to delete the 'icon' values in the registry to use icon.lnk files to set your folder icons. It pretty much comes down to what's convenient and what you're familiar with.

Need a Little Help with Understanding ROM Extract

Hi All,
I need a little help in understanding something, either by explaination, or by directing me toa webpage, but everything I found really doesnt explain it.
I used 3 tools to extract a HTC ROM Leo, I used: NBHExtract, IMGFS utility (NBSpilt etc.) then used Package-tool to create the folders OEM and SYS, and now I'm stuck.
What I want to know is how do i go about making a cab file of something so I can install it? for example like the Messaging App. In the OEM folder it has two folders, one says for ex: HTCMessaging, the other says the same thing with .0409 on the end.
How would I go about being able to cab the messaging system files, registry etc, and cab it?
Thanks a million for any help.
Anyone? Or did I post in the wrong forum?
<Bump> sorry but I am still searching, I have been reading and reading for the last 12 hours and nothing is pointing me to a solution, let me clarify one thing. I am not wanting to know how to make a cab file, I know how to do that.
What I am trying to find out is how does one go about sorting in the example the HTC Messaging App and all the files needed to be installed into a cab, obviously 2 folders doesnt complete it, I know that possibly contacts, and appointments apps have to be put into the cab, but How would I go about finding out all the files needed to the appointment app, all the files needed for the contact app, and all the files needed for the Messaging App, so I could cab them individually and install them to test on a spare TP2 phone, I am not trying to flash it. I want to cab it so if it doesnt work or is unstable, I can uninstall it from the remove programs.
Anyone? I even tried New Visual Kitchen, but it crashes during the building of packages after the extraction process of the ROM.

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