just wanted to ask if you plan to implement the new compact mode feature of Windows 10?
Compact mode seems to be a new version of WIMBOOT.
The files no longer points to the wim file, but to NTFS streams with the compressed data.
This makes it much easier to maintain the installation.
Last edit: JackF 2015-07-21
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Yes, I'm considering adding this feature. That is --- the ability to do a WIM image extraction, on Windows (perhaps Windows 10 only), in "compact mode". I'll look into it more soon.
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I added an experimental version of this feature today. When extracting you can choose to use any of the "System Compression" formats (XPRESS4k, XPRESS8K, XPRESS16K, and LZX). Exclusions can be configured using the WimBootCompress.ini file, same as "WIMBoot" extractions (DISM seems to have this same behavior).
I'm relying on the ioctls provided by Windows which is somewhat of a shame because wimlib could probably create the compressed files much more efficiently than Windows can, if Microsoft's driver didn't prevent applications from doing so.
I suppose that DISM doesn't run into this problem because it probably only uses XPRESS4K.
With "WIMBoot" I also did not run into this problem, since the Windows 8.1 early boot code apparently did in fact support compression formats other than XPRESS4K. But maybe they have disabled all formats except XPRESS4K for "compact mode".
I'm not sure why Microsoft keeps using XPRESS4K; it's not actually a very good choice of compression format in my opinion.
Nevertheless, perhaps, if a list of files that need to be read before wof.sys is loaded could be hard-coded in wimlib, then it could support "compacting" with formats other than XPRESS4K. It would just use XPRESS4K for the hard-coded files or leave them uncompressed.
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Hi,
just wanted to ask if you plan to implement the new compact mode feature of Windows 10?
Compact mode seems to be a new version of WIMBOOT.
The files no longer points to the wim file, but to NTFS streams with the compressed data.
This makes it much easier to maintain the installation.
Last edit: JackF 2015-07-21
Hi,
Yes, I'm considering adding this feature. That is --- the ability to do a WIM image extraction, on Windows (perhaps Windows 10 only), in "compact mode". I'll look into it more soon.
Hi,
I added an experimental version of this feature today. When extracting you can choose to use any of the "System Compression" formats (XPRESS4k, XPRESS8K, XPRESS16K, and LZX). Exclusions can be configured using the WimBootCompress.ini file, same as "WIMBoot" extractions (DISM seems to have this same behavior).
I'm relying on the ioctls provided by Windows which is somewhat of a shame because wimlib could probably create the compressed files much more efficiently than Windows can, if Microsoft's driver didn't prevent applications from doing so.
I can't upload anything to SourceForge right now due to their very extended outage of developer features, so I posted the code and Windows builds to github: https://github.com/ebiggers/wimlib/releases/tag/v1.8.2-BETA2
Thanks,
so far I can say it's work great.
Okay, there are some problems with the compression types other than "XPRESS4k".
The new system will blue screen with an error about ntoskrnl.exe.
After adding this one to the "PrepopulateList" of WimBootCompress.ini it will complain about hal???.dll
I guess Windows 10 only supports XPRESS4k on very early boot state.
Yes, that might be the case.
I suppose that DISM doesn't run into this problem because it probably only uses XPRESS4K.
With "WIMBoot" I also did not run into this problem, since the Windows 8.1 early boot code apparently did in fact support compression formats other than XPRESS4K. But maybe they have disabled all formats except XPRESS4K for "compact mode".
I'm not sure why Microsoft keeps using XPRESS4K; it's not actually a very good choice of compression format in my opinion.
Nevertheless, perhaps, if a list of files that need to be read before wof.sys is loaded could be hard-coded in wimlib, then it could support "compacting" with formats other than XPRESS4K. It would just use XPRESS4K for the hard-coded files or leave them uncompressed.
There is a new driver in the Windows 10 ADK called "WofADK".
After starting and attaching it to the destination volume,
wimlib can apply in wimboot and compact mode on Windows 7 and 8.x, too.