www.sarducd.it

[shafferCsmith]

David, since you're probably working on a new beta version of SARDU, I'd like to suggest a few features/improvements.

#1 Add the ability to 'update' only one or several applications to SARDU, without having to re-install & copy all the files. For an example my SARDU disk is about 15GB. If a new version of Parted Magic comes out, I cannot update just PM! I have to wipe/format the entire flash/HDD & let SARDU copy all 15GB of files again! This will kill the flash drives really fast, but not a problem for HDD. If SARDU can just copy the files from the new PM ISO & replace the older files on the target drive, don't even need to update the MENU's as they will still be the same.

Currently I do this manually, by extracting the files from the ISO but its a lot of work & the work grows exponentially with the number of programs needing updates!

#2 Add the ability to extract ISO's just once, then write to multiple targets using the extracted source files. When copying the extracted files to multiple target drives, it can either be done simultaneously to all of them or if thats not possible, just one drive at a time! Skipping file extraction 4 other times can save a lot of time!

I have 5 drives with SARDU, 3 flash & 2 HDD's. When I have to update one or several programs on the drives, SARDU does the following:
Extract->Copy to DRIVE#1
Extract->Copy to DRIVE#2
Extract->Copy to DRIVE#3
Extract->Copy to DRIVE#4
Extract->Copy to DRIVE#5

When you're extracting & copying almost 15GB of data to 5 drives, just to update a 200MB Parted Magic, it takes a very long time to complete the task! Maybe SARDU can have the ability to detect if ISO has changed by comparing the MD5 hash or file modification date/time & then decide whether to delete ISOLINUX directory & extract all the files again. Or maybe SARDU can extract the files once every start/session, this way it will use the extracted files multiple times this session & will not extract any files until restarted.

Question:
Can we we change the location of the ISOLINUX [file extraction] directory? This way if SARDU & all the ISO's are in C:\ drive, extracting files to D:\ISOLINUX will speed up the whole operation too.

Anyway, these are just some suggestions to improve SARDU, which is already the best [& only] multiple A/V & utility booting program. Thanks a lot for all of your hard work David.

[davidecosta]

#1 if you want to update only a software, selects only the software for update. If You want update only parted magic select only parted magic...and..SARDU update only parted magic, the remainder will not be updated but will work.
#2 The md5 can freeze the PC, i added md5 for check the iso's and with seven64 freeze the PC or not works fine. SARDU copy thousand of files, if check all md5....will slows down the copy. (hours)
User can change the path of ISOs and where save the sardu.iso, why change the temp folder?

[shafferCsmith]

#1 Thanks; did not know SARDU already had the ability to update individual programs without wiping the drive first. Hope it doesn't modify the menu though. I will try the update functionality as soon as there's some new program.

#2 I think you misunderstood what I said. I was saying SARDU can save time by extracting only once [per session/start]. When someone makes multiple SARDU drives from the extracted source, it will save a lot of time. Currently SARDU will extract the ISO's 5 times, when I try to make 5 SARDU drives with the same ISO/settings!

This [#2] can also be achieved in another way. If SARDU can detect that any of the ISO was modified, only then it will extract & create a new source, otherwise it will continue to use the source files from previous extraction. This can be done in 2 ways; SARDU can determine whether an ISO changed or not by detecting last modification time of ISO [NOT individual files within the ISO] or by comparing MD5 hash of the ISO [NOT individual files withing the ISO] to the hash saved in SARDU configuration file from last time & only extract the ISO's [to create a new source] if either or both [last modification & MD5] has changed. This will save a lot of time!

I will give you an example. Lets say I want to create SARDU disk for FLASH1, FLASH2, FLASH3, USBHDD1 & USBHDD2

Currently this is how SARDU operates & it takes a lot of time!
MAY-11 10:15PM session#1 -> make FLASH1 -> SARDU extract ISO -> copy files
---------------same session- -> make FLASH2 -> SARDU extract ISO -> copy files
---------------same session- -> make FLASH3 -> SARDU extract ISO -> copy files
MAY-12 03:11PM session#1 -> make USBHDD1 -> SARDU extract ISO -> copy files
MAY-12 05:39PM session#2 -> make USBHDD2 -> SARDU extract ISO -> copy files

To save time SARDU can do the following instead:
MAY-11 10:15PM session#1 -> make FLASH1 -> check ISO modify time/md5 hash -> ALL ISO NEW = extract ALL ISO -> copy files
---------------same session- -> make FLASH2 -> don't check ISO modify time/md5 hash -> NO new ISO = don't extract ISO -> copy old files
---------------same session- -> make FLASH3 -> don't check ISO modify time/md5 hash -> NO new ISO = don't extract ISO -> copy old files
MAY-12 03:11PM session#1 -> make USBHDD1 -> check ISO modify time/md5 hash -> NO new ISO = don't extract ISO -> copy old files
MAY-12 05:39PM session#2 -> make USBHDD2 -> check ISO modify time/md5 hash -> pmagic-6.1.ISO NEW = extract ISO -> copy files

If you can tell SARDU where to put the temp folder [isolinux], you can also save time or be more flexible. Ex:
Scenario 1-
C:\ = OS, SWAP, SARDU.exe + all ISO & temp extract folder [isolinux] *drive can thrash & SARDU will extract files very slowly!

C:\ = OS, SWAP SARDU.exe + all ISO
D:\ = SARDU temp extract folder [isolinux] *even if C:\ is thrasing, SARDU will extract files very fast as D:\ is not being used!

Scenario 2-
C:\ = OS, SWAP SARDU.exe + all ISO
External USB \Network Share = SARDU temp extract folder [isolinux] *COMP1, COMP2 & COMP3 all can use this temp folder to make SARDU disk at the same time!

These are just my suggestions to make SARDU more useful by adding more features........thats all.

[davidecosta]

SARDU make Hundreds of controls, i can't rewrite all from scratch. 2.0.2c have more than two months, i have a beta almost ready but i haven't time, my job isn't in IT.
You can make one copy of SARDU, copy all files in another USB and recreate the menu. This is fast solution for make more copy of SARDU (Without installation of Vista and Seven)

[shafferCsmith]

SARDU make Hundreds of controls, i can't rewrite all from scratch. 2.0.2c have more than two months, i have a beta almost ready but i haven't time, my job isn't in IT.

Adding a new functionality/feature was just a suggestion, no need to re-write the whole program! Since you wrote the code for SARDU, I thought you were a programmer by profession; guess I was wrong on that one, ha ha. Personally, since my high school C++ days I haven't done any coding either. If you don't mind me asking, what kind of day job do you have [just curious to know, so please don't take it personally]?

You can make one copy of SARDU, copy all files in another USB and recreate the menu. This is fast solution for make more copy of SARDU (Without installation of Vista and Seven)

Ahh, thanks for the hint. I would have never thought it would be that simple! So just to be clear, I can just copy the files from one SARDU drive to another & it will work, no need to modify anything else? I always thought SARDU did some sort of boot sector modification to point the BIOS boot loader towards the right OS loader; guess not! I will try this & the program update suggestion you posted about earlier, as soon as I get a chance to.

Thanks again for all the help.

[davidecosta]

SARDU make Hundreds of controls, i can't rewrite all from scratch. 2.0.2c have more than two months, i have a beta almost ready but i haven't time, my job isn't in IT.

Adding a new functionality/feature was just a suggestion, no need to re-write the whole program! Since you wrote the code for SARDU, I thought you were a programmer by profession; guess I was wrong on that one, ha ha. Personally, since my high school C++ days I haven't done any coding either. If you don't mind me asking, what kind of day job do you have [just curious to know, so please don't take it personally]?

You can make one copy of SARDU, copy all files in another USB and recreate the menu. This is fast solution for make more copy of SARDU (Without installation of Vista and Seven)

Ahh, thanks for the hint. I would have never thought it would be that simple! So just to be clear, I can just copy the files from one SARDU drive to another & it will work, no need to modify anything else? I always thought SARDU did some sort of boot sector modification to point the BIOS boot loader towards the right OS loader; guess not! I will try this & the program update suggestion you posted about earlier, as soon as I get a chance to.

Thanks again for all the help.

I sell wine and liqueurs , I am a salesman Nothing of computer science. I'm a self made but very very stubborn
This is my thirst software, i'm not a developper then the code isn't always "clean"...but....the important thing is that it works fine.
how it works SARDU? (with install of seven and vista can change)

SARDU extract all files from the ISO customizing folders and "config files".
SARDU check all files and make the menu
SARDU make the USB bootable.

You can copy a USB (without installer of seven and vista) and "update the menu". This choice make the USB bootable

[dirn]

I'm surprise!!!! You got my full respect sir!!!

[shafferCsmith]

#1 if you want to update only a software, selects only the software for update. If You want update only parted magic select only parted magic...and..SARDU update only parted magic, the remainder will not be updated but will work.

I have updated Clonezilla, Gparted, PartedMagic, Partition Wizard & GDATA 2012; it all worked. Only thing is that the old GDATA 2011 files are still present in the GDATA folder, so you have both GDATA 2011 & 2012 files! Tested with both 2.0.2c & 2.0.3 Beta 4. Thanks for the suggestion.

I sell wine and liqueurs , I am a salesman Nothing of computer science. I'm a self made but very very stubborn
This is my thirst software, i'm not a developper then the code isn't always "clean"...but....the important thing is that it works fine.
how it works SARDU? (with install of seven and vista can change)

SARDU extract all files from the ISO customizing folders and "config files".
SARDU check all files and make the menu
SARDU make the USB bootable.

Ha ha, you have the best job in the world, selling liqueur & wine, then you make the best software SARDU! NICE!!

You can copy a USB (without installer of seven and vista) and "update the menu". This choice make the USB bootable

You can make one copy of SARDU, copy all files in another USB and recreate the menu. This is fast solution for make more copy of SARDU (Without installation of Vista and Seven)

This doesn't seem to work! Anyway, I posted about it in the SARDU 2.0.3 Beta [X] thread.

I followed your instructions to create multiple SARDU disks from original & then rebuilding SARDU MENU only. But I get an error when rebuilding SARDU MENU & then SARDU crashes/exits! See screen shot below:
SARDU -> create FLASH1 = Ok
robocopy /MIR FLASH1 -> FLASH2 = OK
SARDU -> rebuild MENU FLASH2 = CRASH

[davidecosta]

You forgot to tell me which software were present in the USB. How i can find the error if i don't know when i can search the variable without declaring.

[shafferCsmith]

You forgot to tell me which software were present in the USB. How i can find the error if i don't know when i can search the variable without declaring.

BitDefender
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KAV RCD 10
Panda Safe CD

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Austrumi
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