About this tutorial:
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This tutorial will show you how to customize the Start Menu for the PPCKitchen.org's Kitchen. It will also work on other kitchens, you will just have to find the target Link files.
This tutorial ASSUMES you have working knowledge of cooking your own rom with BuildOS. And general Windows knowledge. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO YOU OR YOUR DEVICE by reading this tutorial! This tutorial should work with most windows-mobile based kitchens, Apache, Titan, Vogue and others. I will not teach you how to use any of the programs in this tutorial, but you are free to post your questions/comments.
Credits:
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1. I would like to thank PPCGeeks.com and all the members.
2. All those involved with PPCKitchen.org:
no2chem - GGuruUSA - naigaman - Colonel - Tiermann - ImCoKeMan - helmi - dcd - luv2chill - NexVision
3. Old_Man_Jenkins for forcing my curiousity and speeding up the thought process creating/testing these methods!
4. All those that have made contributed to making all the kitchens possible! You all know who they (you) are!
Terminology used in this tutorial:
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OEM - Similar to a .CAB file, this is the method used to add files/programs to a cooked Rom. This is copied to USER_OEM if using the ppckitchen, or into your OEM folder if you are using another kitchen.
INITFLASHFILES.TXT - This is the text file you will edit to copy your files on your device from \windows to \whereever.
GUID - GUID (or UUID) is an acronym for 'Globally Unique Identifier'. It is a 128-bit integer number used to identify resources.
LNK File - Shortcut that windows mobile uses to launch a file. They are usually placed in \Windows\Start Menu to make up your StartMenu.
The Tools/Files you will need:
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- PPCKitchen.org BuildOS.msi fully installed and ready to go.
- WinRar or WinZip
- Notepad.exe (Text editor that comes with windows, or any other text editor)
- Old fashioned pen and paper.
- The zzz_Start_Menu_OEM.zip
- QuickMenu - This windowsmobile app will make all this worth while!
The steps involved:
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This tutorial will allow you to customize your Start Menu on your device using a PPCKitchen rom. I will show you how to add files to the attached "empty OEM", and then edit the initflashfiles.txt file that will copy your files to where you want 'em.
1. Install the necessary files.
2. Plan your approach.
3. Plan your Start Menu.
4. Locate and Rename target LNK files in your OEM's *CAUTION!
5. Locate and Rename target LNK files in your Donor Kitchen *CAUTION!
6. Edit your initfiles.txt from zzz_Start_Menu_OEM
7. Flash!
8. Test placement, Goto step 3 if necessary
1. Install the necessary files.
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Here are the files you will need.
a. PPCKitchen.org BuildOS.msi fully installed and ready to go. The OEM archives out of the PPCKitchen are PPCGeeks_OEM.rar, and 000_Shareware.rar.
b. WinRar or WinZip
c. Notepad.exe (Text editor that comes with windows, or any other text editor)
d. Unzip the attached zzz_Start_Menu_OEM.zip and place the folder zzz_Start_Menu_OEM into your USER_OEM directory. This contains the unique GUID needed by the kitchen and the initflashfiles.txt you will edit later on.
2. Plan your approach.
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There are several way to approach this task. Let's start with the kitchen.
WARNING!
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DO NOT DO ANYTHING INSIDE THE KITCHEN EXCEPT RENAME THE TARGET LNK FILE! ONLY ADD A "zz-"
TO THE BEGINNING OF THE LNK FILE! DO NOT DELETE FILES, ADD FILES, ONLY RENAME LNK FILES.
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DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TAKE A SHORTCUT AND EDIT THE INITFLASHFILES.DAT!
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Wow, that was Loud! You will learn the locations and how-to later in this tutorial.
Now let's talk about the preparing your OEM's and to edit the LNK files. There are three ways to do this.
a. You could rename the LNK file inside the packaged OEM file archive. This would be erased when you update one on the archives.
b. You could extract the OEM archives, but the uncompressed PPCGeeks_OEM.rar is 170MB, compressed it is only 77MB (currently).
c. My prefered method is to extract the OEM's you want with a StartMenu LNK file, and place them in your USER_OEM folder. Then delete the OEM from it's original archive. This takes up space, and some say it slows down the 'Build', but you will stay organized. You might even want to add a "_ZZ to the end of the OEM directory name so you know it has been edited for your custom StartMenu.
d. Do it your way. If it works, then go for it!
3. Plan your Start Menu.
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Windows Mobile 6.1 and prior only creates the following directories on the Start Menu: Programs, Settings, and Games. These we will not change. So on a piece of paper or text editor, plan out your StartMenu. You know which files you will be adding, jot them down. Now using your "creative juices", create your directory structure and annotate where you will be placing your shortcuts for your OEM's in your new StartMenu. Leave room to write down the zz*.lnk name. It will be helpfull later when editing your initflashfiles.txt file!