How to Customize a Custom Rom: Adding/Removing Programs

[rstoyguy]

Originally Posted by QkSi1ver

Thanks Great post!

Why thanks! It apparently has become my new mission in life to help everyone learn how to make their own rom! It's definately one of the most semi-affordable hobbies I've ever had... And fun...

[denasqu]

OEM questions.

After you run prepit.bat and fill the SYS folder, are the SYS sub-folders actually OEM's?

I thought I could just copy some OEM's that I wasn't sure about from \SYS\{subfldr} to the OEM folder then have the checkbox option in BuildOS. But that doesn't seem to work.

I also tried to copy the same folders over to PPCKitchen USER_OEM but it didn't see them either.

So, I assume the decompiled SYS sub-folders are not OEM's. Then the question is.... what they hell are they??

Thanks

[rstoyguy]

Originally Posted by denasqu

OEM questions.

After you run prepit.bat and fill the SYS folder, are the SYS sub-folders actually OEM's?

I thought I could just copy some OEM's that I wasn't sure about from \SYS\{subfldr} to the OEM folder then have the checkbox option in BuildOS. But that doesn't seem to work.

I also tried to copy the same folders over to PPCKitchen USER_OEM but it didn't see them either.

So, I assume the decompiled SYS sub-folders are not OEM's. Then the question is.... what they hell are they??

Thanks

Yes, they are OEM's...but they have been partially incorporated into the rom already. Incorporated means they are missing:

1. option.xml (needed by buildos for them checkboxes)
2. initflashfiles.txt (incorporated into initflashfiles.dat)
3. GUID*.RGU (sometimes...) (incorporated into user.hv and default.hv)

So, without those components, their no good really.

So yes they are OEM's, but only Partial OEM's...A search over @ xda-developers and ppcgeeks you might find a whole OEM...

[rstoyguy]

When you run BuildOS the following happens to the "stuff" in the OEM and SYS folders of your kitchen:

..\OEM directory:
1. Processes initflashfiles.txt
2. Processes *.RGU
3. copies files into the ROM

..\SYS directory:
1. Copies files into the ROM

A lot more goes on behind the scene, but that's in super-layman's terms. The above is why you want to put new OEM's into the ..\OEM directory, so BuildOS processes it correctly...

[denasqu]

Next question....

I know you can convert a CAB to an OEM but what about converting an EXE to an OEM?

I have a few programs that I want to cook in (Calligrapher, Flexmail, etc.) that install from an EXE. I'm assuming there is no direct way to go from an EXE to an OEM...... BUT, when I install Calligrapher or Flexmail, I see the last step of the install is a display on my Touch something like "copying flexmail.cab to device".

SO, obviously there is a cab file for these programs, but apparently it is temporary, or maybe hidden? I guess the question then is how do I extract the CAB file from the EXE?

[gguruusa]

Originally Posted by rstoyguy

When you run BuildOS the following happens to the "stuff" in the OEM and SYS folders of your kitchen:

..\OEM directory:
1. Processes initflashfiles.txt
2. Processes *.RGU
3. copies files into the ROM

..\SYS directory:
1. Copies files into the ROM

A lot more goes on behind the scene, but that's in super-layman's terms. The above is why you want to put new OEM's into the ..\OEM directory, so BuildOS processes it correctly...

Nope. The sys dir is processed just like the oem dir.

[gguruusa]

Originally Posted by denasqu

Next question....

I know you can convert a CAB to an OEM but what about converting an EXE to an OEM?

I have a few programs that I want to cook in (Calligrapher, Flexmail, etc.) that install from an EXE. I'm assuming there is no direct way to go from an EXE to an OEM...... BUT, when I install Calligrapher or Flexmail, I see the last step of the install is a display on my Touch something like "copying flexmail.cab to device".

SO, obviously there is a cab file for these programs, but apparently it is temporary, or maybe hidden? I guess the question then is how do I extract the CAB file from the EXE?

Correct...it's temporary. You have to "catch it in the act". Watch the AS/WMDC directoy, and you'll see the .cab appear and dissapear.

Those types of apps generaly have setup.dlls that are difficult to OEM too.

[denasqu]

Originally Posted by gguruusa

Correct...it's temporary. You have to "catch it in the act". Watch the AS/WMDC directoy, and you'll see the .cab appear and dissapear.

Those types of apps generaly have setup.dlls that are difficult to OEM too.

Hmmmm... sounds like you're saying it might not be worth the trouble... and probably not work.

I did find that the folks at PhatWare were nice enough to offer a CAB install for Calligrapher, but WebIS seems to be restricted to EXE for PocketInformant and Flexmail. Figures. Those are the most complicated apps to setup!

Still, cooking my own ROM is going to be a cool way to stay up-to-date without spending a day reconfiguring my device everytime I upgrade.

[denasqu]

PPCKitchen question...

I reallly like using OMJ's ROM but there a couple things I don't need and a few I do. But I really don't want to "re-invent the wheel" here. I know (or think I do) that if someone built there ROM with PPCKitchen then I just need their selections.txt .... and any unique OEM's I assume... but OMJ didn't use PPCKitchen. OMJ already said we could cannibalize his ROM.

Can PPCKitchen "decompile" an nbh like Doguy's kitchen? ... or is it just for building from scratch?

.... um, Mr.President, I have a follow up question....

Can the "decompilation" from Doguy be utilized in PPCKitchen?

Gracias... I'm almost done with my questions (for now) and ready to start cooking!

[gguruusa]

Originally Posted by denasqu

Hmmmm... sounds like you're saying it might not be worth the trouble... and probably not work.

Not saying that at all...give it a shot. You'll know rapidly if it's going to be bad. I'm only saying that's a bad omen - developers who do that tend to intentionaly complicate their installs.

Still, cooking my own ROM is going to be a cool way to stay up-to-date without spending a day reconfiguring my device everytime I upgrade.

pre-made roms blow