Good job buddy... Looking for your good news.

I just added ImgfsTools2.zip to the first post of this thread.

Disclaimer: I only tested this with my Hermes. Please be careful if you use it with other devices. Oh, and it can't hurt to be careful even with a Hermes!

Feedback welcome! If you run into any problems with these tools, please post in this thread!

Enjoy!
Daniel

Am I right that embedding things into the ROM makes them run slightly faster? Some things that everyone will use would be better off kept into the ROM in that case, which would bring in the disagreement of what everyone thinks should be included. It would be very intresting to see if someone can build a completely pure OS though.

Originally Posted by Percz

Am I right that embedding things into the ROM makes them run slightly faster?

Glad you asked. :)

If by "things" you mean applications, the opposite is true.

As code cannot be executed directly from NAND flash, everything has to be copied to RAM before execution (the term XIP - eXecute In Place - is misleading here. There is no true XIP in a Hermes). Some executables and DLLs are stored as "modules" in ROM, i.e. already prepared to be copied "as is" to RAM. Moving these from ROM modules to normal files in Storage will indeed make them load slower, although once loaded execution will be the same speed.

However, applications are not stored as modules. Even in ROM they are normal files, and speed-wise it makes absolutely no difference if they are loaded from ROM or Storage into RAM.

But there is one more important aspect: the size of the Windows directory. Even Microsoft admits that having 1800 files in one directory slows the device down significantly. And unfortunately, all files in IMGFS are in the Windows directory (with initflashfiles.dat, you can only copy them elsewhere, not move them).

So, if we manage to remove as many files and apps as possible from the ROM (and hence the Windows directory), and package them into .cabs in a way that they get installed into directories other than Windows, I would think we would see some increase in speed, since accessing the Windows directory would be quite a bit faster - and I guess the OS accesses that directory rather often.

At the moment, this is only theory. I haven't tried to prove it yet. :)

Cheers
Daniel

Great work, i'm looking forward to new roms being cooked with more storage.
sounds like this is what the chefs need

Originally Posted by kjs30

Great work, i'm looking forward to new roms being cooked with more storage.
sounds like this is what the chefs need

this chef has strapped this carving knife to his waist.

Originally Posted by Alcibiade

That's just great... We're all going to run for the smallest ROM possible ! Even maybe strip out Windows Media Player (We all use other players...) and some of the useless aplications (Who uses Solitaire or Bubble Breaker ?)

Leave few things in there. whats the point of having all that memory with nothing in it. I love bubble breaker.

Also as mentioned it would be great if we can merge ExtRom into main memory.

Nice work!

I'm happy your modified OS.nb boots for everyone

Originally Posted by piopawlu

I'm happy your modified OS.nb boots for everyone

And thanks again for pointing me to the right place (the partition table). Without your help it'd probably have taken me a lot longer!

Cheers
Daniel

Originally Posted by rv1nd

Leave few things in there. whats the point of having all that memory with nothing in it. I love bubble breaker.

The point is that you can decide what you want to put in there without having to cook your own ROM.

Also as mentioned it would be great if we can merge ExtRom into main memory.

Nice work!

I'm thinking about that. Should be do-able.

Cheers
Daniel