How to create your own plugin.

This is one way of the possible way’s to create a plugin. We are going to create a plugin using different tools available, and free of any charges.

Just keep one thing in mind; using these tools, doesn’t automatically mean, the plugin is working 100% correctly from the first time on. Some applications could well need some additional steps, such as starting from a cmd prompt, because for instance the application needs write access to do it’s job, and therefore it might be necessary to have the plugin copied to the ram drive before starting it.

One of the important issues, is try to find out what registry entry and/or modifications are done, when a program is installed. The program I use is InstallRite 2.5 .

This program takes snapshots of your system, (registry + installed files + ini files), before and after an installation of a program.

We are going to start InstallRite, by clicking on "install new software and create an InstallKit", do a first snapshot, start the setup from within InstallRite of our application we want to build, (after the installation, I usually start the application itself, because some of them create ini files, with the settings etc). After that, we continue with InstallRite to do a second snapshot, and save the changes viewed. (Just follow the wizard)

In the review of the installation, we can see, which files, ini-files and registry modifications are done.

Also you can export the changes which toke place in the registry before and after installation.

This exported registry file can be prepared for the plugin, by using Convert Reg File to PEBuilder 3 Inf File created by Paraglider .

Once the inf file is created by the converter to be used in your plugin, some additional steps are still needed, such as correcting the application paths entered in this inf file.

example:

0x1, "blablabla............App Path","C:\Program Files\application name"

Needs to be modyfied to

 0x1, "blablabla............App Path","%SystemDrive%\Programs\your plugin name"

Or

0x1,"blablabla..............................dll","C:\Windows\System32\blabla.dll"

would need to be modified to

0x1,"blablabla..............................dll","%SystemDrive%\i386\System32\blabla.dll"

both redirecting to the location on your CD.

Also, with InstallRite 2.5 you can see, when additional files are installed in other folders, then the installation folder, such as dll files in the system32 folder, and are needed for a correct running of the application. If needed, you have to copy them to the plugin folder, and modify the inf file, so these files are also copied during the build of your ISO file.

For creating the plugin itself, we are going to use the PluginBuilder 3.5.1  created by PapaTomTom by clicking on Plugin - Create Plugin... - Create normal plugin

Note: Plugin-Builder is also able to export registry files needed for your plugin.

You can perfectly combine the registry data from the inf file created with Convert Reg File to PEBuilder inf File, with the inf file created with PluginBuilder.

 Note: For all possibilities of Plugin-Builder, have a look at the Plugin-Builder help file  (a Dutch translation of the Plugin-Builder help (Pluginbuilder_help.doc) can be found here )

If additional files are needed, such as dll files which are located in your system32 folder, you also will have to copy them to your plugin, as well as add the entries to your plugin.inf file.

Here is a list of the (most used) directories ID's:

For more specific settings, you should take a look a the pluginhelp.htm which comes with the PEBuilder installation files.

The last step is building your ISO file using PEBuilder and burn it on a CD/CDRW to test, or use a Virtual PC Program.

Good Luck!

Other tips are:
How to Slipstream Windows XP Service Pack
How to create a Bootable CD (after slipstreaming)
How to create an ISO file with Bart's PEBuilder
How to extract Windows PE from Longhorn
How to change the Bootscreen of Windows XP

Any remarks or suggestions, just let me know

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