[Balto]

I just registered to comment on the odd default plugin configuration in UBCD4Win.

This may sound like pointless bitching because plugins can be enabled or disabled at will,
but it seems to me that the "ideal" default configuration should strive to provide the most
functionality possible to the greatest number of users, while still fitting on a cd-r. (as per the ubCD4win name)

The biggest mistake (in my opinion) is not enabling the WLAN drivers by default.
Surely wireless access is more important than having five or six disk defragmenters?
or three or four antivirus apps?
or umpteen <insert superfluous app here> when one or two popular choices would more than suffice?

The need for users to gauge disc space requirements on their own only exacerbates the problem.
The way things are now I have to enable the WLAN drivers (and whatever else) and then go through
and selectively disable multiple redundant apps and rebuild.

It would be nice if I could download and install UBCD4Win, click build, and know that I was getting
a disc that would work well on a wide variety of machines without a lot of fuss.

UBCD is a great project and I appreciate the hard work that goes into it,
but I think a reevaluation of the default choices would be beneficial to all.

/Rant over, flame on.

[Joshua]

Nobody realy needs WLAN for a rescue CD!!

Joshua

[Balto]

Joshua, on May 9 2009, 05:23 PM, said:

Nobody realy needs WLAN for a rescue CD!!

Joshua

Who needs sixteen disk defragmenters?
But I digress, it's your project, do as you please.

[SteelTrepid]

I tend to agree with Joshua. It doesn't take 5 years of doing this to realize that you can't please everyone, I actually figured that out in less than a year. Suggestions and requests are fine and we do listen to them, that's why we have all the REDUNDANT tools. We try to make the right and best decisions when we discuss things like this. As a matter of fact, I didn't even want the drivers included. I personally have NO use for them but the others in the development team felt it would be nice to include them. Thanks to a few out dated items being removed in 3.50, we had room for the drivers so I went with their suggestion.

You have to consider that a Ultimate Boot CD is different in every users view. I personally only want and need the AV, AS, registry, system info., and recovery tools in my build. So all the networking, applications, etc., are all disabled in my build. Another person may not have another computer to use so they would probably need FireFox? Someone may want to type up a quick note in NotePad+? Someone may need to send out an urgent email with the email client included in UBCD4Win?

Do you understand the situation a little better now????

[Balto]

SteelTrepid, on May 9 2009, 05:55 PM, said:

Do you understand the situation a little better now????

I understood that from the get-go.
I've been using PEBuilder since its inception and it required a great deal of manual tweaking in the early days.

Thankfully those days are (mostly) over, thanks (mostly) to the UBCD4Win project.
It's really the best option of its type that I've found, and I'm grateful for it.

I still think that the amount of duplicated functionality is excessive, but its not worth arguing about.

I would like to add for the record that I often NEED WLAN functionality for rescue operations and I know that others do as well.
Perhaps they just haven't bothered to post a message here.

But its not a big deal, really.
I can choose the options that are best for me and so can everyone else.
We'll just have to agree to disagree about the best way to distribute the bits.

I hadn't intended to come here and insult anyone, and I don't think I've done that.
I was just adding my two cents.

[homes32]

well Balto, I for one happen to agree with you 100%. WLAN drivers are extremely important, especially with a wide variety or homes going to wireless connections. If no wires are available how are we going to update virus definitions for scanning, transfer important files to another computer or fire off that urgent email???

from what I understand Balto is not complaining about the wide variety of plugins included in the project, rather the number of plugins that are enabled by default.

some suggestions:

Anti-Spyware: 12 are enabled by default. only enable 3 or 4
CD Burners: 5 are enabled by default. only enable 1
Disk-Backup: 6 are enabled by default. only enable 1 or 2
Disk-Defrag: 3 are enabled by default. only need 1
Disk-Diagnostic 6 are enabled by default. only enable 2 or 3
File-Recovery: 12 are enabled by default. only enable 3
Network: 18 - only include 1 vnc and 1 ftp client and perhaps disable the dial-up support
I'm sure there are more but you should have the idea by now.

anything else can be enabled as needed/desired by the builder. the result is a much simpler build for the newbie and less time spend disabling redundant plugins for the experienced builder. The default build should never be over the 650-700MB line.