Right. I have a few questions thats making me scratch my head.
I want to make a client os based on xp/server 2k3 but I am not sure which would be the best to use, or which SP.
My bets would be XP without any SPs and to patch any updates needed manually.
Secondly, how would I be able to deploy the custom os? If there is a tutorial please provide the link.
And last, but still quite important question; is there the slim possibility that the gui can be changed so I can use image files (BMP,GIF ect.) for window borders and the taskbar without the use of TrueTransparency (and anything like it for that matter, I am talking about changing things behind the curtains)

XP SP3 + post SP3 fixes for compatibility issues and latest bugfixes

as for winborders, you can do it manualy, but XP does NOT use PNG's but BMP's
(pink color replaces transparency), you can see this with Luna's round edges
(you can try with BMP alpha channels as Longhorn used, don't know if it will work
for Glass borders )

as for deployement, use nLite + scripts for unattended installation (msfn board has great
tutorial and help staff for this)

Thanks. I think I got an idea to fix my transparency conundrum.. replace the whole border gui with completey new, ground up, image based border system (I even made a name for it but I don't want to tell you yet...) this would give me a chance to make the os more customisable than ever and also giving me the chance to add all the fancy looks on stuff like aero snap and the show desktop button.

i'd still go for functionality more than looks

when i did my custom XP install, i got ridd of stupid stuff like address bar, overpopulated startmenu items, tweaked stuff via registry, replaced lame indexer search with better and faster one, got ridd of IE
and gave portable Opera Firefox and Iron on desktop
reduced RAM usage... etc...

minor details but much nicer feeling to work with

Quite right. I kinda rambled on with the gui stuff...
Deep, in depth changes I need ( or want) would be stuff like the faster indexing (maybe even intergrated search) usb3 support, easier wi-fi setup like in win7, librarys (as in win7... again.), replacement of IE with ff 3.6.
Actually what would be fun (or usefull) would be a virus scanner (like avg free) which runs COMPLETLEY in the background.

What's the point of ths operating system? What does it provide that other operating systems don't? How is the user's experience enhanced? Are you just bundling some wallpapers, applications, and changing the login screen and calling it a day? Would it ever be considered - at the core - a waste of your time? Is it better off as a theme pack? Is it better off not being done at all? How do you plan on managing USB3, "easier wi-fi setup", libraries, and a complete replacement of IE? Doesn't a virus scanner already run in the background and can't it already be set to stop giving notifications?
Get what I'm saying?

I think you need to think a bit more.


The former, faster indexing, may not be possible. Integrated search would be a gui change or application. Mind you, these already exist.


Some kind of usb2 emulation maybe possible (demultiplexing SuperSpeed mode may eat a core), but it would also require a driver for each usb 3 card. Most importantly, even if you knew how to write a rudimentary windows driver and somehow figure out how to spoof usb3 as usb2, you would need to read through a prohibitive number of specification pages. Lastly, underscoring the comical futility of your efforts would be that each USB 3 device requires its own driver - which off course won't be written for an unsupported platform.


This could be a standalone application.


A meta-data standalone application?


xplite, then install Firefox?


This is unintelligible. Do you want to run an application as a service? Hide all windows?

Perhaps, the only feasible parts of your plan can be done as standalone applications, assuming you're competent at programing. I don't see why you see the need for a new operating system.
---
Here is an example of something justifying a new operating system. Take Windows 7, create a Linux driver emulator, port Portage to Windows, remove most of MS' GUI, install X and all that jazz... Sell product in china for 6 yuan. Alternatively, you can try to hack up ZetaOS and sell product in germany for 0.1 €.

You just gave me the question I have been waiting for.
This new os will break free of the barriers microsoft made almost nine years ago.
I want any user to be able to modify the looks from the most logical place of all. The control panel.
Vista & 7 try to hide almost everything to the user. I want to use XP to show everyone how open an os should be.
Now. To the UI. You said about theme packs right? Tried them loads of times. They usually are a waste of time.
I want to try this to make an os I want to use. When I achieve that. I have met my goal.
The BIG idea is that I want to re-design the border system so that it can achieve all the looks 7 had with no lag and most of all. There isn't another 10gb holding it down.
Got to go now. If you want me to explain more. Just ask and I will post in a few hours.

can be done only via themepacks which are death to XP after some time


use CLSID's, XP uses them too



thats impossible, firstly XP draws the content in old way, you can see this by trails of windows sometime, this is where DCE/DWM wins as it has smooth animations and uses mostly GPU instead CPU

as for "general" lag... the more you "put" on it, the more it will be "cargo" on OS
(which answers why total conversions/packs suck)

Just one question:

Where the hell did you obtain the highly-impressive skills and understanding required to carry out this project?

Ok, one more question:
Assuming you have these skills, why the hell are you simply using them to hack together all that on an old and redundant operating system?

Another well asked question.
I have been using XP ever since it came out and and a couple of years ago when vista was released I suddenly got interested in hacking the living daylight out of XP (slight over-exaggeration) to see what I could get.
Only a month or two ago I have been completely immersed in the UI (mostly the borders) and I have seen some of the lame-assed 'transformation packs' (not all of them were BAD though.) that people decided to make. These were mostly Mac os X and vista immitations. I am not complete in my research. I got the awnsers I wanted and all of you have been helpful. I am going to close this topic and you won't see any screenies or anything until late this year.

Not to be all annoying or anything, but as has been said multiple times, users can't request topics to be closed as that constitutes backseat moderation. Just leave it up to a moderator and if he wants to close it, he will.

unless you use elternative shell and file manager
XP's UI is very limited
especialy in themeing part...

even with icons, you can't change some things without display annoyances
(90x90 thumb folders, desktop icon size changes WHOLE system icon size...)

Well, you can use longhorn and vista beta setup engine to deploy! Is very simple