4 wimlib is free and open source software that is available on both UNIX-like
5 systems and Windows. This file provides additional information specifically
6 about the Windows version of wimlib and the command line tool "wimlib-imagex"
7 that is distributed with it. It does not obsolete the generic README.txt, which
12 The Windows distribution of wimlib is a ZIP file containing the following items:
14 * wimlib-imagex.exe, a command-line tool to deal with WIM (.wim), split WIM
15 (.swm), and ESD (.esd) files that is inspired by Microsoft's ImageX and
16 DISM. This is a ready-to-run executable and not an installer.
18 * Very short batch scripts (e.g. wimapply.cmd) which are shortcuts to the
19 corresponding wimlib-imagex commands (e.g. `wimlib-imagex apply').
21 * The documentation, including this file, the generic README.txt, and
22 PDF documentation for wimlib-imagex in the 'doc' directory.
24 * The library itself (libwim-15.dll). The C header wimlib.h is not
25 included; download the source if you want it.
27 * License files for all software included. These are all free software
32 wimlib-imagex supports most features of Microsoft's ImageX as well as some
33 features that are supported by DISM but not by ImageX. wimlib-imagex also
34 supports some features that neither ImageX nor DISM support. Some of the
35 advantages of wimlib-imagex compared to ImageX and DISM are:
37 * wimlib-imagex provides "extract" and "update" commands which allow
38 you to quickly work with WIM images without mounting them.
40 * wimlib-imagex provides an easy-to-use "optimize" command which removes
41 wasted space from a WIM file and optionally recompresses it with stronger
44 * wimlib includes advanced implementations of all compression algorithms used
45 in WIM files. They usually outperform and outcompress their Microsoft
48 * wimlib-imagex supports solid WIM files and LZMS compression, for example as
49 used in ESD (.esd) files. (These are partially supported by recent DISM
50 versions but not by ImageX.)
52 * In many cases, wimlib-imagex has simpler command-line syntax than either
55 * Whenever possible, wimlib-imagex includes improved documentation and
56 informational output compared to Microsoft's software.
58 * wimlib and wimlib-imagex are free software, so you can modify and/or audit
61 However, some limitations of wimlib-imagex compared to ImageX and DISM are:
63 * On Windows, wimlib-imagex does not support mounting WIM images.
65 * wimlib-imagex has no awareness of Windows "packages".
69 It's recommended to use wimlib-imagex in scripts to avoid having to
70 interactively enter commands. However, note that wimlib-imagex is largely just
71 a command-line front-end for wimlib, and it's possible to use wimlib's API in
72 other front-ends or applications. Currently there is no official graphical user
73 interface available for wimlib or wimlib-imagex. However, an unofficial, beta,
74 Windows-only graphical user interface that provides a thin wrapper around
75 wimlib-imagex can be downloaded at
76 http://reboot.pro/files/file/485-wimlib-imagex-command-line-compiler/.