POSReady 2009 and WinFLP would be based an embedded version of Windows XP. This underline the question about how to generate these two SKUs by using Windows Embedded Standard 2009 (WES09) One missing piece in WES09, is a setup, see - https://forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/how-to-port-windows-xp-setup-into-winflpc-style.83994/ What else is missing? Any existing trials and attempts into this direction ?
Well, i build some images, but, to build POSReady 2009 and WinFLP, why ? Those images exist. If you want to build custom image i may help you. In a custom image, footprint cant greatly reduced, there are manny components which are obsolete/deprecated. For the setup, can be customized from one of POSReady 2009. I much prefer a image deployed to hdd ready to install. I think, we could make a universal(or almost) image to use with newer hardware including patched files and drivers.
The concept of a minimal image is indeed very important, and I guess should stay - https://forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/from-ecore-to-iot-core-and-then-nothing.87930/ From an engineering point of view, there is also the question of the build process for generating images from scratch using exclusively additive process based on raw distinct materials (here each binary files, registry entries, certificates, keys, ... and/or base images). Dismantling and/or dismembering an existing image is closer to biology or surgery. To illustrate this, using WES09 to re-construct near perfect images of POSReady 2009 & WinFLP is a good exercice about mastering this construction process by targeting well know images. If you could create a something similar of an "ecore" for WES09, I would be interesting.
Yes this can be done. A few years back, i just build an image to be 100% identical to PosReady2009. Also, IIRC Diderius/Dietmar made an image with command prompt only 11mb. It just depend what you want to have in image. Just an info, in wes2009 you have 15k components, if you strip 3rd party it will remain about 1k Windows components. In those 1000 components some are deprecated/obsolete. If you delete those components, and, keep only relevant will remain about 250mb. In 250mb we have only files to run on newer hardware. .Net framework can be tweaked, Wmp and others.
I have these particular isos you need. I will upload later. FLP doesn't have sata drivers and they are a PITA to integrate properly because FLP was the in-between stage of a proper imagex and the precursor to dism. But, I have the untouched images you can use to do your digging and comparing.