Virtual File System Formats

Omnissa ThinApp generates the following virtual file system formats:

• Build

  The setup capture process generates this format from files found directly on the physical file system.

  ThinApp uses folder macros to represent Windows shell folder locations.

• Embedded

  The build.bat file triggers a build process that embeds a read‐only file system in executable files.

  The executable files provide block-based streaming to client computers. ThinApp compresses the file system.

• Sandbox

  Running the captured application generates the read-write directory structure that holds file data that the application modifies. File modifications that prompt ThinApp to extract embedded virtual files to the sandbox include the following operations:

  • Changing the time stamp or attributes of a file
  • Opening a file with write access
  • Truncating a file
  • Renaming or moving a file

The embedded and sandbox file systems use folder macros to enable file paths to dynamically expand at runtime.