Method and apparatus for subtractive installation

A soft-asset dispenser comprising:

• a processor;
• a first storage medium that has a plurality of soft assets stored therein, wherein the plurality of soft assets includes at least a first subset and a second subset, wherein the first storage medium includes an initial directory structure at a location expected by an operating system, and wherein the initial directory structure is substantially blank;
• a first set of data that describes the plurality of soft assets, wherein the first set of data includes a first set of directory information that identifies locations on the first storage medium at which the plurality of soft assets are stored;
• a receiver operatively coupled to the processor and configured to receive selection data that distinguishes the first subset of the plurality of soft assets that is to be unavailable for use by an end user from the second subset of the plurality of soft assets that is to be retained and available for use by the end user;
• and
• a collection customizer that executes in the processor and that is operatively coupled to the first storage medium, wherein the customizer is operable to, based on the received selection data, create a second set of data in the initial directory structure on the first storage medium, wherein the second set of data includes a second set of directory information, and wherein the customizer reads directory entries corresponding to the second subset of the plurality of soft assets from the first set of data and writes the directory entries into the second set of data to form the second set of directory information such that the second set of directory information identifies locations on the first storage medium at which the second subset of the plurality of soft assets is stored.

A soft-asset dispenser comprising:

• a processor;
• a first storage medium that has a plurality of soft assets stored therein, wherein the plurality of soft assets includes at least a first subset and a second subset, wherein the first storage medium includes an initial directory structure at a location expected by an operating system, and wherein the initial directory structure is substantially blank;
• a first set of data that describes the plurality of soft assets, wherein the first set of data includes a first set of directory information that identifies locations on the first storage medium at which the plurality of soft assets are stored;
• a receiver operatively coupled to the processor and configured to receive selection data that distinguishes the first subset of the plurality of soft assets that is to be unavailable for use by an end user from the second subset of the plurality of soft assets that is to be retained and available for use by the end user;
• and
• a collection customizer that executes in the processor and that is operatively coupled to the first storage medium, wherein the customizer is operable to, based on the received selection data, create a second set of data in the initial directory structure on the first storage medium, wherein the second set of data includes a second set of directory information, and wherein the customizer reads directory entries corresponding to the second subset of the plurality of soft assets from the first set of data and writes the directory entries into the second set of data to form the second set of directory information such that the second set of directory information identifies locations on the first storage medium at which the second subset of the plurality of soft assets is stored, wherein the first storage medium comprises:
• an ipselecta derived from a panoplex that has been sideloaded to the first storage medium storage, wherein:
• the panoplex includes the plurality of soft assets,
• the ipselecta includes the second subset of the plurality of soft assets,
• the panoplex is gryphable to produce the second subset of the plurality of soft assets, and
• the ipselecta is installed and operational via the soft-asset dispenser;
• residual indicia of a relicta derived from the panoplex, wherein the relicta includes:
• the first subset of the plurality of soft assets, and
• the second set of data that includes pointers to the ipselecta;
• and
• obscured taggant data that maintain a permanent record of panoplex creation and gryphing removal of the relicta.