Also DOSes use a simple boot loader framework. BIOS loads Boot Sector from a disk Boot Sector (in MBR format) loads additional OS boot code from file system on a disk OS Boot Code initializes machine, loads kernel/OS, and then loads command interpreter that then loads boot config (config.sys, autoexec.bat).
FDISK creates an MBR formatted boot sector on a disk (can also flag a particular partition as bootable). FDISK should do the same things that GParted is doing. FORMAT creates a filesystem pointed to by the MBR boot sector SYS updates the MBR to contain bootable code and will also copy the kernel/OS and command interpreter to the disk. So, in short, you just need to do (assuming you're booting off a CD/DVD or something) `D:\> fdisk` (make one or more partitions with one of them being bootable, then, reboot) `D:\> format C:` `D:\> sys C:` (then make any folders your want, copy any binaries, copy your config.sys and autoexec.bat files) If any of these were missed, potentially, you could see a system that is booting the way you're describing. From your booted DVD drive, what does the following `D:\> dir C:\*.* /a` return? On Fri, Mar 6, 2020 at 1:52 PM Jen via Freedos-user <freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net> wrote: > > On Thursday, March 5, 2020, 06:05:49 p.m. EST, Dan Schmidt wrote > > … “I would create a *2GB* boot partition and format it FAT16, and install > > FreeDOS to it. My recollection is that FAT32 support was a work in > > progress in FreeDOS when real development ended.” > > … > > “I think your fundamental problem is that FreeDOS cannot successfully > > boot from a 7.8GB partition formatted as FAT32. It may be able to > > access other larger partitions formatted FAT32 and seen by DOS as D:, > > E: or the like, once FreeDOS *is* booted, but it cannot boot *from* > > one.” … > > I tried this ↑ first – used GParted again to either rule it out or not as the > issue, resized my C: partition (flagged as bootable) to 2GB, formatted it as > FAT16 [This time it put 1.99 MiB unallocated ahead of it], and re‑installed > FreeDOS from the DVD: same results. No biggie though; I don’t need more > than 2GB anyway, so I’ll just leave it this size. > · > > On Thursday, March 5, 2020, 06:05:49 p.m. EST, Dan Schmidt wrote: > > “Try the utilities fdisk and format, I've not had any luck using Gparted to > > make anything FreeDos can reliably read.”, > On Thursday, March 5, 2020, 07:46:09 p.m. EST, Matej Horvat wrote: > >… “I installed it manually with FDISK/FORMAT/SYS.” > > Next I tried using fdisk instead as suggested (↑,↑↑). I deleted the first > partition, changed the display/entry units to cylinders, created a new > partition located from cylinder 5 through cylinder 7669, formatted Partition > 1 as FAT16 (option 6), set it as bootable, and made sure to write the table > to disk before exiting. When I ran the FreeDOS install again after that, it > wanted to to format again (first time it’s asked to do that – I’ve run the > install several times now) so I guess I might’ve chosen the wrong FAT16 > option? [GParted was detecting the filesystem type as unknown when I checked > it before logging‑out of Arch Linux & shutting‑down] I typed “Yes” and it > went ahead and supposedly formatted the partition as FAT32. When I checked > it later however, it was showing‑up as FAT16 in both fdisk & GParted (which > wasn’t showing it as anything before – weird), but bootable… restarted and > STILL I get the black screen with cursor blinking. > · > > On Friday, March 6, 2020, 01:31:53 p.m. EST, Louis Santillan wrote: > > “As Matej mentioned, don't forget to ‘sys c:’ before rebooting after the > > install.” > > I did not do that ↑. I ran the live disk again after and typed “sys c:” from > the prompt (this is when I discovered the filesystem was FAT16 when the > installation process via DVD had said it was reformatting as FAT32, as > mentioned above^^). Should it matter? Do I need to try the installation > again? Partition is showing as bootable. > · > > On Friday, March 6, 2020, 01:36:34 p.m. EST, Jerome Shidel wrote: > > “It is possible that the MBR contains incompatible boot code. > > There are ways to force update it. > > On FreeDOS 1.2 there was a ZAPMBR.BAT that would do that. I think it is > > also included on 1.3-RC2. > > I don’t recommend using it on a multi-boot system.” > > ↑ What if it’s one that’s *going* to be one, but FreeDOS is the first thing > I’m installing? Could running that cause any harm? > The hard drive I’m using is brand‑spanking‑new. FreeDOS is the first OS I > (am trying to) put on this one. When I ran GParted the first time, it gave > the an MS‑DOS/MBR layout, which came‑up as the default choice. > · > > Obviously I’m doing something wrong here. :P > > _______________________________________________ > Freedos-user mailing list > Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user _______________________________________________ Freedos-user mailing list Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
