> On Feb 25, 2022, at 8:00 PM, Ralf Quint <[email protected]> wrote: > > On 2/25/2022 4:02 AM, Jim Hall wrote: >> https://www.heise.de/news/Betriebssystem-Oldtimer-FreeDOS-1-3-mit-neuen-Programmen-und-Features-6515775.html > > Just had a quick read over that one and noticed one strange thing mentioned. > Apparently the CPU detection in the installer would only recognize an 80186 > even though apparently installation on an 80286 was attempted... :? > > Ralf
Probably do to translation, this is not entirely accurate. This is a known issue and it is mentioned in the README doc for the release. Accordingly, installation defaults to a 386 or better system. But, I’ll explain further here. The standard primary installer (FDI) used when booting from USB, CD, or CD boot floppy installs either BASE (plus a few extras), FULL or in advanced mode possible a custom set of packages regardless of the system and it processor. This is not going to be on any system with less than a 386 level processor. This installer also uses external utilities that require a 386. The Floppy Edition installer (FDI-x86) installs only the BASE (plus a few extras) packages supported by the system and CPU. This could be on any system with a 8088/86 or higher machine. This installer only uses utilities that can run on a 8088/86. However until I get around to doing it, it does require EGA or better graphics. Eventually, lesser display cards are intended to be supported. Both installers, then install a custom FDCONFIG.SYS and FDAUTO.BAT file that is appropriate to the CPU, Hardware and/or Virtual machine platform. Although not a bug, the information used to perform CPU detection is not 100% reliable with all processors. 8086/88 is obviously assumed. 80186 is fine. However, 286 tests fail on some 486 machines. I don’t know if they function on 586 (no Pentium to test). But they do work on 686 (Pentium Pro) and higher CPU’s. Being the 286 test is for a 286, it should work there. However, I’ve only got so many test machines and it is unknown if the test passes on machines with less then a 686. So at present, results of the test algorithm for specific CPU’s are 8086/88 (good), 80186 (good), 286 (possibly good), 386 (possibly good), 486 (rarely good), 586 (possible good), 686+ (good), Virtual Platforms (good, handled differently). So on some 486 systems (probably most, including my 486DX2/66), the 286 test fails and it is detected as a 80186. So until I have to time to dig into it and come up with a better test for the CPU, both installers have a work-around for the well known issue. When the result of the test says it is less then a 386, they assume it is a lie and assume it is a 386 (or better) system. They then install the default (386 based) config files. When FDI-x86 makes the assumption it is a 386, it also installs the 386 set of packages. Package installation is not effected by CPU for the primary FDI installer. FDI-x86 can also be told to completely ignore any/all types of system and CPU test results and install based on a command line option for any specific CPU/System. So only the 8088/86, 80186 or 80286 compatible packages can be installed, if the user desires. > > > -- > This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. > https://www.avast.com/antivirus > > > > _______________________________________________ > Freedos-devel mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel _______________________________________________ Freedos-devel mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
