Gerry Hickman wrote:
Hi,
Regarding the MS install issue, one could do something like format
with FreeDOS format, then use FreeDOS sys to install MS-DOS
files/bootsector via its /UPDATEBS (and obtained by its /DUMPBS,
winimage, any other bootsector extracting program, or even from a disk
image), etc.
Yes, that's the bit we're trying to get working, but I don't see how
these ideas can work? I'm not saying they won't work, I'm just saying I
don't see how at this point in time - see each idea in turn:
1. WinImage will be running on Windows, and the boot sector will be for
a floppy or have geometry of the drive in your windows computer? It
doesn't know you're suddenly going to try and write it to a brand-new
hard drive under FreeDOS?!
2. /DUMPBS, yes but where will we get the BS to dump? Chicken and Egg?
3. "Any other bootsector extracting program", yes but extracted from
where - we can extract from a floppy to get "geometry independent"
Microsoft boot sector, but will this be any use to us for a 2Gb FAT16
hard drive?
4. "Even from a disk image", yes but all hard disks have different
geometry so how do we know it will work perfectly for all future hard
disks?
I haven't examined MS sys to see if it does anything special, but
basically you need to install MS to a partition on a hard drive (any hd,
any size more-or-less); once for FAT16 and once for FAT32; and extract
that boot sector. The very 1st part of the boot sector contains a BPB
which indicates the geometry of the drive (this will be wrong for all
but identical drives), but that is ok. The key is for the new hard
drive to format it (which will set up the proper BPB and unneeded boot
code -- which may do nothing, print the not bootable message, or try to
boot something). Now run sys with the (to be added shortly) /UPDATEBS
option and the boot sector you saved earlier (either the FAT16 or FAT32
one as appropriate) to write it to the drive, but keep the BPB
information as set by the formatting (ie ignoring the BPB in the boot
sector file extracted and using the one that matches the drive). [For
FAT12 same thing, but a floppy image, and really why?]
It seems we need SYS (or FORMAT) to be able to read a boilerplate
Microsoft boot sector somehow supplied by the end user, add geometry
information and write it to the partition in question. If a floppy can
be used as a base, this should be quite easy, but if it can't I don't
see how we can generate a compatible boot sector.
Mind you I haven't tested the above nor examined MS sys/bootsectors to
verify; but I believe they behave similar to the FreeDOS ones, in that
they are largely generic, with a few included in sys (and for MS, also
in format) to accommodate FAT12/16/32; not sure if all are combined
CHS/LBA or separate ones there, but I think combined. So you can
extract it from those tools or more easily simply run the tool on each
of the needed cases (FAT types).
One thing that's probably not been discussed thus far, is that as far as
I know, you can also use FAT32 with Win95/98 boot sector under pure
real-mode Microsoft, and Windows will _still_ install correctly WITHOUT
the dual-boot issue...so perhaps this is the route to pursue - it avoids
all the legacy FAT16 stuff. It also gets round issues such as IO.SYS
having to reside in a certain location.
FAT32 is a little more complicated, as for MS it is multiple sectors.
The other issue I am ignoring is licensing; to use a MS boot sector, I
presume you need the license to the corresponding OS, but that is for
the end user to ensure, as the options for FD sys can be used for any
OS, not just MS.
So all we need to do is:
1. FD FDISK (FAT32 partition and make active)
2. FD FORMAT FAT32 (/a to get 4k cluster size)
3. FD SYS (tell it to grab Win9x boot sector from user)
<SYS gets drive size and writes geometry accordingly>
4. Start Windows Installer and off it goes
Simple:)
yep
(except I'm not the one who has to write the program)
its all already written, I just need to add the glue logic to sys for a
user supplied boot sector instead of using compiled in one (something
I've been planning anyway).
:-)
Jeremy
-------------------------------------------------------
SF.Net email is Sponsored by the Better Software Conference & EXPO
September 19-22, 2005 * San Francisco, CA * Development Lifecycle Practices
Agile & Plan-Driven Development * Managing Projects & Teams * Testing & QA
Security * Process Improvement & Measurement * http://www.sqe.com/bsce5sf
_______________________________________________
Freedos-user mailing list
Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
