Re: [Freedos-user] FreeDOS in VirtualBox: Bad or missing command interpreter and keyboard doesn't work

[Ulrich Hansen]

I have heard about this problem from some users of the FreeDOS VirtualBox 
images at 
https://www.lazybrowndog.net/freedos/virtualbox/ 
 

As far as I found out, "Bad or missing command interpreter" doesn’t necessarily 
mean COMMAND.COM doesn’t exist. It can also mean it can’t be loaded. This seems 
to be an issue of JEMMEX on some machines.

You could experiment with JEMMEX settings. Others here know a lot more about 
that and perhaps have the time to help you. 

Another possibility: If you use FreeDOS for non-commercial purposes, it would 
be legal to use the memory manager of Calderas DR-DOS instead. The full DR-DOS 
can be found here ftp://ftp.uni-bayreuth.de/pub/pc/caldera 
 with all the necessary notes and 
licensing information. Please read it. For your convenience the driver alone 
can be downloaded here: https://www.lazybrowndog.net/freedos/dremm386.zip 
. 

Unzip it to a folder like C:\UTIL\DRDOS.

Look for a line similar to this one in C:\FDCONFIG.SYS:

15678?DEVICE=C:\FDOS\BIN\JEMMEX.EXE NOEMS X=TEST I=TEST NOVME NOINVLPG

and replace it by this one

15678?DEVICE=C:\UTIL\DRDOS\DREMM386.EXE NOEMS EXCLUDE=D000-D7FF

And in C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT after the following line

IF „%config%“==„4“ goto end

add this line:

C:\UTIL\DRDOS\DREMM386.EXE PIC=ON

Please give some feedback if this works for you.

Note: DR-DOS EMM386 doesn’t have all the features of JEMMEX so you need to test 
if your programs work with this driver. Try also different settings to get more 
free memory. I know that this is not a perfect solution.

Ulrich



> Am 07.01.2016 um 00:15 schrieb caswellrie...@gmail.com:
> 
> Hello! Basically, my issue is summarized in the title.
> 
> I have installed a FreeDOS 1.1 install as a VirtualBox guest, but when I boot 
> I get the error “Bad or missing command interpreter” and then a prompt to 
> enter the path to COMMAND.COM .  However, when this 
> prompt is issued, the system stops accepting keyboard input.  The keyboard 
> works before this prompt.  Possibly related, but I had to try to install from 
> the CD image twice, because the first time the installer froze after I 
> selected my language/keyboard layout.
> 
> Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks, Matt
> 
> Sent from Windows Mail
> 
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Re: [Freedos-user] FreeDOS in VirtualBox: Bad or missing command interpreter and keyboard doesn't work

[Rugxulo]

Hi,

On Wed, Jan 6, 2016 at 5:15 PM,   wrote:
>
> Hello! Basically, my issue is summarized in the title.

"FreeDOS in VirtualBox: Bad or missing command interpreter and
keyboard doesn't work"

> I have installed a FreeDOS 1.1 install as a VirtualBox guest,

Which VirtualBox? 5.x (64-bit)? Atop what host OS? Windows 10 (64-bit)?

> but when I boot

Which boot option? Default? #1?

> I get the error “Bad or missing command interpreter” and then a prompt
> to enter the path to COMMAND.COM.  However, when this prompt is issued, the
> system stops accepting keyboard input.

Are you using a wireless USB keyboard?

> The keyboard works before this prompt.

Have you tried QEMU instead? Does it still (not) work there?

http://qemu.weilnetz.de

> Possibly related, but I had to try to install from the CD image twice,

You mean from this particular .iso?

http://www.freedos.org/download/download/fd11src.iso

> because the first time the installer froze after I selected my
> language/keyboard layout.

What language and keyboard are you trying to use? What happens when
you just use English / US instead? Does it still fail?

P.S. Anyways, there are some pre-installed VBox images available to
download, if you'd rather not "install" manually at all:

https://www.lazybrowndog.net/freedos/virtualbox/

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Re: [Freedos-user] FreeDOS in VirtualBox: Bad or missing command interpreter and keyboard doesn't work

[Matt Rienzo]

There wasn't an option.  If you choose the option to use fdisk to partition
the harddisk and keep pressing esc until it drops to a prompt.

73 Matt Rienzo W9ERA
B.S.E.E | B.S. Music
On Jan 7, 2016 8:46 AM, "Jim Hall"  wrote:

> On Wednesday‎, ‎January‎ ‎6‎, ‎2016 ‎5‎:‎25‎ ‎PM Jim Hall wrote:
> > I wonder if your system installed a CONFIG.SYS file? This is what sets
> > the path to the COMMAND.COM shell. Can you boot from the install
> > media, drop to a shell, and check if there's a C:\CONFIG.SYS file?
>
> On Wed, Jan 6, 2016 at 6:22 PM,   wrote:
> > How do I drop to a shell from the boot menu?  Or should I do something
> like
> > Ctrl+C in the install menu?
> >
>
> I thought there was an option when you booted the installation CD to
> exit to a DOS prompt.
>
>
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Re: [Freedos-user] FreeDOS in VirtualBox: Bad or missing command interpreter and keyboard doesn't work

[Jim Hall]

On Wed, Jan 6, 2016 at 5:15 PM,   wrote:
> Hello! Basically, my issue is summarized in the title.
>
> I have installed a FreeDOS 1.1 install as a VirtualBox guest, but when I
> boot I get the error “Bad or missing command interpreter” and then a prompt
> to enter the path to COMMAND.COM.  However, when this prompt is issued, the
> system stops accepting keyboard input.  The keyboard works before this
> prompt.  Possibly related, but I had to try to install from the CD image
> twice, because the first time the installer froze after I selected my
> language/keyboard layout.
>


I wonder if your system installed a CONFIG.SYS file? This is what sets
the path to the COMMAND.COM shell. Can you boot from the install
media, drop to a shell, and check if there's a C:\CONFIG.SYS file?


Otherwise, the standard install location for the FreeDOS COMMAND.COM
is C:\FDOS\BIN\COMMAND.COM (if I recall correctly .. I don't have my
FreeDOS system running right now)

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[Freedos-user] FreeDOS in VirtualBox: Bad or missing command interpreter and keyboard doesn't work

[caswellrienzo]

Hello! Basically, my issue is summarized in the title.


I have installed a FreeDOS 1.1 install as a VirtualBox guest, but when I boot I 
get the error “Bad or missing command interpreter” and then a prompt to enter 
the path to COMMAND.COM.  However, when this prompt is issued, the system stops 
accepting keyboard input.  The keyboard works before this prompt.  Possibly 
related, but I had to try to install from the CD image twice, because the first 
time the installer froze after I selected my language/keyboard layout.


Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks, Matt





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