Re: [Freedos-user] Any way to add files to freedos?

[Brian Yglesias]

Thanks for all the replies.  In the end, I was able to reflash the card using FreeDOS.--
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Re: [Freedos-user] Any way to add files to freedos?

[Mateusz Viste]

On Thu, 25 Jan 2018 00:57:02 +0100, Eric Auer wrote:
>> There are two DOS programs, MS Interlink and Laplink, that could
>> self-copy from one DOS PC to another through the serial port.
> 
> As far as I remember, they do not work well with FreeDOS.

I don't know about MS Interlink, but LapLink works very well with FreeDOS. 
I was using it for years, before switching to EtherDFS.

Mateusz
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Re: [Freedos-user] Any way to add files to freedos?

[Eric Auer]

Hi TJ and Brian,

> There are two DOS programs, MS Interlink and Laplink, that could
> self-copy from one DOS PC to another through the serial port.

As far as I remember, they do not work well with FreeDOS. But
as mentioned, FileMaven / FM3 has similar functionality. Both
methods have the problem that you have to copy the tool to the
PC in question first and if you can do that, you can copy the
files which you originally wanted to copy anyway...

There is MODE for FreeDOS as well, but I doubt that Interlink
and Laplink really need MODE. They probably just directly or
maybe via the BIOS program the serial port themselves.

Typing files in a debugger is way too tedious. As said, you
could try to read enough disk content to force DOS to spill
cached disk content information in the hope that DOS will
finally NOTICE the files which you have added to the USB
drive while it was not connected to the running DOS system.

The assumption is that you can still do I/O to the re-connected
USB drive, but the BIOS "failed to mention" that it is possible
to unplug and re-plug it, so DOS failed to check for new files.

If you have suitable tools on the DOS system, you can simply
ask DOS to flush buffers. For example FDAPM FLUSH does that.

It is also possible that the BIOS just completely closed the
USB connection and re-plugging completely failed to make the
re-connected USB drive visible again. Then you have a problem.

I agree that you might use COPY COM1 or even very evil CTTY
tricks to mimick something very vaguely similar to RCP / SCP
I would probably avoid such low level attempts if possible.

Regards, Eric


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Re: [Freedos-user] Any way to add files to freedos?

[TJ Edmister]

The situation is not looking good. Are you still able to copy or create  
files on the drive letter that you booted from?


There are two DOS programs, MS Interlink and Laplink, that could self-copy  
from one DOS PC to another through the serial port. But here's the kicker:  
the target PC has to be able to execute the MODE command to configure its  
serial port. How would you get the MODE utility? Well, now we are back to  
typing in a program with the keyboard, that is if it didn't lose the  
ability to create files when the USB stick was removed/reinserted. (I'm  
assuming you don't have the DEBUG program either.) So if you seriously  
want to try that, I would suggest going to comp.lang.asm.x86 and ask for  
instructions on how to use the program described in the recent thread "Hex  
to bin"


What about doing it without the MODE command? By using some COPY COM1  
commands and another PC with a terminal program it might be possible to  
discover the port's current settings. Of course, if they differ from the  
ones that Interlnk or Laplink were designed to use then you wouldn't be  
able to use those programs. In theory, you could write your own program  
that did the same thing. In practice, it might be time to give up and try  
rebooting...



On Wed, 24 Jan 2018 06:10:07 -0500, Brian Yglesias  
 wrote:



Thanks for tge reply.


I should mention off the bat that I at one point removed the usb  
memstick I
booted from, copied files to it, and reinserted. It didn't work, and  
running a
command subsequent to that failed. I'm not sure if I compounded the  
problem, or

if it is coincidental.


I booted from a usb memstick, and there's nothing on there but the  
aoutoexec.bat,
it's conf, localization stuff, and a couple of firmware files and, and  
the

utility that sometimes flashes it into IT mode.


There is a serial port on the server and there's a linux server also  
with a
serial port inches away. In addition, I have a laptop with windows and a  
USB

serial port.


I'll be back at the console in a few hours. I presume the goal is to  
read the

assembler program from the seriapl port, correct?


Thanks for the reply.



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Re: [Freedos-user] Any way to add files to freedos?

[Eric Auer]

Hi Brian,

this sounds like your BIOS contains the driver for USB sticks
present at boot, but has no support for plug and play. It is
strange that trying to change the memory stick even threw out
the USB keyboard support but I guess you cannot expect too
much help from your BIOS with USB without rebooting. So you
should check which OTHER storage media you have available
and which tools already are on your still working part of
the FreeDOS memory stick. For example if you have FileMaven
(I think the EXE is called FM3) then you can run another
copy on another computer and link both via serial port to
transfer files. Or if you have CURL or WGET and a working
network driver, you can just download files. You can use
DEVLOAD to load drivers on the fly. Given that all of this
is rather risky to play withl if you must never reboot, I
suggest you already start researching how to un-brick the
controller with some sort of hardware programmer tool if
that should become necessary. Ask the support of the SAS
controller about that. Maybe it also has some magic fall
back way to enter update mode even with bad firmware.

Good luck! Regards, Eric

PS: Your BIOS probably reported the stick as harddisk to DOS,
so you could try if opening a few files here and there makes
DOS run out of cache, eventually forcing it to re-read data
and notice that you have added some new files :-)



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Re: [Freedos-user] Any way to add files to freedos?

[Brian Yglesias]

Thanks for tge reply.I should mention off the bat that I at one point removed the usb memstick I booted from, copied files to it, and reinserted.  It didn't work, and running a command subsequent to that failed.  I'm not sure if I compounded the problem, or if it is coincidental.I booted from a usb memstick, and there's nothing on there but the aoutoexec.bat, it's conf, localization stuff, and a couple of firmware files and, and the utility that sometimes flashes it into IT mode.There is a serial port on the server and there's a linux server also with a serial port inches away.  In addition, I have a laptop with windows and a USB serial port.I'll be back at the console in a few hours.  I presume the goal is to read the assembler program from the seriapl port, correct?Thanks for the reply.On Jan 24, 2018 5:41 AM, TJ Edmister  wrote:Yes, there are ways. For instance, you could use the COPY CON command and  

then enter a machine language program using the keyboard (The folks on  

comp.lang.asm.x86 came up with a nice one using base64) although that is  

probably not the most time efficient method.



What type of storage device did you boot from? What other software is on  

there? Is there an RS232 serial port?



On Tue, 23 Jan 2018 23:01:56 -0500, Brian Yglesias  

 wrote:



> I just attempted to flash a sas controller into IT mode and it failed.  

> Now I don't

> have the original firmware to revert the change, and if I reboot I will  

> brick

> the controller.

>

>

> Is there any way to add files to freedos once it is booted?







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Re: [Freedos-user] Any way to add files to freedos?

[Brian Yglesias]

Thanks for the reply.First I booted from a usb memory stick. When the flash failed I realized I needed some files, at the very least a different bios, and so I put them on a different USB.(This knocked out my USB keyboard, pressing regular buttons would cause num lock to blink, but I was able to get a PS/2 KB working subsequently.)I tried A through Z but was unable to find the data.I repeated this process with another small memstick, but same result.Finally, having memories of doing similar with DOS on a floppy, I removed the boot usb, put the files on it, and reinstated.(It makes a pleasant beep when memstick are inserted, and an unpleasant one one they are removed.)I may have compounded the problem, because not only are the new files not visible, but running the flash command from the console later failed.  I don't have the error on me, but it was something to the effect of a read error.Thanks again.--
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Re: [Freedos-user] Any way to add files to freedos?

[TJ Edmister]

Yes, there are ways. For instance, you could use the COPY CON command and  
then enter a machine language program using the keyboard (The folks on  
comp.lang.asm.x86 came up with a nice one using base64) although that is  
probably not the most time efficient method.


What type of storage device did you boot from? What other software is on  
there? Is there an RS232 serial port?


On Tue, 23 Jan 2018 23:01:56 -0500, Brian Yglesias  
 wrote:


I just attempted to flash a sas controller into IT mode and it failed.  
Now I don't
have the original firmware to revert the change, and if I reboot I will  
brick

the controller.


Is there any way to add files to freedos once it is booted?




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Re: [Freedos-user] Any way to add files to freedos?

[Eric Auer]

Hi Brian,

FreeDOS is an operating system, so the question is probably
not what you really want to ask. You booted FreeDOS from
some type of drive, either real or virtual, and you want
to know how you can copy files to that drive. Please give
more information what drive you have booted from and what
source you want to copy the files from. Thank you!

Regards, Eric

> I just attempted to flash a sas controller into IT mode and it failed.  Now I 
> don't have the original firmware to revert the change, and if I reboot I will 
> brick the controller.
> 
> Is there any way to add files to freedos once it is booted?


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