Re: [Etherboot-users] Success report

[Phil D. <pd...@mo...>]

On Fri, 29 Jun 2001 ke...@us... wrote:
> >Dos 5 causes the ICA client to crash in this situation on this compaq
> >(works fine on other machines). Dos 6.22 works ok.
>
> Excellent. Now I know at least one person who has got 6.22 to work. I
> have had reports it didn't.

Ah, that reminds me of another problem I had.
I've been using mtools on a linux box to format a dos image file.
You need to have the same version of the system files and the dos
bootblock for it to work.

A bigger problem which had me confused for ages is this.
The dos system files (msdos.sys and io.sys, maybe command.com too) need to
be in the very beginning of the disk. If you do what I originally did and
copy all the files in one go, it probably won't work because other files
will be copied first. It will all look ok until you try and boot it.
You'll get a non-system disk error.
You need to format the dos image, copy the system files *first* and then
copy anything else you want.

I hoped I've explained that clearly enough.

> >Oh, this Compaq does have an on board network card, but it doesn't appear
> >to have an eprom socket, which is why I'm using the 3c509.
>
> It's counterintuitive to think about at first but the EPROM doesn't care
> which NIC it's booting, so this is a good way to use all those busted
> cards with zapped transceivers but working ROM sockets. :-)

Really? I didn't know that.
Presumably you still need something with a working eprom socket in it.
I don't suppose there is anywhere else you can zap the eprom image to?
I've heard about flashing into the motherboard bios (Award I think) but
this is custom compaq bios, so that's unlikely to work.

-- 
Phil Davey
http://www.pod-designs.net/philandjo.html
E-mail po...@po...                          ICQ 46295740
Just because you're smart, doesn't mean you can't act stupid....