Re: [Etherboot-users] Status of PXE freemem

[Marty C. <md...@th...>]

On 11/29/2001 9:33 PM John Newbigin jn...@it... wrote:
>RPM segment 0x07C0 length 0x4400 reloc 0x9400
>Etherboot 5.1.1
>...
>DOS Net Boot Image Loader Version 0.8.1 (mknbi-dos)
>GPLed by G. Kuhlmann

Etherboot 5.1.1 is rather old.  Try making a ROM image from 
rom-o-matic.net of version 5.0.4-mc3, which should have the latest 
patches.  [maybe we should pull 5.1.1 from sourceforge or label it 
obselete so people don't think it's the newest version and try it.  i've 
already removed it from rom-o-matic.net]

Also, that version of mknbi is also quite old.  Try getting mknbi version 
1.2.6 from etherboot.sourceforge.net and tagging your image with that.

I also seem to recall a subtle point a few months ago about making 
bootable DOS images.  Something about copying files in the right order to 
the disk. Let me check...

OK, here's a link:

   http://www.geocrawler.com/archives/3/5299/2001/6/0/6063983/

And here's the interesting part of the message:

     Message: 6063983
     FROM: Phil Davey
     DATE: 06/28/2001 08:32:52
     SUBJECT: RE:  [Etherboot-users] Success report
      
     On Fri, 29 Jun 2001 <EMAIL: PROTECTED> 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.
      ....
     -- 
     Phil Davey
     http://www.pod-designs.net/philandjo.html
     E-mail <EMAIL: PROTECTED>                          ICQ 46295740
     Just because you're smart, doesn't mean you can't act stupid....

I hope this is of some help.  Let us know how things go.

Marty

---
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   Name: Marty Connor
US Mail: Entity Cyber, Inc.; P.O. Box 391827; Cambridge, MA 02139; USA
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  Email: md...@th...
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