Re: [Xen-devel] Unable to boot FreeDOS 1.0

[Bernd Blaauw <bblaauw@home.nl>]

Geraldo Netto schreef:
> Hi Guys,
>   
Hello Geraldo,
> It seems command.com is missing
> could you try any iso from this site?
> http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/distributions/1.0/
>   
The FreeDOS 1.0 ISO is confirmed to be working under normal PC BIOS when 
booting from CDROM.
I guess your environment is a modern CPU with virtualisation extensions 
present and enabled? (as I don't think Syslinux, Memdisk nor FreeDOS 
kernel have built-in support for acting as XEN client).

FreeDOS 1.0 ISO works like this:
1) Boot from CDROM in non-emulation mode
2) Load isolinux.bin (old version, version 3.62 is latest release)
3) Load isolinux.cfg configuration file
4) Press 1 to load FreeDOS (loads Memdisk, then loads 
/ISOLINUX/DATA/FDBOOT.IMG, which is a compressed 360KB bootable floppy 
image file )
5) FDBOOT.IMG gets uncompressed in RAM, then is being executed (in RAM) 
by Memdisk in uncompressed form.
6) Bootsector is loaded, which in turn loads Kernel.sys (FreeDOS kernel)
7) Kernel.sys goes looking for \FDCONFIG.SYS and if that doesn't exist, 
\FDCONFIG.SYS. If that also fails, \COMMAND.COM
8) Selecting an option loads drivers and COMMAND.COM, then starts batchfile

Knowing the layout of the 360KB diskette, I'd say the FreeDOS kernel is 
not able to find any files (don't see any menu option in your screenshot 
which points to no config.sys being found..nor can kernel find 
command.com). I don't know if XEN is to blame for this, or Syslinux, 
Memdisk or FreeDOS, or any combination of these issues.

Could you refer me to the site which has a web-archive of the responses 
for the XEN mailinglists? Can't see if any threads with solutions were 
formed there.
Alternative options are to remaster the ISO with 1.44MB floppy emulation 
enabled instead of non-emulation with Isolinux. Or ofcourse try a 
bootdisk first, instead of a bootable cdrom.
> Geraldo
> ps: sorry for crossposting, at least i hope it helps :)
>   
Bernd


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This SF.net email is sponsored by: Microsoft
Defy all challenges. Microsoft(R) Visual Studio 2008.
http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/vse0120000070mrt/direct/01/