9 replies to this topic

[wendy]

I decided to make a dual-boot dos system, using these versions of DOS.

 

The dos 7.10 is a largely modified version of the DOS in Win98se,  dos 6.30 is the composite 6.20/6.22 build.

 

In keeping with the effect of installing win2k over win9x, dos7 is stored in c:\msdos7,  The other dos is stored in c:\dos.  The system is vpc2007.  The main aim is to minimise reboots from a raw system.  It's down to the fdisk reboot now.

 

1. msdos7 is used to partition the disk, and to install its files.  The msdos.sys file copied to the hard drive has already enabled the boot previous dos (at #7 on the menu), and we copy a sample autoexec.dos and config.dos.
2. This installation leaves you in c:\msdos7, from where we insert a second dos diskette, and run instdos.bat from dos71.  This creates the dos directory, and copies the files from the floppy disk to the hard drive.  The msdos.sys and io.sys are copied to msdos.dos and io.dos.
3. On reboot, a fully functional dual-boot dos7 / dos6 is working.

MSDOS 7 is running in auto mode, ie no autoexec/config.sys, while MSDOS 6 runs with these files.  The generic config files in the msdos7 setup are replaced by a version that installs the utilities needed to break out of the vpc, into dos6.

 

MSDOS 7 loads a default environment, using %windir%\tmp and %winbootdir% for the sources of the various command files.

 

Unlike Win95, the hidden name for io.sys in an msdos6 boot is 'jo.sys'.  This is the same name used for the boot from this floppy program on the cdrom.  So after a previous msdos boot, the root directory contains both jo.sys and io.sys, but the boot sector will find jo.sys first, and load that. 

 

The default environment is all over the place.  If both winbootdir and windir are set, then you get:

-----MSDOS.SYS------
[Paths]
WinDor=C:\MSDOS7
WinBootDir=C:\MSDOS7
HostWinBootDrv=C
-----Bootlog-------
LoadSuccess=C:\MSDOS7\HIMEM.SYS
LoadSuccess=C:\MSDOS7\IFSHLP.SYS
----Environment---------- 
TMP=C:\MSDOS7\TEMP
TEMP=C:\MSDOS7\TEMP
PROMPT=$p$g
winbootdir=C:\MSDOS7
PATH=C:\MSDOS7;C:\MSDOS7\COMMAND
COMSPEC=C:\MSDOS7\COMMAND.COM

The msdos.sys we're using is a modified version of the ChinaDOS file.  It's interesting that while windir is in msdos.sys, it's not in the environment.

 

[wendy]

Setting winbootdir=c:\fenster will cause the driver files not to be found.

 

Setting windir=c:\fenster changes the location of the temp directory (c:\fenster\temp), and the path (to c:\fenster;c:\fenster\command)

 

Can we construct the same pattern on the floppy disk?

 

You can indeed have this pattern set on the floppy disk, but there are some things to mind.

 

1.  Set the drives pointing to a:\msdos7.  You can then place files exactly where they should appear in the final layout.  Because we compress files not needed in the boot, we use expandd.exe (ie the win311 expand) to expand/rename or copy files from msdos7 and msdos7\command.

 

2.  Set MultiBoot=0.  If io.sys finds there is a jo.sys and an io.sys, it will rename io.sys to io.dos and jo.sys to io.sys.  The next reboot will cause a cycle of 'do you want to boot from floppy'  Set MultiBoot=0 fixes this problem.

 

3:  Additional files for the root directory can go in a directory, eg a:\msdos7\temp

 

This layout makes it a bit easier to superimpose dos7 over an installed win9x, since xcopy does the necessary deed.  Just have to copy command.com to the root directory,

[wendy]

This is a directory of the dos7 floppy.

Directory of A:\

JO.SYS      	INSTALL.BAT 	IO.SYS      	FIXIO.BAT   	MSDOS.SYS   
FILE.DIR    	README.TXT  	[MSDOS7]      
         7 file(s)        129,398 bytes

Directory of A:\MSDOS7

[.]           	[..]          	[COMMAND]     	EMM386.EX_  	SETVER.EX_  
SMARTDRV.EX_	VER630.SYS  	VER700.SYS  	VER710.SYS  	VER800.SYS  
XMSMMGR.EX_ 	COMMAND.COM 	[TEMP]        	HIMEM.SYS   	IFSHLP.SYS  
RAMDRIVE.SY_
        12 file(s)        222,565 bytes

Directory of A:\MSDOS7\COMMAND

[.]           	[..]          	ANSI.SY_    	CHOICE.CO_  	DELTREE.EX_ 
DISKCOPY.CO_	EDLIN.EX_   	EGA.CP_     	EGA2.CP_    	EGA3.CP_    
EXETYPE.EX_ 	EXETYPE.IN_ 	FC.EX_      	INSTDOS.BAT 	KEYB.CO_    
KEYBOARD.SY_	KEYBRD2.SY_ 	KEYBRD3.SY_ 	KEYBRD4.SY_ 	LOGO.SY_    
MODE.CO_    	MORE.CO_    	MOUSE.CO_   	MOVE.EX_    	MSCDEX.EX_  
NLSFUNC.EX_ 	REGDOS.EX_  	SCANDISK.EX_	SETMDIR.EX_ 	SHARE.EX_   
SORT.EX_    	SUBST.EX_   	MSDOS.SY_   	MSED.OH_    	FDISKO.COM  
FIND.EXE    	FIXMBR.COM  	FORMAT.COM  	LABEL.EXE   	MEM.EXE     
MSED.COM    	SYS.COM     	TREE.COM    	WHERE.EXE   	XCOPY.EXE   
XCOPY32.EXE 	ATTRIB.EXE  	CHKDSK.EXE  	DBLBUFF.SYS 	DEBUG.EXE   
DISPLAY.SYS 	EXPANDD.EXE 	FDISK.EXE   
        51 file(s)        976,190 bytes

Directory of A:\MSDOS7\TEMP

[.]           	[..]          	AUTOEXEC.DOS	MSDOS.SYS   	CONFIG.DOS  
         3 file(s)            804 bytes

Total files listed:
        73 file(s)      1,328,957 bytes
         9 dir(s)         107,008 bytes free

The files with underscores are compressed to KWAJ, we use the expand from win311 (v 2.1) to unpack these directories. 

 

This is the install file.

------------[ MSDOS.SYS]-------------
[Options]
AutoScan=0
BootDelay=2
BootGUI=0
BootMenu=0
BootMulti=0
BootSafe=0
BootWarn=0
DoubleBuffer=0
Logo=0
SystemReg=0
;
;For compatiblity with Windows 9x GUI only:
;tenp is set to %windir%\temp, use setmdir to change this.
[Paths]
WinDir=A:\MSDOS7
WinBootDir=A:\MSDOS7
HostWinBootDrv=A
------------------------[Install.bat]-----------------
@echo off
if d%1==df format c: /s /v:MSDOS7
xcopy /s /e EE._ c:\
attrib -r -a -s -h c:\msdos.sys
del c:\msdos.sys
xcopy a:\msdos7\temp\*.* c:\
expandd -r a:\msdos7\*.* c:\msdos7
expandd -r a:\msdos7\command\*.* c:\msdos7\command
copy a:\msdos\command.com c:\
set comspec=c:\msdos7\command.com
set path=c:\msdos7;c:\msdos7\command
set temp=c:\msdos7\temp
set tmp=c:\msdos7\temp
c:
-------------------[instdos.bat]--------------
@echo off
md c:\dos
xcopy a:\*.* c:\dos
copy a:\io.sys c:\io.dos
copy a:\msdos.sys c:\msdos.dos
copy a:\command.com c:\command.dos
-----------------------------------------------------

In the installation, we move the path and comspec to the freshly installed dos.  This allows us to remove the floppy disk, and insert the second one.  Note to install a version of dos here, we do not need to write a dos boot block, and simply install the required dos into the vacant dual-boot position. 

 

The differences between the a:\msdos.sys and c:\msdos.sys (from a:\msdos7\temp), is that we reactivate dual-boot, and we change the paths from a: to c:.  The autoexec.dos and config.dos are generic configs for the previous dos.  Because we don't include himem.sys in this distro, the directory points to c:\msdos7\himem.sys.  This himem.sys works under msdos 5 or pcdos 5.

[Blackcrack]

if this system should get more attention, should it have like in linux more tools and other programms who comes with this "Distriebution" of clean System, it should be possible to make a network, to have a ssh-connection.. a sftp mount.. and all what's support a dos-server and other things like fax for fritz-card in dos, cfos-driver for fritz.. and so on.. the whole what have an support modern systems in prompt only.. maby also a Mail-Box(BBS) software like terminate, to make a Terminal for clients.. maybe the possible for building up an own "Internet" with modem, isdn-drivers or pppoe,tcp/ip 4/6 drivers.. to have a possible for building up a internal network as small, fast server system..

something in this direction must it be.. to make more interrested in the public to make a "pirate/private-i-networks" or something..
today it is possible to have telephone/isdn flatrates in Europe, maybe with tunneled connectivity over isdn and internal with crypted ip-connectivity on top to hold the safety for the users in any case up/on top with a Sever/Client System in dos where make it possible to make a connectivity in the net via dns or hard seted up ip's and have a loginwall like a BBS with autologin possibility.. to connecting the internet or internal network over the connection, or logging in to a BBS.. or hidden BBS with a surface like in the old Day's in the past to chating, up/download a common filestore and so on.. just to have fun together ..

it's need a Distribution with different purposes.. and not a plain system only..
why do you not upload your sources on a git at your server or something and make it possible to
get help in programming for diffrent extra programms like a Terminal how Terminate,
a tunneled isdn-connectivity+ip connectivity also to the woldwide I-Net,
filestore with the possible to upload and download with z-modem and different spares and spartes..

best regards
Blacky

(in words, let relive the old times and give the possible to be real anonym, no logs, no possible to trace back/retrace)

and by the way, why do you not copress the whole files in a 7z parts in disk-size
and decompress this with a 7z.exe dos-executable, and work out of the extracted "c:\msdos7"
folder..

with this can you create 1,44 parts with small scripts and on the first disk
for the executables the other disk's with the compressed system and
others with the distribution of different programms..

best regards again
Blacky

[wendy]

This particular system is based around making a dual boot for DOS and Windows, without any particular tools.

 

The DOS7 bit can actually run Win95, even though it's not Win95's DOS.  The plan is to see if it's possible to construct a multi-boot DOS/Windows/Windows9x without too many new tools.

 

The internet was not a big thing when these DOS versions came out.  In any case, the internet was well after my time.

[wendy]

The dual and triple-boot system has been used in part to refine the installations. 

 

Expand needs a clear temp dir, (ie you can't expand from temp).  This, and that the order of installations is different for just MS-DOS 7.1, and something to run Windows, means that we install all of the MSDOS 7 (except for what is version-free), into c:\msdos7, and the directory msdos7\command is used for shared utilities.  (It is auto-pathed by msdos7 and can be used by other dos versions).

 

A third diskette is used to install an assortment of extra utilities, such as HLTIDLE. qbasic and help. msd2.12  and a number of other stuff to probe the innards of both systems.  The results are to be found in the latest version of dos7help. 

 

The kit is more for people wishing to probe the nature of msdos71, rather than a replacement for windows.  The ultimate aim is to boot  windows 95 / 98 / ME from a common install.  The respective os's need to be installed in different directory names, because they create their own directory on C:

 

So even if 95, 98 and ME go on C:, E: and F:, you still need names like C:\WIN95,  E:\WIN98, and F:\WINME for them.  Quad-booting or quin booting this stuff with 6.30 and D:\WINNT (3.51) is the long-term aim.

[Blackcrack]

a couples live iso for Ventoy ?

just a suggestion

 

you be the specialist for Dos

 

best

Blacky

[wendy]

Most of the layout is set, but I will have to write enough docos to get people started.

 

For example, there is no setup program.  You run a number of batch files to get a dual boot machine.  If you want the extras, you use a third disk.

 

So far, disk 3 contains QBasic/Help/Edit + MSD 2.12 + some other stuff.  It's this other stuff I debate on. 

[wendy]

The initial version of the joint msdos 6.30 / 7.10 is available at http://www.os2fan2.c...les/dos6371.zip

 

It contains two boot disks, (6.30 + 7.10), which are partial extents of the DOS versions, along with the general working versions of these DOS versions.  The latest version of the DOS7 help file is included. 

 

There are files also for the joint windows project.  This is to allow multiple selection of different Win9x versions from the same DOS version.  Many of these files are to be found in the d71\also directory.

 

There is no fancy install at the moment, except that required for demonstrating a dual boot on one install. 

 

You just need something like vpc or something that runs DOS for this stuff to work. 

[wendy]

I built a new vpc, and installed DOS 7.1 and 6.3 on it as before.   Then I installed a 98se through 98se.   This produces an install of 112 MB, on sleek mode.  I restored the dos 7.1 start files (io.sys, msdos.sys), and edited it so that the windows directory points to Windows 98.

 

The path now shows e:\win98;c:\msdos7;c:\msdos7\command  This seems quite useful.  Removing the extraneous dos files from Win98 (through the control panel). left a few DOS files behind, along with start.exe.

 

There are still some interesting bugs to work through.

 

 

 

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