Syslinux - Jul 2018 - Memdisk and big floppy images

The narod.ru images are super outdated (FreeDOS kernel 2028) unfortunately.

If you are interested I could provide a 5MB FDD image template based on
FreeDOS 2041 kernel (the latest available at that time in 2014) where you
would just inject your ROM and EXE (and possibly adjust autoexec.bat to
autostart/apply the FW update). It's a minimal FreeDOS FDD image that
defaults to a clean boot with bare minimum settings (selectable in
config.sys) and I used this template over several years for a variety of
server FW updates. (FreeDOS hasn't been much updated over the years,
however I just found that 2042 is now available on Github.)


Included files in my template FDD image:

WATCOMC compiled FreeDOS Kernel 2041 (2012-02-07) with FAT12, FAT16 and
FAT32 support.
8086+ (CMD8086.com) and 80386+ (COMMAND.com) CPU compatible (config.sys
selectable).

CMD8086.COM v0.84-pre XMS_SWAP (2006-06-06) and COMMAND.COM v0.84-pre2
XMS_SWAP (2006-08-28)
HiMemX v3.32 (2008-03-13) and Jemm386/JemmEx v5.75 (2011-05-31)
NANSI v4.0d (2007-05-26) for FreeDOS logo.

Config.sys looks like this:

MENU FreeDOS 2041 Config.sys Presets
MENU -------------------------------
MENU
MENU 0 -> CMD8086.COM / 8086+ / CleanBoot (BIOS and Firmware) ( No XMMs )
*MENU 1 -> COMMAND.COM <http://COMMAND.COM> / 80386+ / CleanBoot (BIOS
and
Firmware) ( No XMMs )*
MENU 2 -> COMMAND.COM / 80386+ / HimemX ( XMSv3 )
MENU 3 -> COMMAND.COM / 80386+ / HimemX + Jemm386 ( XMSv3 + EMSv4 )
MENU 4 -> COMMAND.COM / 80386+ / JemmEx (HimemX/Jemm386 combo) ( XMSv3 +
EMSv4 )
MENU 5 -> COMMAND.COM / 80386+ / JemmEx Safe (NOHI NOVME etc.) ( XMSv3 +
EMSv4 )
MENUDEFAULT=*1,0*



On Mon, Jun 18, 2018 at 3:17 PM, Bernd Blaauw via Syslinux <
syslinux at zytor.com> wrote:
> Op 18-6-2018 om 20:19 schreef R S via Syslinux:
>
>> In other words: I'm suggesting to use WinImage as it also allows
easy
>> injection of new files *and* updating of already existing files.
>> May I ask which vendor is distributing a DOS FW update that is 20MB?
I'd
>> like to see the files. Sometimes you just need the .bin/.rom and the
>> actual
>> FW update EXE and it would fit a 5MB FDD image.
>>
>
> The old (super?-)floppy file images from below website might do the trick:
>
> http://bootcd.narod.ru/images_e.htm
>
> (and I'd indeed recommend WinImage in its Pro-version for modifications
> like injecting files, as well as reading the Memdisk page in complete
> detail to get parameters right for use in Syslinux/Isolinux).
>
> Not sure if bootable images from exotic things like Zipdrives or
> LS-120/LS-240 drives exis (as non-harddisk image).
>
> Bernd
>
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-- 
Tech III * AppControl * Endpoint Protection * Server Maintenance
Buncombe County Schools Technology Department Network Group
ComicSans Awareness Campaign <http://comicsanscriminal.com>

On 06/18/18 13:06, R S via Syslinux wrote:
> The narod.ru images are super outdated (FreeDOS kernel 2028) unfortunately.
> 
> If you are interested I could provide a 5MB FDD image template based on
> FreeDOS 2041 kernel (the latest available at that time in 2014) where you
> would just inject your ROM and EXE (and possibly adjust autoexec.bat to
> autostart/apply the FW update). It's a minimal FreeDOS FDD image that
> defaults to a clean boot with bare minimum settings (selectable in
> config.sys) and I used this template over several years for a variety of
> server FW updates. (FreeDOS hasn't been much updated over the years,
> however I just found that 2042 is now available on Github.)
> 
It's worth noting that DOS in general doesn't necessarily handle large
floppies well and making sure the geometry values in the FAT superblock
matches what MEMDISK provides is essential.  An absolute maximum is
probably 120487K (117 MiB) with a 255x15x63 geometry.

	-hpa

2018-06-26 2:10 GMT+08:00 H. Peter Anvin via Syslinux <syslinux at
zytor.com>:
> On 06/18/18 13:06, R S via Syslinux wrote:
>> The narod.ru images are super outdated (FreeDOS kernel 2028)
unfortunately.
>>
>> If you are interested I could provide a 5MB FDD image template based on
>> FreeDOS 2041 kernel (the latest available at that time in 2014) where
you
>> would just inject your ROM and EXE (and possibly adjust autoexec.bat to
>> autostart/apply the FW update). It's a minimal FreeDOS FDD image
that
>> defaults to a clean boot with bare minimum settings (selectable in
>> config.sys) and I used this template over several years for a variety
of
>> server FW updates. (FreeDOS hasn't been much updated over the
years,
>> however I just found that 2042 is now available on Github.)
>>
>
> It's worth noting that DOS in general doesn't necessarily handle
large
> floppies well and making sure the geometry values in the FAT superblock
> matches what MEMDISK provides is essential.  An absolute maximum is
> probably 120487K (117 MiB) with a 255x15x63 geometry.
>
>         -hpa
>
> _______________________________________________
> Syslinux mailing list
> Submissions to Syslinux at zytor.com
> Unsubscribe or set options at:
> http://www.zytor.com/mailman/listinfo/syslinux
Hi:
     I haven't test freedos recent years. but with ms-dos which comes
with win98, the maximum size is 256MB. I had tried to test that
several years ago. we use 256MB floppy with memdisk for our daily bios
update work.

Regards,
tbskyd

> matches what MEMDISK provides is essential.  An absolute maximum is
> probably 120487K (117 MiB) with a 255x15x63 geometry.
> 
> 	-hpa
 
Where is the limitation of "255 cylinders" for floppies really coming 
from?

TIA,
Ady.