Re: MetaKern boot menu alpha release!

Hi Eric,

Alternative bootfiles:
use c:\fdconfig.sys instead of config.sys
use fdauto.bat or something like that instead of autoexec.bat

SHELL line:
SHELL=[path]\[filename] [options] /P=[batchfile]
SHELL=C:\FREECOM.COM /E:1024 /MSG /P=C:\FDAUTO.BAT

How much commandline is your UNDELETE tool?
If it can execute without any confirmation needed, then
it might be possible to have this used on the next FreeDOS cdrom release.

<snip, somewhere in my Director.bat>
ATTRIB -R -S -H C:\*.*
IF NOT EXIST C:\IO.SYS GOTO SKIPMENU
rem MS-DOS (tm) version detected!
UNDELETE SYSSAVE BOOT C:\MSDOS.BOT
SYS A: C: BOTH FREEDOS.BOT
REN C:\KERNEL.SYS C:\FDKERNEL.SYS
COPY /B METAKERN.SYS + FREEDOS.BOT + MSDOS.BOT C:\KERNEL.SYS
ECHO Simple bootmenu has been created.
goto SKIPMENU
:SKIPMENU
<snip>

while at it, how about an option to boot from diskette?
(if bootsequence set to harddisk first)

Bernd Blaauw

----- Original Message -----
From: "Eric Auer" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, November 02, 2002 6:56 PM
Subject: [fd-dev] MetaKern boot menu alpha release!


>
> Hi folks,
> I am proud to release the first alpha version of MetaKern, my new
> boot menu. Check it out at:
>
> http://www.coli.uni-sb.de/~eric/stuff/soft/specials/
>
> Usage:
> (you can change the steps if you know what you are doing)
> 1. install MS or DR DOS on your drive, in my example C:
> 2. use UNDELETE syssave boot d:\msdos.bot
>    to save a copy of the bootsector to d:
> 3. install FreeDOS, using SYS c: d:\freedos.bot both
>    leaving a copy of the bootsector at d:
> 4. ren kernel.sys fdkernel.sys
> 5. copy /b metakern.sys + d:\freedos.bot + d:\msdos.bot c:\kernel.sys
>
> Now you have replaced your kernel by the boot menu. It will detect the
> type of the two appended boot sectors and display appropriate menu items.
> It will patch all FreeDOS type boot sectors by replacing the
> "KERNEL  SYS" string by a "FDKERNELSYS" one.
> If you have used C: to install MetaKern, it will also display menu items
> for all primary partitions that are neither the current one nor extended
> ones (untested!).
>
> When you boot using MetaKern, you will see up to 5 items with numbers in
> the range 1..6 - type a key corresponding to a non-empty line in the menu
> and the corresponding type of boot will be kicked off :-).
>
> Wolf, feel free to beautify the menu and add other stuff, thanks.
> The current code is 1k in size (+ 2 bootsectors will be 2k "kernel.sys").
> You need to adjust the "times" at the end if you change the size.
> The menu items have FIXED numbers. 1/2 mean 1st/2nd boot sector, and
> 3..6 means partition table entry 1..4. Much easier to code that way, and
> easy enough for the user, I think.
>
> Cheers, Eric
>
> PS: Would be nice to have feedback on whether everything works. And I
> still do not know how to set SHELL to have FDAUTO.BAT... Take care, this
> may render your DOS unbootable until you SYS it again if something goes
wrong.
>
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