To: opendos AT delorie DOT com Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 02:15:35 -0700 Subject: Re: DOS/Linux coexistence (was: [Club Dr-DOS]) #2 Message-ID: <20020531.021540.-277703.2.domanspc@juno.com> X-Mailer: Juno 5.0.33 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=--__JNP_000_30ab.17ee.2fbf X-Juno-Line-Breaks: 8-6,7-14,16-20,22-27,29,31,33,35-38,40,42-43,45,47,49,51,53,55,57-59,61,63,65-67,69,71,73,75,77,79,81,83-89,91,93,95,97,99-101,103-127,128-32767 From: domanspc AT juno DOT com Reply-To: opendos AT delorie DOT com This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand this format, some or all of this message may not be legible. ----__JNP_000_30ab.17ee.2fbf Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I just installed Caldera Open Linux 2.3 and it gives you a choice of putting the linux loader in the MBR (if you are sure you will never, never, ever want to use another OS on your computer) or in the Linux partition if you want to use another OS at some time or another. This is for us diehard DOS fans and M$ WIN people who can not give up the addiction to Bill's rules. You also have the option of installing everything, a standard install, or pick your own packages if you are running short on disk space. Version 1.3 also had these options but the installation used XF86Setup and was not to user friendly. I am getting ready to install RedHat 7.2 and from the docs it looks like the install menu is pretty good. I recommend buying a book like "Red Hat Linux 7.2 Weekend Crash Course". They include 2 CD's with Red Hat Linux 7.2 Publisher's Edition, featuring GNOME and KDE, Linux Kernal 2.4.x, Apache, Samba, Netscape, and 30 manual sessions which are supposed to have you up and running in 15 hours. ISBN 0-7645-3642-7. If you go this route you have a hard copy of the manual to set up the install, and a large assortment of programs and games which, while admittedly someone else's idea of a good distribution, make it a rather painless first experience for the first time or frustrated person who has tried for weeks (months) to get it all up on his old but favorite machine. You'll need at least 800 MB on the hard drive for a minimum install and should have 2 GB if you want to do a full install and also have DOS or (UGH) M$ WINDOWS on it. The 2.4.x kernel has support for USB and someone is working on Firewire. It also covers most of the more popular manufacturers Video boards, Modems, and sound cards. However, it will not support any of the cheap trash that cost nothing because it requires some software from M$ WIN to run. There are several other good books out there and most cost only about $30/$40 US and include a very complete distribution. Be careful to get one that includes the new 2.4.x version of the kernel or you will have to spend some time getting the right drivers and optimizing your installation. I went through 7 installs with Caldera 1.3 before I finally got the mouse and video set up right. the newer versions mostly have a search mode which checks out your computer for you and you don't have to do as much research on your video, sound card, modem, M/B, etc in case the setup program can not find it in it's data base and you have to install it manually by editing files. Of course a lot of the people on this list are just naturally gluttons for punishment and masochistic after years of using the old dinosaur DOS and making it do all of the things dear old uncle Bill and IBM said it couldn't do. You know the type. Most of us probably are one anyway. Those people should probably just go out on the net and find the various pieces of the GNU-Linux OS and download them to their old 486's with 8 MB of ram and a couple of 500MB Scuzzie drives. After they have them all loaded up on a Linux folder on one of the drives (about 1400 files to make sure you have all the programmers tools and libraries that you might ever need) they can start setting up the various partitions on the other drive and begin reading the man(ual) pages to find out what order to begin the Linux install. Of course most of the old DOS people can HACK just about anything and enjoy the feeling you get when you stop beating your head up against a brick wall. Hope you all have fun with your DOS/Linux computers. BOB "DOMAN" MOSS By the way, I almost forgot, but I have three 60 MB IBM SCUZZY drives and I need to figure out what resistor packs to pull off when I install them. They have three and there are also three on the controller card. These are old 50 pin drives I got at a Computer Show and there is no documentation. I was figuring that I should just pull all of them except those on the controller. I also have to figure out how to set the four position dip switch for the drive numbers. Now if I can just figure out why my new/old K6BV3+/66 M/B won't recognize the keyboard, I can get on with my DOS world. ENJOY and remember to eat chocolate every day. On Thu, 30 May 2002 08:19:17 -0500 /dev/rob0 writes: > On Thu, May 30, 2002 at 07:01:46PM +1000, da Silva, Joe wrote: > > Loadlin.exe sounds like a great idea - I'll certainly look into > this option. > > I've never understood why it gets so little attention, even among > former > DOS users. I did eventually switch to LILO myself, but only because > I > wanted one esoteric LILO feature. Most users wouldn't care about > that > feature, and they could happily use DOS to manage their booting. > > > It will be nice not to lose the safety provided by good ol' DDO > (sure, it > > uses up a wee bit of conventional memory but, as I commented on > > Hmmm, if it's a DOS TSR, loadlin will eliminate it. I'm not sure > about > how it will work. ----__JNP_000_30ab.17ee.2fbf Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
I just installed Caldera Open Linux 2.3 and it gives you a choice of <= /DIV>
putting the linux loader in the MBR (if you are sure you will never,
never, ever want to use another OS on your computer) or in the
Linux partition if you want to use another OS at some time or another.= =20
This is for us diehard DOS fans and M$ WIN people who can not
give up the addiction to Bill's rules.  You also have the option = of=20
installing everything, a standard install, or pick your own packages=20 if 
you are running short on disk space.  Version 1.3 also had these= =20
options but the installation used XF86Setup and was not to user = friendly.=20
I am getting ready to install RedHat 7.2 and from the docs it looks = like=20
the install menu is pretty good. 
 
I recommend buying a book like "Red Hat Linux 7.2 Weekend Crash Course= ".=20
They include 2 CD's with Red  Hat Linux 7.2 Publisher's Edition,= =20 featuring
GNOME and KDE,  Linux Kernal 2.4.x, Apache, Samba, Netscape,= and=20
30 manual sessions which are supposed to have you up and running = in=20
15 hours.   ISBN 0-7645-3642-7.  If you go this route = you=20 have a hard
copy of the manual to set up the install, and a large assortment of
programs and games which, while admittedly someone else's idea of a = good=20
distribution, make it a rather painless first experience for the first= time=20 or
frustrated person who has tried for weeks (months) to get it all up on= his=20
old but favorite machine.  You'll need at least 800 MB on the = hard=20 drive for
a minimum install and should have 2 GB if you want to do a full = install and=20
also have DOS or (UGH) M$ WINDOWS on it.  The 2.4.x kernel has
support for USB and someone is working on Firewire.  It also = covers=20 most
of the more popular manufacturers Video boards, Modems, and sound = cards.=20
However, it will not support any of the cheap trash that cost nothing= =20 because
it requires some software from M$ WIN to run.  There are several = other=20 good
books out there and most cost only about $30/$40 US and include a very= =20
complete distribution.  Be careful to get one that includes the = new=20 2.4.x version
of the kernel or you will have to spend some time getting the right = drivers=20 and
optimizing your installation.  I went through 7 installs with = Caldera=20 1.3 before
I finally got the mouse and video set up right.  the newer = versions=20 mostly have
a search mode which checks out your computer for you and you don't = have to=20
do as much research on your video, sound card, modem, M/B, etc in case= the=20
setup program can not find it in it's data base and you have to = install it=20 manually
by editing files.
 
Of course a lot of the people on this list are just naturally gluttons= for=20 punishment
and masochistic after years of using the old dinosaur DOS and making = it do=20 all
of the things dear old uncle Bill and IBM said it couldn't do.  = You=20 know the type.
Most of us probably are one anyway. 
 
Those people should probably just go out on the net and find the = various=20 pieces
of the GNU-Linux OS and download them to their old 486's with 8 MB of = ram=20
and a couple of 500MB Scuzzie drives.  After they have them all = loaded=20 up on a
Linux folder on one of the drives  (about 1400 files to make sure= you=20 have all the
programmers tools and libraries that you might ever need) they can = start=20 setting up
the various partitions on the other drive and begin reading the man(= ual)=20 pages to
find out what order to begin the Linux install.  Of course most = of the=20 old DOS
people can HACK just about anything and enjoy the feeling you get when= you=20 stop
beating your head up against a brick wall. 
 
Hope you all have fun with your DOS/Linux computers. 
 
BOB "DOMAN" MOSS 
 
By the way, I almost forgot, but I have three 60 MB IBM SCUZZY drives = and I=20
need to figure out what resistor packs to pull off when I install=20 them.  They have
three and there are also three on the controller card.  These are= old=20 50 pin drives
I got at a Computer Show and there is no documentation.  I was=20 figuring that I
should just pull all of them except those on the controller.  I = also=20 have to figure
out how to set the four position dip switch for the drive numbers.
 
Now if I can just figure out why my new/old K6BV3+/66  M/B = won't=20 recognize
the keyboard, I can get on with my DOS world. 
 
ENJOY and remember to eat chocolate every day. 
 
 
On Thu, 30 May 2002 08:19:17 -0500 /dev/rob0 <i812 AT softhome DOT net> writes:
>= On=20 Thu, May 30, 2002 at 07:01:46PM +1000, da Silva, Joe wrote:
> >=20 Loadlin.exe sounds like a great idea - I'll certainly look into
> = this=20 option.
>
> I've never understood why it gets so little = attention,=20 even among
> former
> DOS users. I did eventually switch to = LILO=20 myself, but only because
> I
> wanted one esoteric LILO = feature.=20 Most users wouldn't care about
> that
> feature, and they = could=20 happily use DOS to manage their booting.
>
> > It will be = nice=20 not to lose the safety provided by good ol' DDO
> (sure, it
> = >=20 uses up a wee bit of conventional memory but, as I commented on
> >=20 Hmmm, if it's a DOS TSR, loadlin will eliminate it. I'm not sure
>=20 about
> how it will work.
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