PKP88%DMSWWU1A.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu (Rainer Perske) (02/21/89)
Hello, I've run into an installation problem with MINIX-ST: I want to start MINIX from TOS w/o using a floppy disk. I followed the instructions in the manual to create MINIX.IMG on my hard disk. There is no problem starting MINIX this way if (and only if) I've created MINIX.IMG from an unchanged boot disk. But I have a german keyboard, so I ran FIXKEYS.PRG on a copy of my boot disk. If I create a MINIX.IMG from this changed boot disk, MINIX.PRG stops with a message: minix.img: wrong format. Why? Is this behaviour known? Did I make any error? Is there a bug in one of the files fixkeys.prg or minix.prg? Does a correction exist? BTW: Thankx, Andy, Johan, Jost, for this great system !!! Hoping for many answers.... Rainer Perske ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rainer Perske EARN/BITNET: PERSKE@DMSWWU5P.bitnet Institut fuer Kernphysik der EARN/BITNET: PKP88@DMSWWU1A.bitnet Westfaelischen Wilhelms-Universitaet . Wilhelm-Klemm-Strasse 9 /|\ D-4400 Muenster | Federal Republic of Germany has recently changed ! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Disclaimer: If not otherwise stated, all written above is my own opinion
johan@nlgvax.UUCP (Johan Stevenson) (02/21/89)
In article <9203@louie.udel.EDU> PKP88%DMSWWU1A.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu (Rainer Perske) writes: >I've run into an installation problem with MINIX-ST: I want to start >MINIX from TOS w/o using a floppy disk. I followed the instructions in >the manual to create MINIX.IMG on my hard disk. There is no problem >starting MINIX this way if (and only if) I've created MINIX.IMG from an >unchanged boot disk. But I have a german keyboard, so I ran FIXKEYS.PRG >on a copy of my boot disk. If I create a MINIX.IMG from this changed >boot disk, MINIX.PRG stops with a message: minix.img: wrong format. Most likely problem is that the copy of your floppy is not right. Several TOS copy programs manipulate the information in sector 0 while making a copy. Use a copy program that does not modify the contents of any bit in any byte of any of the 720 sectors! For instance, use RFLOP.PRG and WFLOP.PRG found on 08.TOS, as documented in the accompanying leaflet. -- Johan W. Stevenson johan@pcg.philips.nl Philips Research
V61%DHDURZ1.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu (Ronald Lamprecht) (02/22/89)
In his article from Mon, 20 Feb 89 16:34:53 GMT Rainer Perske <PKP88%DMSWWU1A.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU> wrote: >unchanged boot disk. But I have a german keyboard, so I ran FIXKEYS.PRG >on a copy of my boot disk. If I create a MINIX.IMG from this changed >boot disk, MINIX.PRG stops with a message: minix.img: wrong format. You ran into trouble with MINIX.PRG and your backup (copy) program : MINIX.PRG checks the last bytes of the bootsector as Jack Dunn <jack@CSMUNIX.LARC.NASA.GOV> reported in his answer FIXKEYS.PRG doesn't change anything within the bootsector. But most intelligent copy programs don't produce an exact copy! They change the serial ID located within the bootsector and adjust the checksum over the bootsector by setting the last (!) word appropriated. This makes sense, because GEMDOS will now detect a media change if you use both disks afterwards and avoids writing onto the wrong disk. But Minix uses a serial ID of 0 and doesn't use the last word of the bootsector as checksum, because it stores its own information that is checked by MINIX.PRG on this location. Conclusion: use another stupid backup program. Bitnet: V61@DHDURZ1 Ronald Lamprecht UUCP: ...!unido!DHDURZ1.bitnet!V61 Theoretische Physik ARPAnet: V61%DHDURZ1.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (Heidelberg, West Germany)