james_jim_woomer@cup.portal.com (04/28/89)
I would like to boot DOS from my HD and also run Microport 3.0e How can I: 1. Boot UNIX from HD and also boot DOS from HD also (Using fdisk to change the active partitions, perhaps?) OR 2. Boot DOS from HD and UNIX from floppy I quess its understood that I'm running a 386 AT. Ive got 80 MEGs with a full DOS partiton and the rest is Microport. My thanks in advance. Jim Woomer
keithb@reed.UUCP (Keith Brown) (04/29/89)
I've been doing it (in spite of recommendations to the contrary in 3.0e manual)
since I installed the sytem in October. Whenever you want to change systems,
use the resident fdisk to activate the 'other' OS. Then reboot w/Ctl-Alt-Del.
or do a powerdown if you have DOS-Merge.
-Keith
--
Keith Brown
UUCP: {decvax allegra ucbcad ucbvax hplabs}!tektronix!reed!keithb
BITNET: keith@reed.BITNET ARPA: keithb%reed.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu
CSNET: reed!keithb@Tektronix.CSNET CIS: 72615,216zeeff@b-tech.ann-arbor.mi.us (Jon Zeeff) (04/30/89)
DOesn't typing "DOS" from the boot: prompt work? -- Jon Zeeff zeeff@b-tech.ann-arbor.mi.us Ann Arbor, MI sharkey!b-tech!zeeff
jhood@biar.UUCP (John Hood) (05/01/89)
In article <9282@b-tech.ann-arbor.mi.us> zeeff@b-tech.ann-arbor.mi.us (Jon Zeeff) writes: >DOesn't typing "DOS" from the boot: prompt work? It did when I first installed Microport 3.0e, and then later on it stopped working. I thought I was going batty when I tried it and it didn't work. I finally snorkeled around the install disks, and found that there's actually *two* different hard disk bootstraps-- the one that gets written onto the HD boot track when you install, and the other one that is part of the runtime cpio set. The first has the DOS boot feature, the second doesn't. Somewhere along the line, I or one of the Microport utilities must have reinstalled the bootstrap from the one in /etc. Sigh. I haven't actually tried it yet, but the cure appears to be simple: install the bootstrap from the filesystem boot floppy you got with your copy of Microport. Actually, I have Bell Tech Unix 3.0 installed on my hard drives just now (I'm playing with their Blit card), and my respect for Microport has gone up a bit: the Bell Tech install was just as bad as, if not worse than, the Microport install (it took four tries to format the hard disk...) Also, Microport has better serial drivers (heretical, isn't it?), support for 1.4M floppies, multiscreens, my tape drive, etc etc. Losing the use of my Everex tape drive because of Bell Tech's inane, stupid, idiotic incompatibility PAL on their Everex tape is a particularly tough pill to swallow, especially because if I somehow get the Bell Tech PAL and install it, I apparently lose the use of the Everex MS-DOS software, because of their own copy protection hack. --jh-- John Hood, Biar Games snail: 10 Spruce Lane, Ithaca NY 14850 BBS: 607 257 3423 domain: jhood@biar.uucp (we hope) bang: anywhere!uunet!biar!jhood [food for disclaimer readers] [special dessert tidbit for broken mailers]
williamt@athena1.Sun.COM (William A. Turnbow) (05/01/89)
In article <9282@b-tech.ann-arbor.mi.us> zeeff@b-tech.ann-arbor.mi.us (Jon Zeeff) writes: >DOesn't typing "DOS" from the boot: prompt work? > Jon Zeeff zeeff@b-tech.ann-arbor.mi.us ------ It could if a boot image was provided on the unix disk that would load and boot dos, but that is not part of the standard release. At that boot prompt, it is asking for the name of a unix file to load as the kernel. You can then load your custom, non-default versions if you so choose, but unless you have a file named 'dos' in your root directory that will boot real dos, it won't work. -wat-
plocher%sally@Sun.COM (John Plocher) (05/02/89)
In article <9282@b-tech.ann-arbor.mi.us> zeeff@b-tech.ann-arbor.mi.us (Jon Zeeff) writes: >DOesn't typing "DOS" from the boot: prompt work? For the most part, yes. TSRs may not work right, the floppy access light may stay on all the time, and other "glitches" may show up because by the time the boot: prompt shows up, the kernal has done *some* hardware initialization and changed *some* low memory locations. One of the reasons Microport suggested staying away from fdisk was the number of problems we had in Support with dumb users deleting their Unix partition and then calling us up and making us clean up after them... :-) -John Plocher
zeeff@b-tech.ann-arbor.mi.us (Jon Zeeff) (05/02/89)
>>Doesn't typing "DOS" from the boot: prompt work? > > It could if a boot image was provided on the unix disk that would >load and boot dos, but that is not part of the standard release. > >if you so choose, but unless you have a file named 'dos' in your >root directory that will boot real dos, it won't work. I don't have a /dos and it worked for me the last time I tried it. -- Jon Zeeff zeeff@b-tech.ann-arbor.mi.us Ann Arbor, MI sharkey!b-tech!zeeff
steve@nuchat.UUCP (Steve Nuchia) (05/02/89)
In article <102255@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> plocher@sun.UUCP (John Plocher) writes: > One of the reasons Microport suggested staying away from fdisk was the >number of problems we had in Support with dumb users deleting their Unix >partition and then calling us up and making us clean up after them... >:-) This hits one of my sore spots. The fact that bozos buy software and demand that the vendor read the manual to them drives the vendor to employ bozos as "tech support engineers" to read the manuals to the customers. Now when the system is broken and I need to talk to someone about it the only people I can get through to in finite time are the bozos. There really should be a way for people who know what they are doing to get past the sentries -- it would benefit both the vendor and their customers. [The few encounters I personally have had with Sun tech support have been pleasant and productive. Agonizingly slow, but otherwise OK. Too bad I can't spec Suns for all of my customers.] -- Steve Nuchia South Coast Computing Services uunet!nuchat!steve POB 890952 Houston, Texas 77289 (713) 964 2462 Consultation & Systems, Support for PD Software.