chris@peregrine.peregrine.com (Chris Cole) (08/20/89)
Is it possible to install and run both MS-DOS and OS/2 on the same computer? I am trying to use devices (e.g., CD-ROMs and large removable disks) that have drivers for MS-DOS but not for OS/2. Can I do what I do with Xenix, have a non-DOS partition containing OS/2 that I make active with fdisk and reboot? Can I force OS/2 to recognize DOS drivers under the compatibility box? Please respond via email and I will post a summary.
sharon@asylum.SF.CA.US (Sharon Fisher) (08/22/89)
In article <55045@peregrine.peregrine.com> chris@peregrine.peregrine.com (Chris Cole) writes: >Is it possible to install and run both MS-DOS and OS/2 on the same >computer? I am trying to use devices (e.g., CD-ROMs and large >removable disks) that have drivers for MS-DOS but not for OS/2. >Can I do what I do with Xenix, have a non-DOS partition containing >OS/2 that I make active with fdisk and reboot? Can I force OS/2 to >recognize DOS drivers under the compatibility box? As I recall, some versions of OS/2 allow you to have DOS, and some do not. IBM's doesn't, for example, while some third parties' versions do. -- "Goldfish are quiet, under the water. "Girls who keep goldfish are sometimes quite loud." -- The Jazz Butcher
abcscnge@csuna.csun.edu (Scott "The Pseudo-Hacker" Neugroschl) (08/23/89)
Try MultiBoot. It was described/half-reviewed in Byte a few months back (July I think -- it was the issue with the Sun-3/80 and SparcStation 1 on the cover). Scott -- Scott "The Pseudo-Hacker" Neugroschl UUCP: ...!sm.unisys.com!csun!csuna.csun.edu!abcscnge -- Beat me, Whip me, make me code in Ada -- Disclaimers? We don't need no stinking disclaimers!!!
t-davidw@microsoft.UUCP (David Weigant) (08/28/89)
In article <3486@asylum.SF.CA.US> sharon@asylum.UUCP (Sharon Fisher) writes: >In article <55045@peregrine.peregrine.com> chris@peregrine.peregrine.com (Chris Cole) writes: >>Is it possible to install and run both MS-DOS and OS/2 on the same >>computer? > >As I recall, some versions of OS/2 allow you to have DOS, and some do >not. IBM's doesn't, for example, while some third parties' versions >do. I have been running both OS/2 and DOS on the same machine for some time now with no problems. I have used MS version(s) 1.00 1.05 1.10 and IBM version(s) 1.00 1.10, and they all seem to be compatible with DOS. Some versions support dual boot and some do not. As far as I know the latest version of IBM OS/2 supports dual boot, but I don't use it, I find it more convenient to stick a DOS disk in drive A when I want "straight" DOS. As far as I know, all versions of OS/2 support the compatibility box. I have used it with the versions above with no problems. Later releases of OS/2 may or may not support it. <Opinion Mode On> After using OS/2 for a while, I don't think I could go back to DOS. All of the programs that I used under DOS work fine for me in the compatibility box, and with the release of WORD 5.0, I rarely have any desire to run anything under DOS. <Opinion Mode Off> I hope this information helps. All in all, I wouldn't worry about DOS compatibility with OS/2, because at worst case, you can always boot DOS from a floppy. David Weigant :disclaimer: I am organic, therefore I make mistakes.