DOS ain't dead - Linux starting from DOS

Linux starting from DOS (Users)

posted by marcov, 01.03.2011, 11:04
(edited by marcov on 01.03.2011, 16:34)

> Two my machines are DOS only. However for certain tasks I would like to
> install also Linux to them. But not as a dual boot but Linux starting from
> DOS by typing LINUX.BAT
> I have NO experience with Linux si I am asking here for some help.
> I need a solution matching these points:
>
> 1) it must be in one partition with DOS (FAT32 partitinon) in directory
> like C:\LINUX
> 2) can be in UMSDOS form or inside some large file like LINUX.IMG
> 3) size preferred under 200MB
> 4) with X server
> 5) must be loadable by Linld or LoadLin. GRUB is not accetable.

I've done things like this for years on my win98 system, till I migrated to Win2000 in 2004.

Some things i can remember:
- My fav distro then was Slackware 8.1, partially also because it was the last distro that supported CD-boot based on floppy boot emulation. (instead of IDE emulation)
- My hardware was same era (PPro mostly), but funky (Proliant servers, think scsi arrays etc) (think dual P-I 166 or dual ppro 200, with 128 MB, 12 HDs, 8 CDROMS, EISA AND PCI etc)
- I gave up on umsdos as unworkable (very slow, many incompatibilities). I always used native filesystems, so can't help there.
- If you have SB compats instead of "real" SBs, (I had ALC cards in that day) using the initializor app in dos to put it in SB compat mode made them work in Linux. Later linux got native support for these cards.
- didn't have your size restraints, but should be doable. (IIRC base was about 40MB, a X with a minimal windowmanager a few tens of MB more)

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Complete thread:

Linux starting from DOS - Laaca, 28.02.2011, 18:17 (Users)
- Linux starting from DOS - RayeR, 28.02.2011, 18:22
  - Linux starting from DOS - ron, 28.02.2011, 20:59
- Linux starting from DOS - marcov, 01.03.2011, 11:04
- Linux starting from DOS - tikbalang, 01.03.2011, 18:23
  - Linux starting from DOS - RayeR, 02.03.2011, 01:20
    - Linux starting from DOS - tikbalang, 02.03.2011, 07:07
      - Linux starting from DOS - RayeR, 04.03.2011, 10:13
  - Linux starting from DOS - Laaca, 02.03.2011, 07:43
    - Linux starting from DOS - tikbalang, 02.03.2011, 09:52
- Linux starting from DOS - Rugxulo, 02.03.2011, 01:21
  - Linux starting from DOS - ron, 02.03.2011, 01:47
- Linux starting from DOS - animalid, 03.03.2011, 01:20
- Linux starting from DOS - Laaca, 06.03.2011, 11:13