fdisk/powerdown

[Jeff Johnson]

In article <4620 at cocoa7.UUCP> protofan at motcid.UUCP (Mike S. Protofanousis) writes:
>Occasionally my brother would like to use some DOS applications
>while I am away from my computer which is running ESIX.
>
>I would like to give him the following instructions:
[stuff deleted]
>Is this possible?

What you really want is the bootmenu package posted here a couple of
months ago by Gordon W. Ross (gwr at linus.mitre.org).  It lets you choose
the partition to boot from a menu or to set a timeout and boot the
default partition.  I have been running it on my Esix system for four
months now without a problem.

It comes with its own version of fdisk that lets you install a new boot
sector with the menu or timeout.  The DOS version has a problem with
int=16bits instead of int=32bits, but I used the Unix version.  I have
patched the DOS version, but it isn't complete yet.

Here is the README from the package:

|  BOOTMENU is a hard-disk primary bootstrap program which allows
|  boot-time selection of the boot partition.
|  
|  BOOTAUTO is similar to BOOTMENU but allows both unattended reboot
|  and the ability to override the automatic selection of the active
|  partition at boot-time.  (I used to call this version boot-hdp).
|  
|  BOOTMENU cannot do an unattended reboot but is very small and
|  (as a result) will not be clobbered if you use the SpeedStor
|  disk formatting/diagnostics program.  (Notes about SpeedStor's
|  usage of the primary boot sector are in the file SStor.txt).
|  
|  PFDISK is a replacement for both DOS and UNIX fdisk programs.
|  This replacement is distinguished for its ability to put
|  an arbitrary binary image into the primary boot sector without
|  clobbering an existing partition table.  PFDISK has no boot
|  program built-in, but allows you to take the boot program
|  from a file.  At least one of the boot program file such as
|  BOOTMENU must be available to PFDISK if it is expected to
|  initialize a newly formatted disk.  Unlike MSDOS fdisk,
|  PFDISK correctly handles partition entries which extend
|  beyond cyl 1023.  Unlike UNIX fdisk, PFDISK is not confused
|  about the difference between highest-usable-cylinder-number
|  and (beginning-cylinder plus number-of-cylinders).
|  
|  Documentation included:
|  
|  The file bootmenu.doc explains how to install and use the new
|  boot programs.  The file pfdisk.1 is manual entry in nroff format,
|  and pfdisk.doc is a formatted manual for those without nroff.
|  
|  How to compile:
|  
|  To build pfdisk, edit the Makefile to uncomment the appropriate
|  line (i.e. SYS=i386) and type "make".
|  
|  The boot program binaries are distributed as simple HEX encoded
|  text files.  The (included) program hex2bin will convert them
|  for the benefit of those without the MASM (DOS) assembler.
|  
|  Related packages (distributed separately):
|  
|  The MSDOS-FIX package contains patches for MSDOS 3.3 to allow it to
|  use the first 1024 cylinders of a hard disk when the disk controller
|  BIOS has installed disk parameters showing more than 1024 cylinders.
|  Note that this patch is designed for use on PC/AT compatible disk
|  controllers that have a BIOS parameter override feature, such as the
|  RLL and ESDI controllers by Adaptec and Western Digital.
|  The MSDOS-FIX package has been posted:
|  
|  	Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
|  	Subject: MSDOS 3.3 patch for >1024 cyl hard disk
|  	Date: 6 Sep 90 16:12:35 GMT
|  
|  The ESIX-BOOT package contains patches to make ESIX (Everex Systems
|  SysV/386) boot from an inactive partition.  Normally, ESIX will refuse
|  to boot unless its partition is marked as active.  These patches allow
|  one to configure the partition table such that bootmenu will always
|  present its boot menu (no partition marked active).
|  This package should be seen in comp.unix.i386 by mid October (after
|  it is updated to include fixes for Rev.D as well as Rev.C).
|  
|  Gordon W. Ross	(M/S E095)	| internet: gwr at linus.mitre.org
|  The MITRE Corporation		| uucp: (backbone-host)!linus!gwr
|  Burlington Road			| Day-phone: 617-271-3205
|  Bedford, MA 01730 (U.S.A.)	|

-- 
Jeff Johnson		10926 Jollyville #1420, Austin, TX 78759
Computer Consultant	(512) 343-0675		(512) 750-UNIX
jjohnson at peyote.cactus.org	{uunet|uiucuxc}!cs.utexas.edu!peyote!jjohnson