Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

My DFI computer with the 'not an image file' problem (which is now 100% of 
the time) is working again in linux.  I did mke2fs on both ext2 partitions 
and then transferred the same files over via ethernet from the other 
computer (ASUS). It has a new power supply switch too.

I then checked the other computer (ASUS with innards from a Gateway) that 
had suddenly developed the same boot problem (would only boot linux from 
Win98 or 7.10 DOS) and today it booted various BLs from DR_DOS, 6.22 and 
FreeDOS, twice each.

So rather than bother with 7.10 I suggested switching innards again - move 
the Win98 drives to the DFI, so that it would boot linux.  My partner 
wanted to try 7.10 so he copied the system files to the DFI (which had 
DR-DOS on it and I think was formatted with PQ-Magic) and discovered that, 
unlike when he did this to his Win98 computer and everything worked 
eventually, C: after rebooting with 7.10 on HD contained only command.com.

So he put back DR-DOS and c: contains only command.com.  Attrib (from
floppy disk since it was on C:) cannot find anything else.

Linux finds all my files.  MS appears to have hidden them somehow.  fdisk 
/mbr did not help.

I would greatly appreciate any ideas on how to get these files working 
again in DOS, if possible.  Is there any old boot sector or something that 
could be restored?  But we switched OS'es several times so the original 
may have disappeared.

Would it work to tar -cvf them and copy the tar file to an ext2 partition 
(having first renamed the system files) and format (with Win98 DOS this 
time, or possibly 7.10) and sys with some DOS (7.10?) and copy back the 
.tar file and untar it?


The reason to format with Win98/7.10 is that the computer would boot from
DR-DOS if zimage was on a floppy disk formatted with Win98 DOS.

I have the same files on the other computer but Win98 is also there and I 
don't want a copy of it, so I would need to selectively tar (listing 
directories to omit).  Is there anything special I need to do to tar/copy 
DOS instead of linux files and directories?

Win one, lose one.  At least linux is working again and I have loadlin in 
d: and e: (so that I could use it with a Win98 floppy boot disk which 
could not find C: files but at least let DR-DOS see them later).

I suggest avoiding 7.10 for the time being.  Maybe it works better on top 
of MS-DOS 6.22, but don't switch to it from DR-DOS if you have files you 
want to keep using in C:.



keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org