Baslinux mailing list

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

> From about a year ago, when three of my computers sometimes would not boot 
linux with loadlin from DR-DOS or FreeDOS or DOS 6.22 or IBM DOS, unless 
the kernel were on a DOS 7.10 system disk.  We have since taken Sheldon's 
advice and converted to 7.10 standalone DOS.

 > Now we know why these three DFI's were given to us. ......
> Anyway, I cannot use it with loadlin and DR-DOS or FreeDOS.
>
> Basiclinux is working on hardware that other linuxes have failed on (often 
> because they expected newer video, more RAM, 1.44 floppy disk, huge hard 
> drive, etc.).
>
> I am off to try Sheldon's idea of just changing 3 system files to Win98, and 
> seeing if DR-DOS or FreeDOS defrag will still work.

I am going through old mails.  The three DFIs that would boot linux with 
loadlin only some of the time are now working perfectly with standalone 
DOS 7.10, in fact I set up two of them for some young friends because they 
are, with DOS 7.10, our most reliable computers.  At least one of them 
won't boot loop BL3 from DOS 7.10 (but I think that part worked with 
FreeDOS).

I have another erratic computer, that sometimes recognizes hdb but usually 
does not, and it is also working just fine if you don't put in a primary 
slave drive.  It also refuses to work with an 84-key keyboard.

So I disagree that erratic behavior is a sign that the computer is going 
bad.  Some small part of it may be bad, but if you avoid using it in a way 
that causes the erratic behavior, it is okay.

Sindi