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Lee Forrest wrote:
>
> > It is the best way to run Linux from a DOS filesystem.  
> > A ramdisk is volatile. UMSDOS is inefficient and slow.
> 
> I see. What's commonly called an "emulator". A subordinate OS.

None of the above are emulators.  They run a genuine Linux 
kernel (which overwrites DOS).  Ramdisk Linux uses the DOS 
filesystem to hold the compressed image (which contains a
complete ext2 filesystem) that goes into the ramdisk.  BL3 
(loop) uses the DOS filesystem to hold an uncompressed loop 
file (which contains a complete ext2 filesystem).  MSDOS 
uses the DOS filesystem (with all its problems) for its 
root filesystem.

> DOS is a kernel and baselibs, utilities and shell (plus
> applications), and linux makes it look like the poorly-
> designed toy it is.
> 
> Why even bother?

I bother with DOS because it (or Windows 9x) is already
installed on most old PCs.  It provides a (relatively)
easy way for them to boot BL3.

Cheers,
Steven