> Hi,
> I tried to create a non-lilo Linux bootdisk with kernel 2.0.36pre6 and
> earlier 2.0.3x on a 360 KB 5 1/4" floppy disk by dd-ing a kernel directly
> to a floppy. I tried to use 360kB as well as 1.2 MB drive - and
> it doesn't work :(
>
> In each case I've got
>
> 0400
> 0400
> ... eroor messages during boot.
> I'm sure it is not a hardware problem as I can boot DOS from that floppy
> as well as booting LILO located there or load a from that floppy kernel
> by LILO (using the same floppy disk).
>
> I didn't find any information that booting Linux directly from a 360kB
> floppy is not supported. But it seems to be not supported.
It's in the README in the kernel source for 2.0.2x and later. The following
is quoted from the README in 2.1.117.
For some, this is on a floppy disk, in which case you can "cp
/usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/zImage /dev/fd0" to make a bootable
floppy. Please note that you can not boot a kernel by
directly dumping it to a 720k double-density 3.5" floppy. In this
case, it is highly recommended that you install LILO on your
double-density boot floppy or switch to high-density floppies.
> Can anybody explain me what is the problem (I know that it is somewhere
> in bootsect.S), eventually how to fix it ?
The problem is that 360kB drives are slightly obsolete and 1.2MB drives
can't properly emulate them, if I'm not mistaken. Just because the 360kB
drive is usable in DOS doesn't mean that Linux should support it.
> Regards
> Andrzej
Hope what I said helps out.
Matthew D. Pitts
mpitts@suite224.net
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