> On Mar 4, 2021, at 3:47 PM, Ralf Quint <freedos...@gmail.com
> <mailto:freedos...@gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> [..]
> I don't see how this would prevent the transfer of boot record, kernel,
> command.com <http://command.com/> and a basic config.sys&autoexec,bat (and a
> basic FREEDOS\BIN folder). If someone at this point chose to format the C:
> drive, I doubt that there is any reason NOT to make this drive bootable (and
> at least baseline workable, in case of an unexpected abortion of the install
> process). That doesn't mean that the installer has to reboot at that point,
> so the boot order of the system for example should not be an issue…
If the installer transfer the SYS files immediately after formatting the drive,
the system will be bootable. But, it could be without any drivers and software
whatsoever. The user may not know how or for other reasons may not be able to
change the boot order. They may even have a locked BIOS with an password. A
Graphic logo that hides the optional keys to enter the BIOS. Or, with many
virtual machines manually edition a config file somewhere may be required to
entire the BIOS.
For example,
User starts install on clean VM.
User partitions drive and reboots.
User formats drive.
User selects return to DOS when asked to install.
User reboots VM to try again.
VM boots to “enter date time prompts”
User ends up needing to destroy VM and start over.
If that was on real hardware with a locked BIOS, the user may needing to remove
the HD.
when you say "at least baseline workable” … There is only so much room on the
Floppy image and it is mostly limited to what is already present there. So,
without CD support the hard drive would at best contain only what is on the
Floppy image already. There really is not point risking being locked into HD
only booting. It would provide nothing that the Floppy image doesn’t already
do.
On the hand, the Floppy only edition is designed to work without CD support. It
will install FreeDOS BASE. It is a great starting point for systems that have
an unsupported or non-existent CD drive.
>
> Ralf
>
:-)
Jerome_______________________________________________
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