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ELKS - INSTALL.TXT - v0.0.3 - 26 January 2000
Original Author - Matt Balaun - gs25mrb@panther.gsu.edu
Editor/Contributor - Al Riddoch - ajr@ecs.soton.ac.uk
Here are basic instructions on installing ELKS, the Embeddable Linux Kernel
Subset, onto one or more floppy disks for use on your PC.
If you are looking for information on ELKS development or kernel
compiling, please refer to the README file or the ELKS FAQ.
Table of Contents:
==================
1. Introduction
2. Installation - DOS/Win3.x/Win9x/WinNT users
3. Installation - Linux users
4. Installation - Psion3 SIBO (Under Construction)
5. Credits/Thanks
If you have any questions about this document, please post your question
to the linux-8086 discussion list. Information on this list is available
at http://www.elks.ecs.soton.ac.uk/maillist.php3
You can also email the author of this document, Matt Balaun, at
gs25mrb@panther.gsu.edu
1. Introduction
ELKS, the Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset, is an open-source project
designed to bring linux-like functionality to old x86 hardware (8088,
8086, 80186, and 80286 processors). Currently, ELKS runs off floppy disks
only; there is no officially supported means of booting ELKS directly from
a hard drive as of yet. This document will tell you step-by-step how to
create your own set of ELKS floppy disks.
These are the disk images for ELKS as contained in the file IMAGES.ZIP and
as of ELKS version 0.0.82:
boot - disk image used in creating the boot disk
root - disk image used in creating the root disk
comb - disk image used in creating a combination boot and root disk
According to Al Riddoch, the maintainer of the ELKS project, using the
combined image is always better, but it requires a disk size larger than
360K, so cannot be used on machines that only have 360K drives.
Thus, if you have only 360k floppies, make separate boot and root disks.
2. Installation - Dos/Win3.x/9x/NT/2000 users
For those of you working on a DOS-based system (or a system where you can
access a DOS prompt, such as Win9x/NT), you will need the following to
create your set of ELKS disks:
IMAGES.ZIP (which presumably you've already downloaded if you're
reading this document)
RAWRITE.EXE (a DOS-based tool used to write disk images onto your
floppies)
Two floppy disks (or just one if you want to make the
combination boot and root disk)
The disks will need to be at least 720K if you want to use the comb image.
It does not matter at all if the disks are too big.
If you are missing IMAGES.ZIP, you can get it from:
ftp://linux.mit.edu/pub/ELKS/
If you are missing RAWRITE.EXE, you can get it from:
ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/linux/slackware-7.0/bootdsks.144/
If you are missing two floppy disks, buy them from just about any
computer or office supply store on the planet.
Once you have all these items, you are ready to start making your ELKS disk
set.
First, unzip IMAGES.ZIP into a directory on your hard drive. If you don't
know how to do this, or if you haven't the tools to do this, download
PKZ204G.EXE from ftp.pkware.com, install it, and read the documentation
included with it.
Example: C:\> md elks
C:\> copy images.zip c:\elks\
C:\> cd elks
C:\ELKS> pkunzip images.zip
Second, put a copy of RAWRITE.EXE to that same directory
Example: C:\ELKS\> cd ..
C:\> copy rawrite.exe c:\elks\
C:\> cd elks
Third, decide whether you want to make separate boot and root disks or
just the combination boot/root disk. Then make them. The format for
RAWRITE.EXE is RAWRITE [image name] [drive letter]. You can also just type
RAWRITE, and the program will prompt you for the information it needs.
Example (for separate boot and root disks):
(put a floppy into drive A:)
C:\ELKS\> rawrite boot a:
(wait for rawrite to finish writing to drive A:)
(remove floppy from drive A:, label as "ELKS boot"
or some other logical name)
(put a new floppy into drive A:)
C:\ELKS\> rawrite root a:
(wait for rawrite to finish writing to drive A:)
(remove floppy from drive A:, label as "ELKS root"
or some other logical name)
(congratulate yourself on successful creation of your ELKS
disks)
Example (for the combination boot/root disk):
(put a 720K or larger floppy into drive A:)
C:\ELKS\> rawrite comb a:
(wait for rawrite to finish writing to drive A:)
(remove floppy from drive A:, label as "ELKS
boot/root" or some other logical name)
(congratulate yourself on successful creation of your ELKS
disk)
3. Installation - Linux users
(This Section Under Construction)
Unzip using the unzip command, write disk images using the dd command.
Example (separate boot and root disks):
(put floppy disk into /dev/fd0)
$ dd if=boot of=/dev/fd0 bs=8192
(remove floppy disk from /dev/fd0, label as "ELKS boot" or some
other logical name)
(put a new floppy into drive /dev/fd0)
$ dd if=root of=/dev/fd0 bs=8192
(remove floppy disk from /dev/fd0, label as "ELKS root" or some
other logical name)
(congratulate yourself on successful creation of your ELKS disks)
Example (combination boot/root disk):
(put 720K or larger floppy disk into /dev/fd0)
$ dd if=comb of=/dev/fd0 bs=8192
(remove floppy disk from /dev/fd0, label as "ELKS boot/root"
or some other logical name)
(congratulate yourself on successful creation of your ELKS disk)
4. Installation - Psion3 SIBO
The SIBO port is not currently mature enough to be worth installing. If you
intereste in testing and developing the SIBO kernel, please see the section
on the ELKS website at http://www.elks.ecs.soton.ac.uk/sibo.php3
5. Credits/Thanks
In updating v0.0.2 of this document, Al Riddoch contributed technical
corrections throughout the whole text.
In helping to distribute this document to all who are interested in ELKS,
Phillip Rhoades has set up the ELKS Documentation Project homepage
(http://www.crosswinds.net/~edp/) where the latest version of this and
other documents relating to the ELKS project should always be available.
Thanks to Al, Phillip, and all the other fine people working on the ELKS
project.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matt Balaun
gs25mrb@panther.gsu.edu
PS - Bug reports welcome. Requests for help will be answered when time
permits.