loadlin and DOS crossinstaller

[Jens Seidel <jensseidel@users.sf.net>]

Hi,

On Sun, Nov 06, 2005 at 01:37:02AM +0100, Samuel Thibault wrote:
> However, ftp://ftp.debian.org/tools/loadlin.zip is a _very_ old version
> of loadlin, see http://bugs.debian.org/320861 .

this is the second message this week related to loadlin and remembers me
that a friend ask me how to install a old ISA network card. It's a
3COM EtherLinkIII (3c509) and needs (according to
http://www.fli4l.de/german/extern/docu/stable/doc/deutsch/text/readme.txt)
a DOS tool for preconfiguration.

It would be possible for Debian-Installer to support this by installing
a freedos system together with a preconfigured loadlin. I assume there
is no way to provide the DOS driver together with Debian but it could be
provided via USB stick or floppy.

Maybe it's an option to share the DOS partition with a fat formatted
/boot partition.

Is there a way to implement this crossinstaller via a special .udeb or
would it be a abuse of Debian-Installer to install a foreign system?

Jens