Re: APUS Debian Boot-Floppies Images and bugs

[Sven LUTHER <luther@dpt-info.u-strasbg.fr>]

On Tue, May 15, 2001 at 11:57:11AM +0100, Alan Buxey wrote:
> hi,
> 
> > Can you boot from an external 1.76MB floppy ?
> 
> yes. its treated just as the old classic external floppies that I'm sure
> most people had with their A500's
>  
> > but 1.76MB floppies would be easily supported, almost nothing needs to be
> > changed, apart from the rescue disk creation. Does someone with a 1.76MB
> > floppy volunteer for that ?
> 
> if you give me the instructions and details I can test this.

Well, just format a floppy disk, but the bootstrap program on it, a linux
kernel (in compressed form) and a little script that will boot it, from a
ramdisk.

Maybe the script could ask a few question before booting or something such,
don't know, what would be best to ask ?

You could the follwoing settings :

1first question : From where to boot ?

  a) from the floppy provided kernel and root image (root=/dev/mem or
  whatever)

  b) from a user provided partition

  c) into amigados, so the user can play himself. Don't know if the floppy
  would be able to contain the needed thing to provide a working amiga shell
  or workbench though.

2nd question : provide additional parameters. 

  a) video option : aga, pm2fb, other, ...

  b) other needed options (don't know about them, ...)

  c) anything else ...

or maybe only one question, which response would provide all of the above,
like having a a') and b') above, but where the user can provide a more
complete and general kernel options line.

What do you think about it ?

> > Also, is there a way (under linux) to detect if the floppy is of the 1.76 or
> > the 880 variety ?
> 
> dont know - I always believe that floppies are too dumb..you only know
> what you can do when things you try fail ;-)

What about trying to read past the 880 Kb with dd or something such ?

Friendly,

Sven Luther