;
;     Free DOS Alternative Kernel;  FDBOOT v. 1.00 (06-28-95)
;
;     =                        Read Me                      =
;
;     by Yury Semenov (yury@petre.odessa.ua, Fidonet#2:467/2)
;

    Programs included to this archive allow you to

 * boot regular MSDOS kernel (v. 3.30 - 6.20)
 * boot any of Free-DOS kernels that satisfies for some requirements
 * boot any kernel after adding to kernel file special loader leading sector

You may assign any of these kernels as default kernel. Loading leading sector
allow to boot any fragmented kernel file from root directory. If there is
XBOOT.SYS file in root directory then operator can press any ctrl/alt/shift
key and then select other kernel file to boot.


         List of files included to XFDBOOT.ZIP

README   1ST      4581 07-20-95   4:57p    This file
FDBOOT   TXT      6000 07-20-95   4:56p    More detailed information
MAKEFILE           847 06-27-95   8:17p    Makefile for usual Make (Micro-C
                                           make process this file incorrectly):
FDBOOT   INC      2380 07-19-95   7:12p    Miscellaneous definitions
FDFUNC   INC      1522 06-24-95   4:25a            --  //  --
FDBOOT   ASM      7797 07-19-95   6:33p    Boot Sector source
MKBOOT   ASM      3843 06-23-95   3:04a    MakeBoot source
MKBOOT   EXE      1840 07-19-95   7:12p    MakeBoot utility
XBOOT    ASM      3872 07-19-95   7:12p    Extended Bootstrap source
XBOOT    SYS       333 07-19-95   7:12p
KRNLHEAD ASM      6381 06-28-95   3:47a    Example of Kernel leading sector
KRNLOAD  INC      2133 06-28-95   4:21a    Upper Loader for DOS-C 0.90

ATTENTION:   It is better to save original boot sector before any operations
             described below!
ENVIRONMENT: I hope that you have usual Make utility (for example Borland Make,
             but not Micro-C make), Arrow Assembler (asm) and VAL linker (val).


                            MKBOOT Utility


 Mkboot.exe writes FDBOOT boot sector to selected drive.
 Command format:

         mkboot  <DriveLetter>: <DefaultKernelName>

 For example:

          mkboot  c: io.sys

 If any error occures then appears one of following messages

         Message                                            Errorlevel

          Invalid Parameters                                     1
          Invalid Drive                                          2
          Illegal Kernel Name                                    3
          Can't read boot sector                                 4
          Can't write boot sector                                5
          Attempting write to write-protected disk               6

 and MKBOOT.EXE performs EXIT with corresponding errorlevel.

 To recompile MKBOOT.EXE use command

         make mkboot.exe


                    Extended Boot Driver XBOOT.SYS


 FDBOOT executes XBOOT.SYS during bootstrap only if this file have been copied
 to root directory of boot drive. If there is no such file then FDBOOT will
 boot default kernel without any output.
 XBOOT.SYS types OEM ID field ("FDLOADER ") from boot record and wait
 approximately 3 sec for pressing of any Ctrl/Alt/Shift key. If during this
 time interval any of these keys was not pressed then default kernel will be
 loaded. In other case XBOOT.SYS will type prompt

         Boot: [_       .   ]

 ('_' marks cursor position) Now you may enter other kernel name. Following
 control keys are accepable:

        ESC                          Restart FDBOOT
        BACKSPACE                    Delete previous char
        ENTER                        Accept kernel name
        .                            Jump to filename extention
 
 To recompile XBOOT.SYS use command

         make xboot.sys


                          Kernel Leading Sector

 To recompile KRNLHEAD.SYS use command

         make head
          or
         make krnlhead.sys

 and then type command

   copy/b  krnlhead.sys+<OriginalKernelName> <DriveLetter>:\<ModifiedKernel>

 for example

         copy/b  krnlhead.sys+ipl.sys  a:\xipl.sys

 You may include unique code for concrete kernel to KRNLOAD.INC.
 Current demo version of KRNLOAD.INC is destined for loading DOS-C v. 0.90
 kernel IPL.SYS. Hm... This is very sorrow for me but this version of IPL.SYS
 have some problems with correct boot drive detection :-(. So you may load
 IPL.SYS from hard drive C:, but don't forget to insert diskette with
 KERNEL.EXE and COMMAND.COM in root directory to drive A: ...

