Version 0.4
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
- Intel Pentium based or compatible system (386, 486 & Cyrix CPUs is not supported)
- ACPI.PSD less than 3.07 will not work with OS2LDR (CB)
- OS2LDR (CB) may not work with JFSBOOT earlier than 1.07
- OS2KRNL must be Aurora/eCS only (14.xxx, not w4), UNI/SMP debug/retail.
- When changing from SMP to UNI or backwards, do not forget to change DOSCALL1.DLL accordingly.
INSTALLATION:
To install OS2LDR (CB) copy the contents of this package into root directory of the boot drive and edit OS2LDR.INI as required.
If no OS2LDR.INI found, \OS2KRNL will be loaded by default.
We highly suggest to save a copy of your original OS2LDR.
SETUP OPTIONS:
Some parameters may be passed to OS2LDR (CB) through OS2LDR.INI during the initial startup procedure.
The format of OS2LDR.INI is as follows:
[config]
; Kernel number from kernel list section to be loaded by default
default=1
; Waiting time (in seconds) after which kernel mentioned in "default"
; will be loaded
timeout=4; Debug options (0 is the wise value ;)
dbflags=0x19
; Debug port
; com port address or 0 for output to console (unsupported now)
; no debug if statment is omited
; dbport=0
; Show PC memory table as it reported by BIOS, do nothing if absent
; or defined as 0.
; Warning: this option will make PAUSE on boot!
; showmem=1
; Bit mask to disable vesa mode usage for new logo (new kernel only)
; Bit 0 - 256c, 1 - 15bit, 2 - 16bit, 3 - 24bit, 4 - 32bit
; i.e. 0x1F - all modes enabled
; logomask = 0x1F
; Turn off LFB usage for new logo (new kernel only)
; nolfb = 1
; Color values for the startup menu
; byte 0 - text color
; byte 1 - color of selected row
; byte 2 - background color
; byte 3 - border color
; defauls are:
; menupalette=0x0F070F01
; Show b/w tty style menu with ugly kernel selection by numeric key ;)
; It use BIOS text output only, so suitable for some strange reasons.
; ttymenu = 1
; OS/4 kernel only (rev>=2075)
; Another way of handling memory files. Kernel will preload all
; files, located in:
; - BASEDEV and PSD statements of config.sys
; - os4krnl.ini
; - snoop.lst
; - and predefined list of files: PREVIOUS.DAT, ISAPNP.SYS, ISAPNP.SNP,
; RESOURCE.SYS, CLOCK01.SYS, SCREEN01.SYS, KBDBASE.SYS, SNOOP.LST,
; PNP.SYS, ACPI.CFG, IBMKBD.SNP, PCIBUS.SNP, PREVIOUS.ACP, PCIDEV.TBL
; Any other file will assume ZERO size while first boot stage!
;
;preload = 1
; Kernel list
[kernel]
<os2krnl_file> = <os2krnl_desc>[,<opt> [,<opt>...]]
.... (other os2krnl definition lines if required)
; Kernel number from kernel list section to be loaded by default
default=1
; Waiting time (in seconds) after which kernel mentioned in "default"
; will be loaded
timeout=4; Debug options (0 is the wise value ;)
dbflags=0x19
; Debug port
; com port address or 0 for output to console (unsupported now)
; no debug if statment is omited
; dbport=0
; Show PC memory table as it reported by BIOS, do nothing if absent
; or defined as 0.
; Warning: this option will make PAUSE on boot!
; showmem=1
; Bit mask to disable vesa mode usage for new logo (new kernel only)
; Bit 0 - 256c, 1 - 15bit, 2 - 16bit, 3 - 24bit, 4 - 32bit
; i.e. 0x1F - all modes enabled
; logomask = 0x1F
; Turn off LFB usage for new logo (new kernel only)
; nolfb = 1
; Color values for the startup menu
; byte 0 - text color
; byte 1 - color of selected row
; byte 2 - background color
; byte 3 - border color
; defauls are:
; menupalette=0x0F070F01
; Show b/w tty style menu with ugly kernel selection by numeric key ;)
; It use BIOS text output only, so suitable for some strange reasons.
; ttymenu = 1
; OS/4 kernel only (rev>=2075)
; Another way of handling memory files. Kernel will preload all
; files, located in:
; - BASEDEV and PSD statements of config.sys
; - os4krnl.ini
; - snoop.lst
; - and predefined list of files: PREVIOUS.DAT, ISAPNP.SYS, ISAPNP.SNP,
; RESOURCE.SYS, CLOCK01.SYS, SCREEN01.SYS, KBDBASE.SYS, SNOOP.LST,
; PNP.SYS, ACPI.CFG, IBMKBD.SNP, PCIBUS.SNP, PREVIOUS.ACP, PCIDEV.TBL
; Any other file will assume ZERO size while first boot stage!
;
;preload = 1
; Kernel list
[kernel]
<os2krnl_file> = <os2krnl_desc>[,<opt> [,<opt>...]]
.... (other os2krnl definition lines if required)
where
- <os2krnl_file> - file with OS/2 kernel
- <os2krnl_dsc> - any text string to describe <os2krnl_file>
- <opt> - single kernel file options like:
- MEMLIMIT=X - memory limit in Mb for kernel usage where X is more than 16 and less than total memory
- NODBCS - disable DBCS file loading (os2dbcs, os2dbcs.fnt)
- ALTF1 - same as pressing Alt-F1 when OS/2 brick is shown
- ALTF2 - same as pressing Alt-F2 when OS/2 brick is shown
- ALTF3 - same as pressing Alt-F3 when OS/2 brick is shown
- ALTF4 - same as pressing Alt-F4 when OS/2 brick is shown
- ALTF5 - same as pressing Alt-F5 when OS/2 brick is shown
- ALTF7 - same as pressing Alt-F5 when OS/2 brick is shown
- ALTE - same as pressing Alt-E when OS/2 brick is shown (run kernel config.sys edifor - OS/4 kernel only)
- SHAREIRQ=x - set the bit mask of shared IRQs. For example 0x8000 means that IRQ15 is shared and all other interrupts are exclusive. IRQ2 must be always set as exclusive. If this option is absent, the system will use the default bit mask 0xFFF8. This option may be useful in non-ACPI systems with troublesome configurations (it is suggested to avoid this option if you do not understand what it does).
- CHSONLY - int13 extensions will not be used during startup procedure
- LOGSIZE=XX - set log size for debug to XX kilobytes. The value will rounded down to nearest 64k border, but not lower 64k. This key can be added to config session (for all kernels). Boot log avalable by copying it to file:
- "copy ___hlp$ boot.log" on PC with ACPI.PSD used
- "copy oemhlp$ boot.log" on PC without ACPI.PSD
- NOREV - do not show kernel revision (new kernel only)
- NOLOGO - do not show logo (new kernel only). This key is accepted in common ([config]) section too. You can also press AltF7 in loader menu to turn off OS/4 logo.
- ZEROMEM - zero fill entire available memory above 1Mb. This key is accepted in common section, as previous one. While clearing, os2ldr print one dot (".") char per 512Mb of contiguous blocks.
- CFGEXT=EXT - use CONFIG.EXT file for boot, instead of CONFIG.SYS File must be placed in root directory. EXT - custom file extension, up to 3 chars. This option works with all old kernels as well.
- RESTART - this option turns off ALL the above and assumes specified file name as another (old) OS2LDR. On this entry selection loader read this file and run it as OS2LDR.
- SYM=FILENAME - use FILENAME as SYM file for DEBUG OS/4 (OS/2) kernel. Filename is up to 11 chars length (7.3, limited by patching original IBM kernels).
- PRELOAD - preload files (see above, new kernel only). This key is accepted in common ([config]) section too. You can also press AltF8 in loader menu to turn on this option on boot.
- ";" - in first row only considered as beginning of a comment line
Example of kernel list section:
[kernel]
; load os2krnl.086 without DBCS, with 55Mb of memory and Alt-F1
; pressed
os2krnl.086=Revision 14.086_UNI,NODBCS,MEMLIMIT=55,ALTF1
; load os2krnl.104
os2krnl.104=Revision 14.104a_SMP
; load old os2ldr (named os2ldr.old on disk) and launch it
os2ldr.old=Old boot, Restart
; load os2krnl.smp and boot it with CONFIG.NEW instead of CONFIG.SYS
os2krnl.smp=My favorite 15.1_SMP,CFGEXT=NEW
