Re: [Freedos-devel] video FreeDOS running Windows 3.1
Hello Jeremy, > Eric who's original research helped with the initial > implementation of the necessary patches a decade ago > (https://web.archive.org/web/20061001224249/http://www.coli.uni-saarland.de/~eric/stuff/soft/specials/win3.x-dosext-freedos-notes.txt) Wow that was from 2004 :-o The current URL would be https://auersoft.eu/soft/specials/win3.x-dosext-freedos-notes.txt I think some of the ideas are from Konstantin Koll? Others came from several experts on freedos-devel. Regarding the potential future quality of the kernel (and SHARE) we should not forget the DOSEMU2 people, in other words Stas and the others :-) The problem is how to cherry-pick all goodies from FDPP which are not specific to the DOSEMU2 use case of their FDPP kernel. Regards, Eric ___ Freedos-devel mailing list Freedos-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
Re: [Freedos-devel] video FreeDOS running Windows 3.1
Hello everyone, So it took me a bit longer than I planned, but below is the information needed to reproduce and links to sources. (Be kind, I know that the code needs more work.) To see it in action, from installing FreeDOS & Windows to running I posted an updated the video (about 4 minutes, sped up some stuff and cut some scenes down but its originally a single recording from first boot until the end) https://youtu.be/4o7TR3Oo6y0 Steps: download boot disk - http://server2.fdos.org/tests/fdos2043w.img contains: kernel *** requires patches, see below for source command.com (FreeCOM) fdisk format sys share edit have available Windows 3.1 install media (*** not provided ***) create a virtual machine (or have a compatible real computer) example has a 200MB hard drive with 32MB of memory and otherwise virtual box's Win 3.1 default settings. boot FreeDOS floppy fdisk create a primary partition, don't use FAT32, use all available space, ensure active reboot so kernel see new partition format format the C: drive and set label as desired fdisk /MBR install master boot record so hard drive is bootable sys C: install system boot record and files to C: partition copies kernel.sys and command.com to C: copy share.com c: copy EDIT.* C: so have available after install Windows Optional: take out (disconnect virtual) floppy from drive and reboot, ensure hard drive boots Optional: create a CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT so not prompted with date and time Install Windows put in first Windows floppy and run SETUP follow prompts until complete, allow it to modify CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT Optional: edit AUTOEXEC.BAT to load SHARE.COM (if you do not do this step, you must remember to do so before starting Windows) Edit C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI (adjust based on actual installation and editor of choice) find [386Enh] section, at bottom add line: InDOSPolling=TRUE save file win start Windows, will be in Enhanced mode if supported Source: Kernel patches - http://server2.fdos.org/tests/kernel-win3-patch.diff rest of sources (kernel, FreeCOM, format, fdisk, sys, share, edit) - https://github.com/fdos Credits: Bart, Tom, and others who have improved the FreeDOS kernel to where it is today All the other FreeDOS developers, especially for FreeCOM, FDISK, FORMAT, and EDIT And Eric who's original research helped with the initial implementation of the necessary patches a decade ago (https://web.archive.org/web/20061001224249/http://www.coli.uni-saarland.de/~eric/stuff/soft/specials/win3.x-dosext-freedos-notes.txt) I will be working on improving the code, specifically the critical section handling and hopefully remove the need for the InDOSPolling flag being set as well. Enjoy, Jeremy ___ Freedos-devel mailing list Freedos-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
Re: [Freedos-devel] video FreeDOS running Windows 3.1
That is very good news IMHO, Jeremy!! Sure a thing to wait for, for FreeDOS 1.3 release. I think it is a meaningful milestone (even if there is not many people running Win3.X that wouldn't do it over MS-DOS), but very relevant all the same. All the best, Aitor On Sat, 24 Jul 2021 at 08:02, wrote: > Hello all, > > I thought some of you might enjoy this (others may really dislike it). > Link is to a (posted to YouTube) about 2 minute video of (version > 2043+patches) FreeDOS kernel running Windows 3.1 in Enhanced and > Standard mode. I haven't pushed the changes to the public GitHub > repository yet as there are still some rough edges to fix (all the > changes are technically there, just in the old unstable branch). I > will make a test version (with source) available later this week along > with steps to run Windows. [I need to go to sleep now.] > > https://youtu.be/35OQjLYdvJ0 > (I apologize for anyone that can't view the video - it is just FreeDOS > kernel booting in VirtualBox, me running a bunch of ver /r commands > and WIN along with a dos prompt, and showing both enhanced and > standard mode.) > > For the technical aspect - the changes are minimal to the kernel, > added support for a few int 2F function calls that were never merged > in was about all it took. All significant changes behind a > WIN31SUPPORT #ifdef so doesn't need to be compiled in if unwanted. > > Enjoy, > Jeremy > > > ___ > Freedos-devel mailing list > Freedos-devel@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel > ___ Freedos-devel mailing list Freedos-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
Re: [Freedos-devel] video FreeDOS running Windows 3.1
On Sat, 24 Jul 2021 at 15:29, Steve Nickolas wrote: > > For what it's worth, Windows 3.x comes with its own versions of HIMEM and > SMARTDRV. I *think* it also comes with EMM386, but I'm not so sure about > that one. It did, yes, and IIRC there were problems and/or warnings if you used older DOS versions of these tools that predated $WindowsVersion. But _later_ DOS versions were fine -- e.g. from MS-DOS 5. > I think Windows' 386 mode is pretty heavily tied into undocumented > features of EMM386 when it is active, so it wouldn't surprise me if a free > version of EMM386 made it go down in flames. I don't know that for a fact, but it's possible. However it *did* work fine on DR-DOS' EMM386, and on Quarterdeck's QEMM386 and some other memory managers, so on the whole I do not think so, no. I routinely used 3rd party memory managers with Win 3.0, 3.1, WfWg 3.1 and 3.11 because they enabled more free RAM for DOS apps. -- Liam Proven – Profile: https://about.me/liamproven Email: lpro...@cix.co.uk – gMail/gTalk/gHangouts: lpro...@gmail.com Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn/Flickr: lproven – Skype: liamproven UK: +44 7939-087884 – ČR (+ WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal): +420 702 829 053 ___ Freedos-devel mailing list Freedos-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
Re: [Freedos-devel] Survey results: How do you use FreeDOS
Hi Jim, Thanks for sharing the results. On a personal note, a couple questions really just didn’t work for me. But, I’m an exception and I suspect some others here in the Devel group are as well. But for the general public, the questions were mostly fine. Us exceptions may be (at least in part) a reason for some of the strangeness in the results. So for fun, I’m going to answer them here and put some comments in on why they don’t work for me. > 1. What do you use FreeDOS for? Devel, testing and a maybe when I someday find time a little gaming. > 2. How do you run FreeDOS? Hmmm. How about I answer mostly yes? On Pre & Post 2K machines and VMs. I don’t currently own any 20/21 machines. > 3. Does FreeDOS share the same hardware with another system? Ummm, Can I answer as Yes, No and sometimes? Recently put together a retro-pc using my Pentium Pro and other hardware I had laying around. All mid-90’s hardware. This machine multi-boots FreeDOS, MS-DOS (6.22), PC-DOS (7.0 7.01 and 7.1), and Win98SE (for a couple Windows Games). Eventually, it will get DR-DOS, OpenDOS and maybe a couple other things like SuSE Linux and Caldera. Then there is a Early 2000’s battleship sized Toshiba laptop, dual booting FreeDOS and OpenSuSE. Then there is a Mid 2000’s Acer Netbook that only has FreeDOS on it. Then there is DOSBox, VirtualBox and VMware instances on a MacBook Pro. Then I’ve booted it in QEMU, under Linux in the Cloud on modern server hardware. Then…….. > 4. What is your level of DOS experience? Lots. :-) ——— My biggest issue was with question 3. I just could pick one of those single radio buttons. I left it blank. I’m an exception not the rule. I think it was fine for most users. :-) Jerome ___ Freedos-devel mailing list Freedos-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
