From owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Mon Oct 15 08:29:18 2018 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@mailman.ysv.freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2610:1c1:1:606c::19:1]) by mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 640A710D3665 for ; Mon, 15 Oct 2018 08:29:18 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from smithi@exemail.com.au) Received: from mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (mailman.ysv.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:1900:2254:206a::50:5]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id ECE4B8A3A7 for ; Mon, 15 Oct 2018 08:29:17 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from smithi@exemail.com.au) Received: by mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (Postfix) id AEC6110D3664; Mon, 15 Oct 2018 08:29:17 +0000 (UTC) Delivered-To: questions@mailman.ysv.freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2610:1c1:1:606c::19:1]) by mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9D80310D3663 for ; Mon, 15 Oct 2018 08:29:17 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from smithi@exemail.com.au) Received: from mail105.syd.optusnet.com.au (mail105.syd.optusnet.com.au [211.29.132.249]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 176B88A3A6 for ; Mon, 15 Oct 2018 08:29:16 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from smithi@exemail.com.au) Received: from [10.112.248.44] (pa49-180-147-224.pa.nsw.optusnet.com.au [49.180.147.224]) by mail105.syd.optusnet.com.au (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5C931104C298; Mon, 15 Oct 2018 19:28:57 +1100 (AEDT) Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2018 19:28:55 +1100 User-Agent: K-9 Mail for Android MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Subject: re: FreeBSD boot manager customization for single-disk multiboot (4 x DOS) To: Polytropon CC: questions@freebsd.org From: Ian Smith Message-ID: <50139023-EF23-4464-8E99-4958CB3A3044@exemail.com.au> X-Optus-CM-Score: 0 X-Optus-CM-Analysis: v=2.2 cv=DZtnkrlW c=1 sm=1 tr=0 a=7HaWj6ljJF4XlOdZ4b0jVA==:117 a=7HaWj6ljJF4XlOdZ4b0jVA==:17 a=IkcTkHD0fZMA:10 a=x7bEGLp0ZPQA:10 a=TK7XKXkWMPUCzgyV1NoA:9 a=QEXdDO2ut3YA:10 X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.27 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2018 08:29:18 -0000 Hi there heroic wanderer, it's been a while=2E=20 I only rarely read questions@ these days, from the archives, but this one = I thought maybe I could help with=2E I'm in a care situation, tapping thi= s out in K9mail on a small phone, so will try to be concise=2E =20 I've read the thread=2E Manish is trying to help but his DOS familiarity = doesn=E2=80=99t go back far enough=2E I started at 2 and used 3=2E3 (with = Desqview), later 5=2E0 for years running Fidonet mailer, BBS, message edito= r, DOS command space and other tasks in 6 MiB RAM =2E=2E so had to learn ho= w to really squeeze things in - as did you, I gather=2E=20 Correct, you cannot boot DOS from a non-primary partition=2E Maybe you co= uld use GRUB, it installs after the MBR on track 0 side 0 so shouldn't get = in the way=2E I dont think you need to install linux to install GRUB? That said, I don'= t use it myself=2E To add linux to the 4-DOS mix would need an extended pa= rtition, leaving only 3 primaries for 3 x DOS=2E Same deal with OS/2, with= its great boot manager=2E=20 boot0=2Es MBR code is VERY tight with about ZERO free space as I recall = =2E=2E however there's code there - still was at 9=2Ex I think - for a 1=C4= =B6 (2 sector) version written by the same author (Robert Nordier IIRC, I d= on't have a system to hand)=2E That should have plenty of room for more la= vish labels, and may in fact include such code? If you have a spare system= you could assemble that and test=2E Of course you'll have a backup MBR (directed more at other readers :) One thing to watch is that esp=2E earlier versions of DOS may want to use= the first slice explicitly? I'm not sure, but I'd start with earliest ver= sions first, and test each as you go=2E=20 Please CC me on any replies=2E=20 cheers, Ian