!Notes for a 13-year-old DOS sysadmin --- agk's diary 13 August 2026 --- written on GPD MicroPC --- My best friend's oldest child is working with me to make a bootable DOS system for their little brother. The rest of this diary entry is addressed to them, as I work out my initial thoughts on how we'll collaborate long-distance. To do this, you'll need: 1. A flash drive with a bootable DOS system on it 2. An old computer 3. A computer that can get online (may be the same one running another OS) 4. A way to chat with me and keep a public journal 1. The bootable flash drive ------------------------ Easiest, maybe: I can mail you one, ready to use. Hax0r-est: If you have a Windows PC, download Rufus to write the USB. Download Liam Proven's usb-dos, then use rufus to write it to a 1 GB or bigger USB on a FAT filesystem. Then mount the USB as mass storage, delete every file you see, download and unzip my fileset, and move my fileset onto the USB. 2: The old computer ---------------- I can lend you one, but guaranteed your dad has one that'll work in his pile. It's got to be older than 2020, and have an x86-family CPU (so no chromebooks). You have to do stuff in the UEFI or BIOS, the little program that boots the OS. First, enter the BIOS (or UEFI). When you turn the computer on, before you see a Windows or Linux splashscreen, mash function keys. Usually F1 or F10, F11, or F12 will get you into the BIOS (or UEFI). If at first you don't succeed, try again. In the BIOS, you have to change the boot order, so USB drives are preferred over the internal hard drive. You also have to enable "Legacy Mode" if you can. If that's an option, it means you're dealing with UEFI and you want it to pretend to be BIOS. Otherwise, DOS won't boot. Put in the USB and turn the computer back on. If it doesn't boot, the problem could be: - the USB isn't right - the boot order isn't right - the computer isn't equipped with a BIOS and isn't in Legacy Mode - the computer has an ARM CPU, not an x86 CPU - something's fucky Try to fix it or try another computer. 3. The social computer ------------------- You need a web browser to find and download DOS programs to put on your brother's flash drive. Then you'll boot from the drive to discover if the prog- rams work and if he'll use and like them. You need to read forums and documentation with a web browser, a text editor, and a pdf viewer. You need a USB port and a file manager. Depending on how we chat you may need programs to telnet, chat on irc, ssh, or voice-chat over xmpp. - You can telnet or ssh with puTTY on Windows. - SyncTERM is better for telneting to BBSes. - I use ChatZilla irc client, but just because it's built into the Seamonkey browser suite. 4. The chat; the journal --------------------- You'll want to take notes to share with yourself, me, or other DOS enthusiasts. You need loose paper or a notebook to write error messages, testing notes on software, configuration changes, and thoughts. You'll want to communicate with me synchronously (chat) and asynchronously (email), and log what you do, learn, and decide. I recommend you get an account on a social system. We can try a few that work for me and discover which work for you: - telnet to mutinybbs.com port 2300 and make an account for chat, message board, email, gopher log. - chat on irc (libera.chat #oldcomputerchallenge or irc.sdf.org #gopher), use your existing email, blog (smol.pub, bearblog.dev, or pages.casa). - ssh to new@sdf.org, make an account, let me get your account validated, ssh to your UNIX account for chat, the DOS message board, email, webpage, gopher log. On the BBS (Community), public-access UNIX system (sdf), and irc channels you can get help from more than just me. That may also be a benefit of blogging, but the web isn't as friendly as gopher. Discord and minecraft don't work for me, but I'm sure there are helpful Discord servers. Texting is too cumbersome for me to use for chat. Just use it to make plans. I'll consider voice-over-xmpp or jitsi if you want computer-based voice chat while you hack. You can get an xmpp account from sdf or we can use their jitsi server. Sticking with text-only chat is simpler. What we'll do ------------- When we collborate long-distance, we'll both test software on our DOS systems, note problems, and try to fix them. While you pick a good selection of software for your brother's system and make sure the system is stable, I'll work on a way to make it boot to RAM and do easy, dependable backups. In September, I'll also work on wireless networking without the internet. Once your brother's system's ready for release (to him), you can give him the machine you've been using for development if you and your dad agree it's a good machine for him. Otherwise I'll get you an EeePC or a Core 2 Duo-era Panasonic Toughbook for him, and you'll do a final round of testing on it. You'll also be dreaming up what you want to do next, as will I.