Subj : 2.88 MB Floppy Operations? (BootOS2)
To   : Mike Luther
From : Andy Roberts
Date : Sat Mar 17 2001 12:26 am

 Mike Luther,

16-Mar-01 22:45:50, Mike Luther wrote to Kris Steenhaut
          Subject: 2.88 MB Floppy Operations?

 KS>> 2. xdf formatted floppies are *read only*.

XDF is just an FDFormat size.  It is not Read Only.  In fact with the
1.72MB XDF format I do not even need FDREAD nor XDFLOPPY.FLT.

 KS>> Even at a minimal boot the os has to write some minimal temp files
 KS>> to disk (even when the tempfile is zero in size).

 KS>> So, save some of your own precious time and forget about it.

Having read that last night, this morning I have a solution.

 KS>> Bottom line: the xdf format wasn't one of Big Blue's brightest
 KS>> ideas.

 ML> EOF .. ;)

Sneaky (manual) BootOS2:

1.) UnZip FDForm18.zip into dir FDForm18.
2.) Load Novel DOS7
3.) Blank diskette in drive A: then from inside dir FDForm18 run:
    FDREAD
    FDFORMAT A: F172
4.) Repeat for 2nd blank diskette:  FDFORMAT A: F172    
result:  1,745,408 bytes free on each (1.44MB) diskette.

5.) Load OS/2
6.) Put F172 diskette in drive A:
7.) sysinstx A:
result:  Bootable diskette with os2boot 1105 3-17-01 5:15a *HSRA
8.) Copy everything from previous BootOS2 A to that same diskette.
9.) Copy everything from previous BootOS2 B to the other diskette.
result based on my FP9:

--- Disk#1 ---
The volume label in drive A is BOOTOS2_1.
The Volume Serial Number is 41D7:DE88.
Directory of A:\

OS2          <DIR>       3-19-99  9:24a
ea data. sf       2048   3-17-01  5:20a *HSRA
os2boot           1105   3-17-01  5:15a *HSRA
BK-REST  TXT      1971   3-23-99  7:27p *personal note
CONFIG   BAK       981  11-07-00  8:06a *personal
CONFIG   SY0       853   4-24-99 11:14a *personal
CONFIG   SY1       853   4-24-99 11:14a *personal
CONFIG   SYS       981   2-28-01 12:44a
COUNTRY  SYS     38803   1-08-98 11:31a
OS2KRNL         601505  10-12-98  1:54p
OS2LDR           33280   7-28-98  5:25p
OS2LDR   MSG      8368   9-25-98 11:46a
POPUPLOG OS2      1795  10-28-00 11:40p
      11 file(s)     689390 bytes used
                     336896 bytes free

The volume label in drive A is BOOTOS2_1.
The Volume Serial Number is 41D7:DE88.
Directory of A:\OS2

..            <DIR>       3-17-01  5:17a
...           <DIR>       3-17-01  5:17a
DLL          <DIR>       3-19-99  9:24a
INST

.