Can't make a custom VHD out of Flynnsbit Shareware Pack

[AmintaMister]

Hi all!

I've tried to make a custom version of Flynnsbit Shareware Pack based on MyMenu but what I get is "Booting from Hard Disk. This is not a bootable disk. Please insert a bootable floppy and press any key to try again..."

These are the steps I've followed:

1) I've created in Windows 10 a new MBR .Vhd of 30GB without partitioning / formatting it.
2) I've downloaded the VHD https://github.com/flynnsbit/DOS_Sharew ... ag/v0.1.20
3) I've booted Ao486 from a FreeDos Foppy Image (this one: http://dionysus.dk/software/DOS/AO486_floppy.7z)
4) I've successfully partitioned and formatted (FAT32) my 30Gb VHD
5) I've successfully copied all file from Flynnsbit release to my empty and formatted VHD with "D:\xcopy /S /E /H *.* C:\"
6) No luck

[bbond007]

I've tried to make a custom version of Flynnsbit Shareware Pack based on MyMenu but what I get is "Booting from Hard Disk. This is not a bootable disk. Please insert a bootable floppy and press any key to try again..."

I would suggest booting from floppy disk (with just your new VHD attached as primary and no other VHDs) and go into FDISK and make sure the partition is set as active. The main partition must be set as active as DOS seems to be picky about that...

[AmintaMister]

I've tried to make a custom version of Flynnsbit Shareware Pack based on MyMenu but what I get is "Booting from Hard Disk. This is not a bootable disk. Please insert a bootable floppy and press any key to try again..."

I would suggest booting from floppy disk (with just your new VHD attached as primary and no other VHDs) and go into FDISK and make sure the partition is set as active. The main partition must be set as active as DOS seems to be picky about that...

Thanks bbond007, and congratulations for your great work! Unfortunately, the partition is already active:

IMG-5110.jpg (158.8 KiB) Viewed 2025 times

[bbond007]

Thanks bbond007, and congratulations for your great work! Unfortunately, the partition is already active:

Thanks!

By any chance did you format the drive with "/s" switch?

[AmintaMister]

Thanks bbond007, and congratulations for your great work! Unfortunately, the partition is already active:

Thanks!

By any chance did you format the drive with "/s" switch?

I didn't...

[akeley]

I seem to remember you probably should format the VHDs with a dedicated tool: guiformat-x64.Exe

[bbond007]

I seem to remember you probably should format the VHDs with a dedicated tool: guiformat-x64.Exe

AmintaMister's method was just fine for the most part.

1) I've created in Windows 10 a new MBR .Vhd of 30GB without partitioning / formatting it.

This step essentially just created a blank file. This step could have been streamlined creating the file using "dd" right on the MiSTer Linux.

Code: Select all

dd if=/dev/zero of=myboot.vhd bs=1MB count=30

I think the problem is overlooking the format "/s" switch...

[jca]

The problem was only the /s, you do not need special tools to create a vhd. Using dd would have worked but you have to be very careful with that: you won't be able to move it back to Windows to add files for example, you can move it but you cannot mount it as a vhd. On the MISTer side it does not matter if it was created as a vhd in Windows and moved to MISTer. Some time ago someone posted some "vhds" which worked perfectly under MISTer but it was impossible to add files by moving them to Windows. The solution was to create an empty VHD under Windows, move it to MISTer, copy the contents of the original "VHD" into the real VHD and use that one, no more problems moving the vhd between MISTer and Windows to add file.
This is only when dealing with DOS style disks, if it for other OSes you can use dd without problem as you won't need to use it under Windows.

[akeley]

This tool (guiformat) was recommended by flynnsbit in the write up I linked to I've used his method many times and it has always worked. It seems faster to me than creating a vhd in MiSTer first and shifting it to PC, if that's what you mean.

[AmintaMister]

Thanks to all! I’ve formatted with Guiformat and copied files from original flynnsbit VHD to mine. Now at the boot it stucks on “booting from HD”…

[jca]

Creating the VHD on Windows and moving it to MISTer is not the fastest way but is needed if at some point you need to use it back on Windows. If you do not plan to move it creating it on MISTer using dd is no problem.

[AmintaMister]

Please, if anyone can kindly repeat all steps to make it work…

[flynnsbit]

mount shareware pack in IDE 0-0
create a new vhd in windows with whatever size you want
mount new vhd to IDE 0-1
boot shareware pack, drop to dos
format D: /S
You should see Disk size: Matches your disk, FAT32
say YES

Xcopy whatever you want from C: to D:
example:
xcopy c:\FDOS D:\FDOS\ /S
xcopy C:\MYMENU D:\MYMENU /S
xcopy c:\fdconfig.sys c:\ /S
xcopy autoexec.bat c:\ /S
xcopy C:\ANSI D:\ANSI\ /S
xcopy C:\GAMEANSI D:\GAMEANSI\ /S
xcopy C:\scrsaver d:\scrsaver\ /S
xcopy c:\UTILS D:\UTILS\ /S
xcopy c:\PLAYERS D:\PLAYERS\ /S
xcopy c:\TOOLS D:\TOOLS\ /S
xcopy c:\configs D:\configs\ /S
xcopy openinit.raw D:\ /s (note, openinit.raw is the flynnsbit boot logo, you can replace with whatever you want or dont include)



Reboot the core and make your VHD the primary in IDE 0-0 and reset.

[flynnsbit]

Someone could probably make a Mister script that does all of that above, using a combo of memmakers vhd script and the folders from the github/shareware pack for only the folders/files I listed above and it would be a one shot script that you could run directly on the mister. I just don't have the time.

Ask for VHD size, create in games\AO486, mount image (steal code from Top 300 or Shareware pack update script on github) pull down raw contents for a base image into that vhd, add your games to C:\games

you would need to also modify memakers script and replace diskpart (windows) with a linux commandset that does the same thing: https://github.com/memmaker/mister_dos_ ... ter/vhd.py

folders and files listed above from here:
https://github.com/flynnsbit/DOS_Shareware_MyMenu

[bbond007]

xcopy openinit.raw D:\ /s (note, openinit.raw is the flynnsbit boot logo, you can replace with whatever you want or dont include)

What format is the openinit.raw file if I wanted to change it? BMP?

I actually don't want to change it but I'm just curious.

Thanks!

[flynnsbit]

blackout.com requires this, GIF87 is the key so I used Paint Shop Pro for that.

1. It must be saved as (or converted to) a .GIF file (GIF87 format)
You can use Graphics Workshop or something to do this.

2. It must be 320x200 in size, with 256 colours.

3. You must use GIF2RAW to make it usable.

4. Leave the top two lines of the screen black (colour 0).

Readme in this: https://web.archive.org/web/20070721140 ... ackout.zip

[AmintaMister]

mount shareware pack in IDE 0-0
create a new vhd in windows with whatever size you want, format with FAT32 with guiformater
mount new vhd to IDE 0-1
boot shareware pack, drop to dos
format D: /S
You should see Disk size: Matches your disk, FAT32
say YES

Xcopy whatever you want from C: to D:
example:
xcopy c:\FDOS D:\FDOS\ /S
xcopy C:\MYMENU D:\MYMENU /S
xcopy c:\fdconfig.sys c:\ /S
xcopy autoexec.bat c:\ /S
xcopy C:\ANSI D:\ANSI\ /S
xcopy C:\GAMEANSI D:\GAMEANSI\ /S
xcopy C:\scrsaver d:\scrsaver\ /S
xcopy c:\UTILS D:\UTILS\ /S
xcopy c:\PLAYERS D:\PLAYERS\ /S
xcopy c:\TOOLS D:\TOOLS\ /S
xcopy c:\configs D:\configs\ /S
xcopy openinit.raw D:\ /s (note, openinit.raw is the flynnsbit boot logo, you can replace with whatever you want or dont include)



Reboot the core and make your VHD the primary in IDE 0-0 and reset.

IT WORKS, THANKS flynnsbit, and thanks for your wonderful work! Only one question: it shouldn't be enough "format d:\ /S"? Why "format with FAT32 with guiformater" before?

[flynnsbit]

mount shareware pack in IDE 0-0
create a new vhd in windows with whatever size you want, format with FAT32 with guiformater
mount new vhd to IDE 0-1
boot shareware pack, drop to dos
format D: /S
You should see Disk size: Matches your disk, FAT32
say YES

Xcopy whatever you want from C: to D:
example:
xcopy c:\FDOS D:\FDOS\ /S
xcopy C:\MYMENU D:\MYMENU /S
xcopy c:\fdconfig.sys c:\ /S
xcopy autoexec.bat c:\ /S
xcopy C:\ANSI D:\ANSI\ /S
xcopy C:\GAMEANSI D:\GAMEANSI\ /S
xcopy C:\scrsaver d:\scrsaver\ /S
xcopy c:\UTILS D:\UTILS\ /S
xcopy c:\PLAYERS D:\PLAYERS\ /S
xcopy c:\TOOLS D:\TOOLS\ /S
xcopy c:\configs D:\configs\ /S
xcopy openinit.raw D:\ /s (note, openinit.raw is the flynnsbit boot logo, you can replace with whatever you want or dont include)



Reboot the core and make your VHD the primary in IDE 0-0 and reset.

IT WORKS, THANKS flynnsbit, and thanks for your wonderful work! Only one question: it shouldn't be enough "format d:\ /S"? Why "format with FAT32 with guiformater" before?

you're right, probably perfectly fine without that step. This is one of those where I copy and pasted from my OneNote on my process and that process morphed over time and I should have removed the guiformat process.